They say that good things are worth waiting for, and if that has any truth to it at all, the Hayes Prime disc brakes should be really good. Just over a year ago, Hayes first took the wraps off their newest disc brake design and unveiled the Hayes Prime. Here is the proof that the Primes actually exist, and despite the delay are sure to start appearing on bikes near you.
How do the Primes stack up on weight?
Find out after the break!
A lot of talk was generated due to their supposedly revolutionary Poppet Cam lever stroke adjustment, which serves to increase or decrease the amount of dead throw (how much travel there is in the lever throw before it starts moving the pads) in the lever even while you are riding. In the photos above, the left photo represents the setting with the least dead throw, while the right shows the setting for the most. Personally, I can’t see myself adjusting my brakes mid ride, but I do like the fact that the brake has multiple adjustments, and best of all, they actually work! Both the reach adjust and the Poppet Cam adjustments are tool free and extremely easy to use, even with gloves on, and the make a noticeable difference right away.
The top hat reach adjuster is a welcomed carryover from the Stroker line of brakes, as it makes dialing in your levers quick and easy and requires no tools. My last pair of Hayes happened to be the El Caminos, and after a few runs the reach adjuster would start backing out, which I don’t see as a possibility here. The top hat features some pretty heavy detents, but nothing that would make it hard to turn.
Inside the caliper, lurking just behind the brake pads, are some fairly massive 26mm pistons. Increasing the size of the piston should effectively increase power. You may have also noticed the lack of the standard Hayes bleed nipple, which in a move seemingly right out of Avid’s book, the nipple has been replaced with threaded fittings on both ends of the brake. The fitting allow the installation of new bleed fittings that based on what I have read about the new bleed procedure, should make bleeding easier and less messy. Hopefully we can get our hands on one of the new bleed kits to find out!
If you notice, the top of the caliper is wide open, which means Hayes has finally embraced the top loading disc pad design. Not only does this make changing pads easier as you don’t have to remove the wheel, but it also makes aligning the caliper on the rotor easier since you can see it better and it improves the brakes cooling, acting as a massive vent. A new disc brake design means a new brake pad, which is what you see in the photos above. According to Hayes the new pads are made of a different material which should mean less noise and better heat dissipation. Like many other top loading designs, the Prime uses a 2.5mm allen screw to hold the pads in place, but unlike other brake designs, the Prime does not rely on a tiny c-clip or spring clip to keep the pin from backing out. The pin comes pre-treated with blue LocTite which should keep it in place, which means you don’t have to worry about losing those tiny clips anymore!
