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2015 SRAM Hydro-R Hydraulic Road Disc Brakes – New Video, More Updates

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2015-sram-red-hydro-r-june-update-internals

Continuing the slow trickle of new information, SRAM is shedding more light on what’s new for their hydraulic road brakes for 2015. Today, SRAM released a new video that covers most of what’s to come and also offers a bit of foreshadowing with the mention of 4 road groupsets that will offer hydraulic brakes for both rim and disc brake bikes. In addition to RED’s hydraulic offerings, it sounds as if road hydraulic brakes may be offered down to even the entry level Apex group in 2015.

All we have is speculation regarding the groups for now, but you can check out SRAM’s new video update after the jump…

2015-sram-red-hydro-r-june-update-calipers

Something that is not mentioned in the new video, is the Centerline rotor. Introduced with the new SRAM Guide brakes, the Centerline rotor is said to offer quieter performance which will certainly be welcomed on the road. We should have even more information on the new products soon, so stay tuned.
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Rico
Rico
10 years ago

Geesh, so what are the hydro electric levers going to look like? A lot of gadgetry to stick under the hood.

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Dan
Dan
10 years ago

There is less “gadgetry under the hood” with an electronic hydraulic shift brake lever.
The electronic switches are much smaller than mechanical workings.
Possibly why Shimano have already released their Hydro Di2 shifter, but not a hydro mechanical shifter yet.

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Mayhem
Mayhem
10 years ago

Out of the “four road groupsets” mentioned in the video, Red 22 is obviously the first and I’m guessing the S-700 kit for 10 speed systems is the second. That leaves two and I am really hoping they’re not simply counting Force 22 and Force CX1 as separate groupsets, but will also offer a hydraulic system with Rival 22 from day one. I really don’t understand why Rival 22 hasn’t been announced yet, some of the components are already available for purchase on eBay!

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Dr D
Dr D
10 years ago

My Crux is in the shop getting the new replacement hydro brakes put on right now… After comparing the recalled units with the new 2015s it’s almost impossible to tell the 2 apart. The only difference the shop owner and I could see is the difference in the shift paddle being slightly smaller. The bleed port is different but that’s not obvious until you pull back the hood cover. I thought SRAM would’ve made the new replacements obvious – definitely not the case! Oh well, no problems with the recalled units (after 1000+ miles) hopefully the new ones aren’t a downgrade. SRAM Spent a ton on this recall, they even included new Zipp bar tape…

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Alex
Alex
10 years ago

I’m thinking the “four groups” are going to be
Red 22 Hydro rim brake
Red 22 Hydro disc brake
S-700 Hydro rim brake (10 spd)
S-700 Hydro disc brake (10 spd)

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Mark
Mark
10 years ago

So I’m dropping hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike and going back to mechanical disk. Most other riders I talk to have done or are doing the same. Hydraulics boil to often and fail. Then once boiled boil easier and loose stopping power requiring the brake to bled to function well again. Call me old fashioned but I’m not willing to boil hydraulics on a long decent. SRAM is going to have to prove this one in the field for at least a year before I’m willing to risk it.

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Rico
Rico
10 years ago

So who is going to buy this instead of waiting for next round of updates with the electric version?

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Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

I imagine the people who don’t want an electric group will be the the people who buy this, just like the people who don’t want Di2 or EPS and who instead buy mechanical groups.

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Rico
Rico
10 years ago

Do you think they will yet again release a new non-electronic shifter when they release the electric version? I do. They seem to release avery single iteration of their products they can.

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Dave
Dave
10 years ago

Dan, Shimano have released a Hydro Mechanical. I loved the old Sram stuff up until about 6-7 years ago. Then they lost the plot. Shimano all the way for me.

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Tim A
Tim A
10 years ago

“Hydraulics boil [too] often and fail. Then once boiled boil easier and loose stopping power requiring the brake to bled to function well again.”

Good Lord, Mark- where are you riding? I ride in the Rockies and haven’t seen a brake boil in nearly a decade. Technique goes a long way- don’t drag brakes, brake hard, corner, release. If bled correctly, most will go a season or two without service (Shimano and Formula RX are especially reliable). No one in these parts is going back to mechanicals.

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Matt
Matt
10 years ago

@ Tim A
Agreed on the boiling, assuming that is what Mark actually means. However, until a couple of years ago, every pad type I tried glazed under hard braking, which resulted in severely reduced braking power (i.e. much lower friction coefficient) until the pad surfaces were sanded. Moving to Shimano XT BR785 with their sandwiched steel-ally-steel ‘ICE’ rotors and finned pads solved it completely. Can’t speak highly enough of them.

What I do want to know though is why folks are saying that a road bike needs *less* powerful brakes. I was told that about 7 years ago when I first started using disk brakes on a road bike (fast hybrid) and it was completely the opposite.
Firstly, the tyres have more grip as they’re on tarmac not loose surfaces. Second, DH excepted, the speeds are higher and from your physics…
kinetic energy=1/2mass*velocity squared
…so the brakes have to work a lot harder
If you’re in any doubt, think about the brakes on a road motorbike vs a trail bike: former has much beefier brakes.

I am road only and have been running on 23mm tires and 180mm rotors for 5+ years and would not be without them. 180mm feels a little like overkill with brand new pads and freshly bled, but is perfect in day to day use with a little wear/road grime etc.

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Bikerhp
Bikerhp
10 years ago

Has a Trek dealer I hope they do not put any SRAM brakes on any road or mountain bike. This model year has been great with only shimano brakes. We have had no problems. We will not carry any bikes with SRAM brakes. Even the project one bikes we sold with SRAM drivetrains we put shimano brakes on.

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Kurt
Kurt
10 years ago

I had these installed on my cross bike a little over a week ago. They are vastly improved in lots of little ways like the shorter shift lever and narrower profile in the grip. They shipped with a free Avid bleed kit. They really are the next step forward in road bike just because of the modulation and effortless braking.

I would be understating that I was a little frustrated with SRAM on this product, but Shimano had no real option last season and doesn’t seem interested in 1x setups on cross bikes. Even with all of the headaches, I spend less time bleeding avid hydro’s than I ever did on adjusting cantilevers.

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Fattylocks
Fattylocks
10 years ago

Wait, I sorry but how is that wispy looking rotor not going to warp like a potato chip?

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
10 years ago

The few times I’ve glazed pads on my MTB, (steep, long, lame, rutted single track w/ no flow), I tried to sand them w/ zero positive results. You can not sad a pad and have it work correctly again. The surface must be perfectly flat and even. However maybe there is a technique I’m not aware of which you can re-surface a pad w/ ultra fine grit. I personally stay away from descents like this w/ no breaks to cool the pads/rotors.

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K11
K11
10 years ago

@mark. I agree with @Tim A.

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Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
10 years ago

I have yet to see a rider go from hydraulic back to mechanical because of performance issues. Once hydraulic, always hydro… talking about performance bikes not commuters or kids bikes. However if my only option was Avid I would go mechanical but luckily there are lots of great options out there.

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Andrew
Andrew
10 years ago

Von Kruiser, the trick to sanding the pads is to put the sandpaper on a hard and flat surface and then rub the pad on it (using something like a 200 grit sandpaper). Resurfacing the rotors by lightly sanding them gets the best results when sanding glazed pads too. For all the talk about Avid Hydros being so bad, anything above Elixir 5 is moderately ok with occasional bleeding… I’m the first to admit that a really cheap Shimano Hydro is preferable to almost the highest end Avid brake though.

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Mike
Mike
10 years ago

I’ve got 622 mm brake rotors on my bike.

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