How do the Paul Klampers Stack Up Against Modern MTB Brakes? The Paul Klamper MTB Review
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Today we head to Hiline trail in Sedona, AZ to test the Paul Klampers in an MTB environment. A lot of people have been curious to know if they have what it takes to make it as a modern MTB brake. In this video we get brutally honest with the Paul Klampers and talk about the pros and cons of them. Learn more about these brakes here: bit.ly/3rgZY8u
I know this video challenges many people's assumptions about hydraulic and cable disc brakes. It's natural to feel defensive and angry when your assumptions are challenged, but I encourage everyone to keep an open mind. I have absolutely nothing to gain by saying what I said. I'm not paid for this review, and I'm not in cahoots with Paul to promote these. These aren't BB7s; these are hand-machined with top of the line alloys and hardened parts. Are they worth the price? That's up to you. They're not cheap at all, but I fully expect them to last from bike to bike to bike. I would be thrilled to have these on all of my bikes.
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Top job on kind and calm trail usage with other people. They didn't hear you, you didn't get even slightly frustrated, turned out they were deaf, as you say - most legitimate reason you could possibly have! How easy would it be for most people to get a little bit irritated and then to feel totally awful afterwards when the realisation hit. Kindness costs nothing!
Agreed! Hopefully people learn that we're all out there to enjoy nature and unplug from the daily grind. Nothing shuts down trails faster than poor trail ettiquette.
10:18
@HardtailParty is a class act. Just seems to carry himself with confidence and kindness. Does not seem to have anything to prove to anyone.
I realize this video challenges many people's assumptions about hydraulic and cable disc brakes. It's natural to feel defensive and angry when your assumptions are challenged, but I encourage everyone to keep an open mind. I have absolutely nothing to gain by saying what I said. I'm not paid for this review, and I'm not in cahoots with Paul to promote these. I'm simply sharing my experiences.
These are not BB7s; these are hand-machined with top of the line alloys and hardened parts.
Are they worth the price? That's up to you. They're not cheap at all, but I fully expect them to last for year to come. I would be thrilled to have these on all of my bikes.
I've ridden more powerful brakes before, but to me, max power shouldn't be the only criteria for brake comparisons. These fall in the middle for me regarding power.
What's most appealing about these, aside from the lack of hydraulic fluid and the need to bleed them, is the fact that i can dial them in to feel exactly how I want. I can adjust where in the lever stroke i can get them to bite. Sure, i can do that with sram rsc brakes, but this is so much easier and more precise.
One other thing i think could be improved is the shape of the lever where your finger meets. It's not as ergonomic as a shimano or sram lever. Although the.corners are rounded, i feel like a less rectangular profile on the lever would increase braking comfort.
There are so many myths and misconceptions about cable disc brakes.
Myth 1: cables stretch and you're always adjusting cable disc brakes. Cables do stretch, and that usually plays out in the first mile or two. Just like derailleur cable, once they're done stretching, they don't just keep stretching over and over, requiring tweaks.
Myth #2: You need dual-acruatong pistons on your cable disc brakes. When paul was designing these, he experimented with dual actuators, and found them to be unnecessarily complex with minimal performance gains. I realize people like symmetry, and dual pistons make sense in our brain, but they're simply not necessary for a great brake feel.
Myth #3: cable disc brakes have to be adjusted at the bottom of ever run because if the single-actuating pistons. Wrong. After the first 5 miles, I haven't touched the adjustments at all in the subsequent 245 miles. They're the most consistent feeling brakes I've encountered.
Myth #4: cable disc tech is "old", therefore newer hydraulic brakes are "better." I guess this is a matter of opinion. Newer isn't always better. In fact, I'd argue that 9&10 speed drivetrains are still far better than the 12 speed we have today. Newer is newer, not better.
To me, these brakes remind me of a 70s or 80s air-cooled porsche 911. Why would you buy a classic porsche with older tech when you could buy a brand new subaru wrx with an automatic trans, better moto, turbo, awd, water cooled engine, etc.? Driving an old air cooled porsche is a special experience, and I'd take it over the new modern wrx any day.
I used to have Avid BB-7s and I liked them and missed the simplicity of not messing with brake fluids. I've seen these brakes before, but it was the first time that I've seen someone rave so much about them. Your review sold me on these and I'd add these brakes on my dream bike build.
I'm curious why you mention "these are not BB7's". I know the newer ones are heavier and not as refined, but I still have a set of the old ones before they changed the manufacturing and I find them really good. Are the klampers that much better? Because if they are, sign me up!
To offer a slight correction: Cables (the inner) stretch very little. What really happens is the outer sheath collapses (shortens), giving the illusion of cable stretch. Speaking of cables, what cables are you using with the Paul Klampers? I just removed some TRP four piston hydraulic calipers and installed TRP Spyke calipers with Jagwire Mountain Pro cables. Almost no difference in performance. I was seriously considering the Klampers, but couldn't go the price at this time. I WILL have Klampers before I'm through. Thanks for sharing this awesome video!
@@swnorcraft7971 great addition. I'm just using the cheapest cables and housing I can find.
@@hardtailparty It is absolutely UNREAL the difference that Jagwire polished SS cables and their lined sheath makes. They make non collapsible and standard sheaths.....Just sayin'. Paul recommends the latter with the Klamper. I also use Jagwire cables for my shifters.
Couldnt care less about the brakes, but the way you interacted with those two trail goers is why i love this channel and why im rocking my HT hoodie.
Haha man what a great interaction with those deaf hikers. So glad everyone was respectful. Haha
Cable operated brakes are appropriate technology for something as simple and light as a bicycle.
BIKE PARKS
I love how you casually throw trail etiquette into your videos. Not enough people pay attention to these things! Great video, and awesome brakes. Contemplating them for an upcoming build
I've always loved a well set up cable brake. I've got plenty of history with BB7s, those things never let me down and I was using an early model until very recently. I've got a more modern set of BB5s on my recumbent, and again they've been great. Cantilevers on my commuter, dialled in perfectly, they only disappoint when it rains. Campagnolo Veloce calipers on my road bike that work so well they've got the potential to be dangerous.
Hydraulic brakes have their place (disc brakes more so than Magura HSxx) but cable brakes have a very positive feel, they're not intimidating to install, and they're easily adjusted or repaired on the side of the road using a few basic tools. I work as a bike mechanic and have no problem working with either but I'm never going to dismiss a well adjusted cable brake. A drop of oil or a $10 cable every once in a while is far less fuss than the myriad of annoyances you can get from some hydraulic setups.
And I just really enjoy installing and setting up cable brakes. I could almost do it blindfolded, it isn't messy, and troubleshooting isn't an educated guess about what's going on inside the the hydraulic lines. Much more satisfying than fussing about trying to get a good bleed on something.
I'm in the same boat. I was fine with bb7s too, but these are on an entirely different level.
Spot on. 100%
Amen! I love my Klampers.
I was waiting for the @oldshovel comment on the Paul's:)
Your channel looks amazing. I just restored a neighbors old 89 hardrock. Love retro bikes.
Me too. I just put a set on my Jamis Dragon ONE 29er. Perfection.
I just took my first ride on mine and I'm sold on them as well. I've debated buying these for ages and your review encouraged me to take the plunge. I'll have mine for decades as well.
I'm riding BB7 for 12 years now, on my full rigid mtb, my xc and my trail/enduro. Clearly enough around home and also in Alps bike parks, could not agree more, but bb7 are affordable. Great video
I total aggree, I don't understand why some people dissing the BB7, sure the Paul's are very nice but expensive. I have BB7's on my '09 Surly Pugsley, yes the old roundagon rotors and stock organic pads suck but I replaced those things and w/ the right cables/housing they are very good powerfull bombproof reliable + affordable.
This isn’t so much for HTP but for the home mechanic. On the concern about pad play when adjusting your headset….while standing over the bike, put the front wheel against something sturdy, a wall, a solid workbench, etc, then do the play check. I ran into pad play all the time in the shop, and that’s the best way to get around it.
I've been riding Klampers with Love Levers for 3 years now, and not turning back. Hands down best brakes I've owned, and no bleeding to fuss with. I've had XT's various Avid/SRAM hydros, XT 4 pot hydros, BB7's, BB5's, TRP Spyke.......
Nothing compares.
My second favorite would be the XT 4 pots, and to their credit, they are fairly easy to bleed, but why bother? The Klampers are fuss free and offer every bit as much power.
Great video, and awesome demo of trail etiquette. I am a huge advocate of proper trail manners.
Great video topic and review. Totally agree on all your thoughts about the Klampers. These brakes are far from a boutique item that someone buys just for status. They are one of the best disc brakes on the market, mech or hydro, in my opinion. Being made by Paul in the USA is icing on the cake. We recommend these frequently at my shop, mostly to bike packing folks, but especially to anyone who needs a high performing, super reliable brake that feels damn good. Nice, US made goods cost money.
This is why I'm hesitant on buying hydrologic brakes in my hardtail. I have taken my Tektro brakes apart so many times and know how to dail them in just right without any issues and can stop on a dime. Great video!
i am satisfied with my tektros .. 160mm rotors . on giant talon 2021
I switched all my bikes to Avid mechanicals. All interchangeable, simple and easy to service. I do get more tired hands on long howling descents but as I'm old and slower now it's worth the swap.
I wish they still made the Speed Dial Ultimate levers. Another luxury item, but OMG they were soooo nice.
Awesome review, and vote of confidence for a near zero maintenance system that works ..
Also 5% extra pump equals 5% more forearm gains!!
Those look sweet. I had cable avid disc brakes on my 05 Stumpjumper and liked them then, for ease of setup and having plenty of power. These look like as much of an evolution from those as modern hydraulic brakes are from the ones we had back then.
However, I think people are unfairly harsh on the inconvenience of hydraulic lines. Bleeding brakes is not that hard once you try it, and a good bleed lasts months. Cables on the other hand start to stretch pretty quickly so you are always having to adjust them to keep up. Cables are also more sensitive to cable routing. I'd rather have the slightly trickier initial setup of hydraulic and overall less time adjusting the brakes.
Wow. I love the idea of not having to maintain a hydraulic brake system! I might have these in my future.
Best thing I ever did for my bike was Paul Klampers. My bike is no lightweight and I live in an extremely hilly area. I too run a 203 rotor in front and a 180 in back. I agree completely that the rear rotor seems to be a little overkill and locks up a little too easily in certain situations, might downsize back to a 160. As to rotor warp and not minding a little extra weight, I've been using full floating rotors. If they are true right out of the box and once bedded in they run and stay that way short of bashing the crap out of them which doesn't happen too often. And most are ventilated to help dissipate heat and keep the grunge from effecting their performance. Someone here was mentioning wet weather performance, beings as Klampers come stock with really great Kool Stop brake pads, rain at least did not effect braking performance but it was the one and only time they did squeal a little. And worth mentioning Klampers are 100% completely serviceable, were three or four years in the making with several prototypes including some dual piston ones and this is the final outcome. Built and built to last! Excellent brakes!
Got to love those, prefer simple over complicated.
Life is complicated enough!
Loved this review!
From South Africa
I am a bike mechanic as well. They work great with regular housing. Technically Paul says they work better, with regular housing but I bought some yokozuna compression less housing and they’re even better. I’ll never go back to hydraulic.
Great review! I have a Paul Klamper on the front and a TRP SPYKE on the rear of my MTB . I feel the Klamper is more powerful, even with one less piston. I like the fact they can be changed from short or long pull, too . I wonder if that would help or change your rear brakes locking up ?
I want mechanical brakes on my dirt jumper, easier to work with and no bleeding. If i crash and rip a cable there wont be oil bleeding everywhere.
Bicycle mechanic myself, my colleague rides 25k km/year and has a pair of Klampers on one of his Bullitts and they absolutely rip. It's kinda strange coming from a MT7 and liking these way more. Not for the ultimate power but for the overall ease of use. Paul makes some amazing products and as you said: Trickstuff is the hydraulic equivalent to Klamps.
I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only crazy one that prefers klampers. I'm scared to try trickstuff, cuz then I'll want some and not be able to get any.
These brakes would still not get me down this safely 🤣
Also, I hike a lot. Your trail etiquette is amazing. For the most part everyone is nice, but you set an amazing example. I’m taking notes next time I’m on the trail.
OK, I'm sold. Just building a gravel / bike packing bike up and want to be able to fix things on the trip. The more I hear about the Klampers the more I'm convinced. Thanks for this. Looks like a great ride. 👍
Also glad to know what future break I am gonna throw on my Stanton in the future!
I want my Hardtail to be the toughest and easiest to maintain bike out of all my bikes.
Thanks. I enjoyed watching the ride. I have a set of Klampers en-route in the post. Your video made the wait a little more frustrating.
I know you ride these trails all the time but I still can never get over the views you have out on the trail. I'd be stopping every 5 mins just to look around!
The views never get old.
@@hardtailparty Technically it's 3 million years old haha. But in all seriousness, you live in a wonderful place.
I put Paul Components cantilever brakes on my touring bike, two rides across the U.S., three sets of brake pads later, I never had to adjust them or fiddle with them. Rock solid manufacturing of components.
I just recently built up my 2021 Trek Boone Disc as an “All road” bike with Mechanical Ultegra 1x11 RX. I put a set of short pull flat mount Paul Klamper on. As good as any Shimano road hydro calipers. I am running them on 140mm rotors. Used Jagwire housing with the full internal routing. Yes they are not cheap, but they are easy to install and adjust. FWIW I found a very lightly used set on eBay.
Awesome! I've been waiting for the answer in the video for a while now, thank you for reviewing the Klampers! I was on the fence but now Im sold.
I was curious about them before, but I assumed they wouldn't be that great due to how bulky they are. Well, that bulk is because of a hardened piston, which translates to a SUPER SOLID brake feel. I'm totally sold on these things.
Being from the uk where dry weather is a rarity at best I wonder how these would preform in the wet. But love the idea of lifelong brakes, brilliant sustainability.
That's an excellent question. I wonder how they'd do in the mud and the muck.
My XT levers have this little internal plastic wedge that snaps and causes the lever to fail.... Ive broken several of the XT levers this way; the fact that i can buy some $10 cable levers and never worry about it again is worth it.
For my trail bike I’d have to say a hard no, fatigue can be a limiting factor on big park days, on my DJ I can really see where the simplicity would be nice!
could you do a video showing how to dial these in?
Plus the people at Pauls Engineering are really down to earth and easy to deal with.
These brakes would be great for internal cable routing. Swap them in and out, to different bikes and back, no bleeding!
exactly. They also play nice with bags on the bars for bikepacking.
I've watched enough of your videos, I'm starting to catch on. LoL
great review...I really appreciate your input. I am looking at this or the grotac ad something important that you mentioned for me is how these brakes are bulky and can interfered with a rack as I am putting new brakes on my Surly Troll. Cheers and again, thank you.
Long levers are great for getting good reach past grip/twist shifters, if you use those.
And thumbshifters!
Not sure about your comment "These are not BB7's". As a toolmaker I can appreciate some of Pauls stuff, but I have been running avid BB7's on all our builds since gen 1 in 2000.Tandem, trail, XC,203-160mm, all brutally strong and 100% reliable, and never needing a bleed. I do enjoy your Hard Tail Party channel a lot, thanks.
So you're saying that these are the same as bb7s? Take a look at the size of these things. And the hardened pistons and size of the pistons it's using. It feels WAY more solid than a bb7. I'm not hating on the avids, they are decent for what they are, but these feel entirely different.
@@hardtailparty No I never said Pauls are the same as bb7's, in fact I've never held one in my hands. My real point was the credibility of a mechanical disc brake. Your comment "decent for what they are" is kinda a slam on a brake I have used for 20 years side by side to all the wonder hydraulics out there, same speed, same performance, without fade and boiling of fluid, and as you now know , the fine tuning afforded by a good mechanical disc.
Fantastic review! The pluses of complete control and a product that can last a decade has its fans, myself included. The entry price may be steep, but if you pay someone else to bleed your brakes (I do, because I’m lazy) you probably end up spending that price eventually.
Agreed. Laying a shop to bleed your brakes a few times a year will pay for these quickly.
I wish Paul would make their levers with 2 bolts so you can take the brake lever off without taking the grips off. I use ESI grips and they’re a nuisance to take on/off.
Yes. Perhaps a redesign to include this and a lever housing angle adjustment instead of just adjusting cable to get the lever distance you want
I’m running TRP Spyres on my drop bar MTB and love them. Would love to compare these to those side by side
What a good review! Perfect trail and how were your shoulders feeling afterwards??😜😜 I cant believe it was all one fingered!
Shoulders feel great. :)
Fantastic video! Always thought they were the best brakes, epic ride convinced me I will have no issues on a gravel bike!
I've been looking forward to this review, not that Pauls are in my budget! It would be interesting to see how they stack up against the two piston TRP mechanicals that are out there, and then the big showdown, Paul's vs Trickstuff!
Oh man, I wish I could get trickstuff brakes in to compare. They have a 12 month waitlist, and they cost a good $400 more than the pauls. I've ridden more powerful brakes than these klampers, but the overall braking experience was superior on these pauls for me.
I have the TRP Spyres & TRP Spykes (road & MTB version of the same brake). The TRP brakes are symmetrical, meaning the 2 pads cam inward together to disc. This results in a lot of stopping power, no disc warping and greater pad to disc distance then a single sided brake. Also, as the brakes wear, there is simple adjustment on the caliper to bring the pad inward back to "normal" position. Without riding the Klampers, I'm hard pressed to believe the Klampers have more stopping power then the TRP brakes. All TRP brakes are built around Shimano pads, so its easy to get the pads anywhere.
Side note: I run TRP brakes on all my bikes. They are just good brakes that do their job without fuss.
I ride hydraulics now but I used to love my BB7. With the proper lever, they feel fantastic and are so adjustable.
I recently bought a new mountain bike with mechanical disk brakes on it after riding with hydraulic disk brakes for 12 years. I love the simplicity, reliability and ease of maintenance with mechanical brakes. I've had hydraulic brakes fail me a few times on fast descents because of bubbles in the fluid or low fluid or leaks. It's not fun flying down a hill and then when you have to brake, you don't have brakes. Mechanical disk brakes get looked down on but honestly they work just fine for most people. No bleeding, no leaks, no bubbles, no top ups, no flushing, just simple reliability
I appreciate that you mentioned fatigue being only 5% different than hydraulics. Every week I do a ride with 700' of descending and around the time the slope starts flattening my forearms are really complaining. Would it be better with hydraulic brakes (or if I wasn't a pansy?) It sounds like probably not much better. I really appreciate the insight in your videos.
Which brakes are you currently riding? Proper suspension setup, a good compliant bar, great grips, a good bike fit, and good technique all come into play. That said, I still get arm pump on all my bikes with 700' of straight descent.
@@hardtailparty thanks for the reply. I have tektro Aries brakes. I think there is a good chance I have subpart suspension setup, form, and bike fit... So that might be a contributing factor. Good to know that much descending might lead to arm pump anyway...
Brakes aside, a real treat to watch yor skill on this gnarly trail. Thanks for the review.
I have Klampers on two of my bikes and I couldnt be happier. The high cost is worth it for the stopping power and my peace of mind on the trail. the lever feel and adjustment is top notch.
@@samuellevit9706 you could, they are heavy though and expensive.
So you use short pull or long pull?
@@TheHottnickss I have the short pull version.
Love your review bud!i have mechanical disc brakes too on my GT verb and i enjoy them in black diamond trails!i can even ride them on steep tricky rock slabs!
I feel like my BB5's are adequate at best but I'm a BMX guy to this day and have had a mental block about wanting to go to hydro brakes on my hardtail. I've always been good at setting up my "990's" on my BMX bikes so I'm pretty sure I can handle Paul's. I've hesitated to drop the coin on these but I think I'm gonna start saving up now! Thanks again Steve!!!
No reason to fear hydros, but there's definitely a learning curve to working with them and taking care of them.
@@hardtailparty Oh, I wouldn't say it's a fear just uncharted territory. Haha! :)
I'm very happy with my TRP Spyke mechanical disc brakes, I pair them with Avid speed dial 7 brake levers and Shimano rt64 rotors (203 mm)
I bought a set of high polish Klampers at full retail price because of this video and if my wife ever finds out she is going to kill me. Thanks a lot!
I'd totally rock them. Outside of the cost, there are few drawbacks with using these over hydro for people that want something dead simple to fix out on the trail. Cost is a lot, but considering these can be passed down to your grand kids it's not completely unreasonable for a bespoke item.
Great video man!!! I’m leaning towards these brakes too.
I ride a 160 travel bike in bike parks with the Avid BB7 Road. The road version has a shorter pull which I want because of my short fingers. I upgraded to 220mm front rotors recently to have even more power, but was happy with the 200mm.
I had the Avid cable brakes- I always though they never could hold a candle to hydro. I love the idea of Paul brakes (I had Paul's brakes in the 90's on my bikes)- just did not think that the performance would be comparable to hydro up until your review.
I've been using Avid BB7's for 20 years. I'm ready and willing to buy Clampers at some point but the BB7's haven't let me down, so I'm saving my money.
Hmmm... my wife and I were riding in Sedona last week (thanks for the red carpet) and she remarked how she is envious of the oil slick bolts on my Avid Ult brakes. If I "let her have" my brakes I could put these on my Karate monkey! Just thinking out loud... Thanks for another great video. I appreciate your generosity with your knowledge.
I like your thinking! You hit Sedona at prime trail conditions.
There is no way I could ride that route safely -- I'd be gawking at the scenery the whole time. What an amazing place to live!
BTW, wrt cable actuated brakes, I switched to JagWire segmented housing and polished mandrel-drawn cables, and it made a huge improvement in braking modulation, and reduced hand fatigue.
Hey Steve, great video. What size are the rotors on your bike? You said you would think about using smaller ones, I'm just curious what you have and what you might think is a better size. Thanks!
I also used to like mechanical brakes & used Tektro & Avid for years before i was swayed by popular opinions that hydraulic brakes are better & generally i do think that hydraulic brakes have better feel control. You can apply braking force as you need it.
Give these a try, they're far superior to bb7s and any other cable disc I've tried. I've run hydraulic disc brakes for years, sram, Shimano, tektro, you name it, and i still prefer these Paul's.
I would absolutely love to try riding on that terrain! In SW England it's all roots and mud and usually steep. I like all that but riding in a totally different place would be great. Looks like it hurts to crash though..
I hear the peak district has some good stuff.
@@hardtailparty Yeah they've got some good riding 'up north'. But then much of Britain seems the same to me, just bigger or smaller hills really. We just don't have that range of terrain and climate that you do in America. Mind you, our entire country is smaller than some US states so..
i agree BUT those side cliffs are a LOO LOOOO !!! 😚
Great review. Wish I could test these out. I love the ease of maintaining these and the simplicity of them. But I'm so tall and much heavier than a typical cyclist I generally have a completely different experience with brakes and wheels than most people. It would be tough to spend all that money and not be sure of how great they are.
Have you ever used TRP Spyke's? I did briefly on a used bike I bought and was highly impressed with those for the short time I owned the bike. They were way better than BB7's, so much better that I ditched the BB7's on tbe wifes bike for a pair. She loved the brakes too.
That riding was quite good! Very informative video as usual and the bike jewelry from Paul, is just stunning! When I finally see Blue Anodized I’ve got funds set aside to snatch them up! Your freaking HT makes my mouth water, I’d throw single dollars at that fat bottom all day long! 🚲💸LoL
Yeah Steve! This is what RUclips is all about. These are definitely my top choice for a silly drop bar build, and the fact that you took them down High Line says all I need to know.
"I'm about do a bunch of things you're not supposed to do"-- while everyone is standing around making arbitrary rules to justify their purchases we're out here having the time of our lives at the Hardtail Party. ;)
Well said Pete!
Way to keep it real. Simple bike. Simple brakes. I agree on having too much braking power, I actually sized down my stock 203 rotors to 180 on the front of my StumpJumper. 203 was too much! Really felt the unbalanced power feeling after coming from one of my other bikes with 180’s on front and rear.
okay so you’ve convinced me I will be acquiring some of these down the line
They're not for everyone, but I absolutely love them. These will still be going strong in 20+ years.
You talked me into it. Just ordered a pair.
On point on the brakes, I have a saying bad brakes slow you down... good brakes help you flow! Yeww!! Good brakes also get you home, without incident. I have encountered deaf hikers where I live also. Great vid!!!
Thanks for the video, by any chance did you had the chance to test it agains the growtrac equals? Have a nice day
Great review!!! 👍👍
Thanks for watching Shaun.
Heard that Stanton sent you a Sherpa! Cannot wait to hear your opinion/comparison to Switch9er. Your content is great:)
Yup, i can't wait to get it! Thanks for the kind words.
I see that Wren fork getting put to the test. Waiting to hear what you think. I have on also but ill keep my thought silent for now
I do understand why they cost so much, and have no doubt they have excellent performance. But in my own experience, a boutique component has never once enhanced a ride beyond possibly the placebo effect. You pull the goatee off really well, Steve! Lookin' sharp.
I hope you get a chance to ride these on a friend's bike one day. I used to feel the same way as you. I have an extremely limited bike budget, but I'm trying to find a way to afford another pair of these.
@@hardtailparty I have no doubt I would like them, and I enjoy looking at Paul, Chris King, White Industries etc. on blinged out bikes as much as the next person. But after building up a few bikes with some pretty fancy parts, it dawned on me that those parts were actually taking enjoyment away from my riding experience. I can only speak for myself, but when I started buying stuff based on a high value quotient, it allowed me to enjoy riding more. In no way am I trying to say that stuff like this isn't worth the money, I hope they sell out of them (after sending you a free set).
Yeah, I hear what you're saying. I'd never recommend them for the bling factor. I don't care what other people think about my bike, but I do love a well-built, reliable product.
@@bk83082 can relate
It’s a dope trail and mechanical brakes do feel good
yeah, its just those cliff drops to the sides 😙
Just wondering: are you using the long pull or short pull levers & callipers? I can’t seem to find a clear answer on what is best for mtb use. Would appreciate your answer, thanks Steve! Keep up your fantastic channel!
Short pull. Long pull is for road bikes
6:38 Nice off-camber riding! It definitely looks like that section requires good brake control. Nice job
I'm definitely considering a set for my gravel bike since they offer a Campy-specific caliper. I'm currently running TRP RD calipers which work reasonably well, but there is just barely enough clearance between the lever and the bars when pulled. Apparently, the Paul caliper takes less cable pull and should work better. Plus, these are nowhere near as bulky as the TRP RD calipers.
The idea of never having the bleed the brakes and being able to fairly easily service a brake on the trail or during a trip has appeal for sure. If I like them on the gravel bike I'd consider them for my mtn bikes.
Ordered! And gave you a shoutout in the notes!
Thanks Ian. Definitely give these 4-5 rides before you judge them. I think you're going to be thrilled with these. I'm excited to hear what you think about them compared to your RDs.
Dude, $250 bucks for one caliper! That’s insane, but I am intrigued.
They're hand made by a team of machinists. They don't have a massive factory cranking 1000 of these out a day. Handbuilt work is less efficient and costs more. I love supporting a company that rides and builds things by hand, but I realize this puts it out of a lot of people's budgets, including mine. Fortunately, there are a lot of inexpensive hydraulic brakes out there for those of us on a budget.
If I were a rich man...
Wow. I've never watched a downhill like this before. That's knarly! Excellent riding and great brakes.
Thanks. Check out my hangover video using the same brakes.
Do you think the Klampers can handle a lift assisted bike park? I'm 140lbs on a Ragley Blue Pig with Shimano SLX 2-piston front and rear. They do fine but there are times where I could use a more stopping power and the pads do get pretty cooked after a long decent.
At 140lbs on a blue pig I think they'd be fine. Though the pads may heat up a lot, much like your Shimano pads.
Great review!
Okay I'm definitely sold on the Klampers but having a 200mm big boy front rotor makes all the difference as well.
big rotors help, but they're not the huge difference here. In fact, I've been sizing down rotors on my bikes with klampers lately, because they have so much power.
If cable brakes can be made to work really well, seems like that opens the door to brake-by-wire, and then you could finally have a completely wireless cockpit. Lots of new cars no longer have a hydraulic hose between your feet and the calipers, but would you trust say SRAM AXS brakes?? I'm kinda guessing not, as if your shifter battery dies, you can still get home, it just might take longer, whereas if your caliper battery dies, you might have a really bad day. Maybe if they made it so that before a battery died, it would slowly clamp down on the rotor and stay there until a new battery was put in.
This is really interesting, ill have to try them out.
I have never even considered mechanical brakes before
But now after watching many of your videos
I’m now building a single speed with klampers
I cannot wait to see more single speed videos and klamper videos
Keep up the good work 👍 loving the content 🤟
Man you are selling me on these. I love mechanicals.
If you love mechanicals, you've gotta give these a try.
@@hardtailparty but that price sooo tough to swallow. I am looking at almost $1000 including brake levers, and before cable housing lol
@@solobellimino2356 yup, they're expensive. Fortunately, there are a lot of great hydraulic brakes out there for cheap.
Man what doesn’t he sell us on! Reviews are so good lol.
What kind of biking shades are those? Been thinking of getting some new ones. Have POC DO Blades, but been looking at alternatives. You should do a biking glasses comparison! #ideas :)
This trail is so gnarly! Total bike weight? Like you said in the intro video, the ethos behind this build is really awesome. Simple, light, mechanical, modern. Really great build.
No clue on weight. I'd guess around 27lb
That is cool! Would I do it? Nah, I dont think I would, but it is very cool and super unique and I love it!
What’s your favorite rotor and brake pad brand combo with your klampers?
I've only tried the stock pads and I like them. I have sure all sorts of rotors and I haven't noticed much of a difference between different rotors. The 3 layer Shimano rotors are quite nice and cool well.
Great review! It makes me smug to see you doing all that stuff on a bike with those brakes, because people so often think of mechanicals as cheap junk that can never match hydros.
I know Paul says to run them with normal cables and housing, but I use Yokozuna and I much prefer them. I'm also on Trickstuff Power pads.
Interesting mod on the levers. I use old (1993) XT Servo Wave canti levers and they are extremely powerful. But doing it the way you do, just having the reach so much closer to the bar, might give even more power than Servo Wave, because your hands can grip harder when they are closer to the bar.
What rotors did you use?
These are sram rotors. I wish I could get trickstuff pads without paying $50 in shipping
that trail looks amazing!!!! gotta try that but, what would be a good testing trail for me first before highline? Don't wanna bite off more than I can chew. I'm on a hardtail too, I got 4.8 inches of "rear travel", or as I like to say, 12 PSI to play with
Try pyramid and ground control first. Make sure you can ride all of those without dabbing.
Nice review!
I have been riding my bb7 for a couple of years, I’m 135 pounds and bb7 r strong enough for me, I’ve ridden dh parks with them, raced enduro with them, and freeride too, I’m just curious is the Klamper even stronger than the bb7? Due to my lack of knowledge I have never heard of klamper, and since they r quite expensive, without a significant amount of power increase I probably won’t get them myself, if u can share a bit more comparison I. Between the klamper and the bb7 regarding power and feel that’ll be great!
Yes, it is significantly stronger than a bb7. Way more power. It sounds like bb7s are doing what you need them to though. The nice part about these is zero plastic parts. Its all machined out of solid metal and I fully expect mine to last 20+ years.
@@hardtailparty thx, appreciate it, love ur channel man, I’m a hardtail guy myself lol
Smile / great video thanks for the ride
Have you tried TRP Spyre? If so, I would love to hear your opinion of those?