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review

TRP R970SL brake callipers

9
£399.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Lightweight brakes that pack a punch – but you'll have to dig deep to pay for them
Weight: 
112g
Contact: 
www.upgradebikes.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Mmmm! And again… Mmmm! What we’ve got here, ladies and gentlemen, are the brand spanking new dual pivot offerings from TRP. They’re made from forged magnesium that’s then machined, along with titanium hardware and SwissStop Flash cartridge pads. And they hit the scales at – wait for it – 215g the pair, including fixings. For the weight-obsessed out there, that’s getting on for 80g lighter than Shimano’s top-end Dura-Ace callipers.

Unlike some lightweight brakes that sacrifice power for grams, the good news is that these actually work properly. In terms of feel, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between these and Dura-Ace. They’re compatible with the different pull ratios of all the major lever brands so you can bang them straight on your bike without any worries.

There’s no quick release lever; instead, you push the brake shoes together, lift the barrel adjuster out of its housing and move it inward on the slotted brake arm. It works fine and saves a little weight.

Aside from that, the cable adjustment bolt is easy to operate on the fly, you get a centring and toe-in adjustment, and they look super cool. Love ’em.

Verdict

Lightweight brakes that pack a punch – but you'll have to dig deep to pay for them

road.cc test report

Make and model: TRP R970SL brake callipers

Size tested: n/a

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yep, they're excellent

Would you consider buying the product? On my wages? Tch!

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, weight weenies will love them

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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