# Gravel Bike... Mechanical or Hydraulic Disc Brakes?



## mummer43

I ordered a Shand Soater a few weeks ago. It takes 8-10 weeks to be built and I am trying to figure out what brakes I should go with. They offer hydraulic Shimano RS-785 or mechanical TPR Spyres. There is no cost difference. I'm leaning towards the TPR's, but I'm willing to listen to input on the matter. 

Here is the bike:
Stoater : Disc brake Reynolds 853 touring bike ? Shand Cycles


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## crit_boy

Hydraulic. Look at the evolution of disc brakes in the mtb world.

I would also opt for thru axles if that is a choice.


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## mummer43

crit_boy said:


> Hydraulic. Look at the evolution of disc brakes in the mtb world.
> 
> I would also opt for thru axles if that is a choice.


Unfortunately, no through axel option. I would definitely have gotten it.


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## burgrat

I've not seen that bike before, but it looks awesome! Please post photos when you get it all together. I agree with crit_boy, I would go with the hydraulic brakes. Just better overall. I have a city/commuter bike with mechanical disc brakes and they just don't work or feel anywhere as effective as hydraulic disc brakes.


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## mummer43

burgrat said:


> I've not seen that bike before, but it looks awesome! Please post photos when you get it all together. I agree with crit_boy, I would go with the hydraulic brakes. Just better overall. I have a city/commuter bike with mechanical disc brakes and they just don't work or feel anywhere as effective as hydraulic disc brakes.


Ok, hydraulics it is. It's a sweet bike. I upgraded the headset to a King, the stem and seat post to a Thompson, and the wheels to Stan's No Tubes Grail. I considered upgrading. Otherwise it comes with a full 105 set. Actually, I'm not sure what hubs they use. Any recommendations there?


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## BCSaltchucker

possible to forego the King headset and get some better components like Ultegra, or DTSwiss hubs? Headset won't ever slow you down, I just use FSA at a fraction the cost of a King. I had older 105 9sp and the Ultegra11 I put on this year was a real improvement.

good choice with hydros. It was a painfully expensive retrofit on my gravel bike after trying to live with mech discs for a couple years.


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## mummer43

BCSaltchucker said:


> possible to forego the King headset and get some better components like Ultegra, or DTSwiss hubs? Headset won't ever slow you down, I just use FSA at a fraction the cost of a King. I had older 105 9sp and the Ultegra11 I put on this year was a real improvement.
> 
> good choice with hydros. It was a painfully expensive retrofit on my gravel bike after trying to live with mech discs for a couple years.


I've been thinking about upgrading to Ultegra. I have some time before I have to make the decision. It's a $370 upgrade.


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## BikeLayne

Nice bike. Curious to the choice of a touring bike for gravel however. I guess I thought a gravel bike had a higher bottom bracket for clearance. What is your thoughts on that?

Chris King headsets will go the distance. 


On the brakes which is your question I would call the local bike shop and ask about the cost of servicing the hydraulics when it starts leaking and about the long term availability of parts. As you know with mechanical brakes you will find a cable at the bike store whenever you might need one.


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## jeff400650

A lot of good advise in here. I will just add that mechanical disc brakes do not perform as well as hydro when they are working their best, and in my experience, they need constant fiddling to keep from rubbing and singing on the rotors. I switched the BB7s to TRP Hylex on my Disc Trucker and life is good!

And I have hydro disc on 3 motorcycles and 2 bicycles for years, and they have never needed any tinkering.


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## Jay Strongbow

BikeLayne said:


> Nice bike. Curious to the choice of a touring bike for gravel however. *I guess I thought a gravel bike had a higher bottom bracket for clearance. * What is your thoughts on that?


You must be thinking of CX bike. Gravel bikes don't have that and wouldn't benefit from it. A touring frame for gravel makes perfect sense. A pure CX rig with a higher BB would be too aggressive/twitchy for what most people want out of gravel road riding.


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## mummer43

BikeLayne said:


> I like the bike but I am curious why you would choose a touring bike for gravel. A touring bike would have a low bottom bracket design among other things to make the bike a good choice for touring, downhill stability carrying a load front and rear. I am not sure about a gravel bike but I would think it would have a higher bottom bracket similar to a CX bike for pedal clearance in turns or tight situations out there. Am I wrong? I have no expertise in gravel bikes so I could be wrong for sure on that. What are your thoughts?
> 
> As far as brakes go I would go mechanical but I like to keep things simple. You might call you local bike shop and ask them the cost of replacing seals and such when it starts leaking. Also will seals and parts be available in 5 years or do the parts vanish when the models is upgraded each year. As you know a brake cable will be on the bike shop shelf when you need one.
> 
> How about the bottom bracket. Is it threaded or press fit. Threaded is the most trouble free system out there. Easy to take a part after the rains for cleaning. Also one last thing. Ask the builder about a drain hole in the bottom bracket if your going to ride in water, rain, rivers and such. Without a drain hole then the water sits around for a while. The tubes deposit the water downhill and then rust can set in. Water can get in from the seat tube, the air vent holes inside the steerer tube and other brazing vent holes that they do not seal. Also each spring remove your seat post and grease it a bit so that it will not freeze up. A rusted seat post sometimes cannot be fixed and becomes part of the bike like it was welded.. As I said water can get in there.
> 
> I am a big fan of Chris King headsets. It will go the distance. Made in the USA.
> 
> Sorry I posted to much but I just drank 2 cups of coffee.


Fair point. This bike is marketed as a go anywhere touring bike, which appeals to me. This bike will spend as much, perhaps more time on the road, than it will on gravel. I posted gravel bike because that is how I'm setting it up. It's a bike I'm going to get on and ride wherever I feel like going. Lots of gravel rail trail, rough country roads, and smooth tarmac in my area. I'm not looking to set any speed records, just have some fun and get some exercise. Your argument on the brakes is why I was leaning towards the TRP's. In the end, though I think I probably go with the hydros. 

Thanks for the input!


It does have a threaded bottom bracket. I will ask about having a hole drilled so water doesn't stagnate there... good recommendation.


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## BikeLayne

mummer43 said:


> Fair point. This bike is marketed as a go anywhere touring bike, which appeals to me. This bike will spend as much, perhaps more time on the road, than it will on gravel. I posted gravel bike because that is how I'm setting it up. It's a bike I'm going to get on and ride wherever I feel like going. Lots of gravel rail trail, rough country roads, and smooth tarmac in my area. I'm not looking to set any speed records, just have some fun and get some exercise. Your argument on the brakes is why I was leaning towards the TRP's. In the end, though I think I probably go with the hydros.
> 
> Thanks for the input!
> 
> 
> It does have a threaded bottom bracket. I will ask about having a hole drilled so water doesn't stagnate there... good recommendation.



Well I ride gravel on my regular road bike with Michelin Pro 4 service course tires. A very poor tire for gravel but I just plod along on the slippery stuff. There is a lot of pavement to cover before I even get there and I do not want to cover it on a gravel type tire or even a bigger heavy road tire. It's just an occasional thing. 

I think that hydraulic brakes with disc's will give you amazing stopping power.


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## Roland44

mummer43 said:


> I've been thinking about upgrading to Ultegra. I have some time before I have to make the decision. It's a $370 upgrade.


Go for it if you have the cash! It's worth the money.


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## SwiftSolo

I agree,

I have a mtb with TRP and a road bike with shimano hydro discs. Clearly the full hydro discs are superior with regard to precision braking.


burgrat said:


> I've not seen that bike before, but it looks awesome! Please post photos when you get it all together. I agree with crit_boy, I would go with the hydraulic brakes. Just better overall. I have a city/commuter bike with mechanical disc brakes and they just don't work or feel anywhere as effective as hydraulic disc brakes.


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## Aadub

Hydro brakes and Ultegra. You won't regret it.


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## Srode

Gravel or not, hydraulic is the way to go with Disc brakes- sooooo much nicer than mechanical.


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## PBL450

Great looking bike! Wow, 3K US and then some? For a dirt road bike? Sounds like a cool way and place to ride, I'm just wondering, when you get into mad money on a road bike it's specifically to strip weight... The finished bike in this case is like 24+ lbs. (respectable for such a versatile bike I guess). That seems like a crap ton of scratch to put into a dirt road bike? Again, just because the price gradients in road bikes and components are largely tied to weight and that's not a big consideration here... Steel frame, steel fork? I mean if the money is no object... But it seems to be, at least to some extent, it just looks like a weird way to spend your cycling dollars to me... But hey, we don't have fire roads (whatever they are) at the Jersey Shore. We don't even have gravel roads. The dirt roads near me are left unpaved because the multi-million dollar estate owners who live on the, don't want people driving on their roads.


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## Trek_5200

if you've made the decision for disc , go hydraulic. Mechanical disc is fast disappearing. Hardly hear anyone that prefers it. But if you aren't sold entirely on disc you may want to consider cantilever brakes which are a very good option. All depends on what tickles your fancy.


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## Trek_5200

crit_boy said:


> Hydraulic. Look at the evolution of disc brakes in the mtb world.
> 
> I would also opt for thru axles if that is a choice.


what he said. when i spec'd my firefly i insisted on it. seems the direction things are moving in too. might be safer too especially for the front


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## RRRoubaix

Glad to hear you went w/ hydro brakes. Mechanical brakes were merely a stop-gap solution before we got to the full hydro. They shouldn't even bother selling them anymore.
I know whereof I speak- my "main" gravel bike (a titanium Kona Rove) has the TRP Hy/Rd's, but my CX race bike (Raleigh RXC Pro Disc) has Shimano full hydro. Even with compressionless cables, full bleed, etc.. the Hy/Rd's are nowhere near as good as the Shimano hydros.


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## BCSaltchucker

RRRoubaix said:


> the Hy/Rd's are nowhere near as good as the Shimano hydros.


quoted for truth

I have a rear HyRd sitting here I gotta get rid of on the bay. weighs a ton and barely any improvement over the BB7. and I hated the BB7.

Only thing in cable brake favour is that it is much easier to maintain in the middle of the Mongolian Steppe or someone equally remote. oh and they are cheaper and can do the job on flat terrain.


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## jeremy_s

Definitely hydro. Mechanical discs really have no marked improvement over rim brakes as far as modulation. I've got them on my cross bike but my next one will be full hydro.


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## AFHokie

I've had zero issues with the TRP Spyres that came with my Revolt (rode the Jeremiah Bishop Alpine Loop GF on it yesterday with zero issues on the descents) but will likely upgrade to hydro at some point. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk


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