Paul Component Engineering’s Klamper Disc Brake Is Fully Cooked, Available In Limited Release

Written by Anna Schwinn Jul 09, 2015 5:33 p.m. ET

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After years of thorough development, design iterations, and aggro field testing, the most highly anticipated product of the year for Made in the USA Component aficionados has finally landed. Perhaps finally the last rim brake holdouts can broaden their stopping world view now that Paul Component Engineering has developed disc brakes. Meet the new calipers on the block that are sure to stop you in your tracks after the jump.

One thing you can count on is that Paul Price, Founder and Lead Instigator at Paul Component Engineering, wasn’t going to go to the disc side of braking without a fully cooked product. There was a lot of pressure for his debut disc caliper to be as dialed and clever as the rim brakes he is famous for.

Unwilling to simply adopt established technology as is, Paul started with a clean sheet, testing a variety of different pad actuation strategies before arriving back at the “tried and true ball bearing in a ramp system.” The ball bearings are larger than those of other manufacturers for increased smoothness in actuation and greater pad travel- meaning you won’t have to worry so much about rotors staying perfectly true and you won’t have to constantly fiddle with the adjustment.

But along with that, the most prominent character in the caliper design is the large orange adjuster wheel, designed to be simple to actuate (even for the less dexterous of us) so your pads are easily adjustable. And it’s easy to read.

Most exciting to me, at least, and a boon to the other who never stop switching out parts on their bikes, is the option to replace the actuator arm for short or long pull brake levers. Purchase short pull but need long pull for these cool new levers down the road? Order a new arm, $30 a piece, also available in black or silver.

The calipers come standard with Kool-Stop brake pads (but not rotors), are constructed from 6061 aluminum, and weigh in at 211g each.

PAUL is currently offering the Klamper for limited release. If you miss out on this batch, it will be later this Summer before you will have another chance. $179 per caliper, available in silver or black, short or long pull.

PaulComp.com

Anna Schwinn

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37 Comments

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joenomad

8 years ago

How about other colors for the adjustment dial. That anno orange will clash with my red anno hubs!

CX Hotdog

8 years ago

Do the pads move from both sides, or is one side static like an Avid BB7?

Matthew

8 years ago

Does Paul realise that you can use a road shifter and a CX1 derailleur, or use the CX1 fin on an XX1 derailleur. Either way he doesn’t need to have the shifter on the tops, I did it last year and it’s frustrating.

Heffe

8 years ago

Are these really heavy and expensive with single-sided actuation, or what? They weigh more than a TRP HY/RD, woah. Back to the drawing board, Paul!

-3

Volsung

8 years ago

They may weigh more than Hy/Rds, but these you can use in MN winters.

Craig

8 years ago

These look really nice, but there’s got to be another option for those orange dials, yuck.

I’ve always wanted to kit out a bike with the complete set of Paul components. Am saving my new old stock Yeti ARC Titanium frame for such a project.

Roy

8 years ago

Copy the Avid BB7 function and obesity and borrow the name from e Clampus vitus, a group steeped in NorCal history. Gotta believe someone at Pauls shop thoughts this was funny! I thought this definition not only fit my perception of Clampers so often seen drinking around Downieville and other gold country towns but fits a great number of mountain bikers drinking in the same places as well.

Writtin by: Honorable Brother Al Shumate, M.D., ECV

First, what does E Clampus Vitus mean? Well, that is the greatest mystery of all, because none of us know what it means!

Second, what is the purpose of the society? There is a description of the society that all of you have heard. It is claimed ECV is a historical drinking society; others claim it to be a drinking historical society. The debate continues; it has never been solved.

Third, the objectives of ECV are well known: Members swear to take care of the widows and orphans — especially the widows.

Fourth, the governing authority of the Clampers is equally as explicit: All members are officers and all officers are of equal indignity.

MGK

8 years ago

Nice to be able to switch b/t long and short pull!

Mac

8 years ago

These look like a great option for those of us that wanted BB7s to be a lot more expensive.

Kernel Flickitov

8 years ago

Dear weight weenies; Since when Paul ever tried to accommodate people who count grams? NEVER! And thankfully so. Classic case of dogs barking up the wrong tree.

Veganpotter

8 years ago

Kernel…I’d agree with you but you aren’t getting a lot of benefits from that extra weight. How often do disc brakes break? How much do disc brakes flex? Who wants to pay a premium for disc brakes that only have pads that move from one side? I use heavier steel cassettes because the shifting is similar and they’re more durable than aluminum, thankfully, heavy also means cheap when it comes to cassettes. Unless these are heavy because you get 2mm of extra pad depth for wear, I don’t see a benefit to tons of extra weight AND extra cost.

There is only one good thing about these, they’re orange but it seems most of the people here don’t like that.

Kernel Flickitov

8 years ago

You guys are complaining about 14g! Seriously!?!? DUAL sided adjustment not singe! And I’d rather pay a more for a Paul because I know it will work flawlessly and I’m supporting domestic mfg. Too many Paul parts to list at this household, one hub set is over 17 years old and still going strong on a daily commuter. Adjusted maybe 2-3 times, original bearings still smooth as silk. I’ve heard orange is less aero but who really cares. Wait for a special edition color run then. He does it all the time.

Kernel Flickitov

8 years ago

Correction: 41g. Was comparing the BB7 S instead of the SL. Weight Weenie firing squad right? Are your rifles too heavy? Don’t miss!

Difference being $2 of quarters and a nickel, right? I took the hard work upon myself because it seems weight weenies can’t lift a finger either. You’re right, 41 grams is far to heavy! I’m just going to run brakeless and stop with my feet. In that scenario I’m lighter so I win the internet. Cool! [facepalm!]

Velocette

8 years ago

” it will work flawlessly ” Kernel Flickitov
I’m a bit iffy on that. Paul stuff is usually more bling than substance.
Paul Love Levers suckd big time. So did thier funky cnc RD.
This being offered for limited release sounds like an oppotunity to pay for the privilege to become a beta-tester.
I’ll pass.

Fred Vitale

8 years ago

I am legitimately interested in playing around with a set and seeing how the larger ball bearings fell, and if the pads do move faster, I.E. can be set further away from the rotors so there is more mud clearance.

I would also be interested in using long pull levers with a short pull arm, and seeing just how far I can put the pads from the rotors, for science!

(deleted)

Philip

8 years ago

“I’m a bit iffy on that. Paul stuff is usually more bling than substance.”

Yeah, amusingly it’s really not that bling to anybody who’s not already a Paul fanboy. Which leaves it just … expensive?

Antipodean_G

8 years ago

As a designer and owner of what I guess you’d class as an ‘indy’ brand, I love to see stuff like this for a bunch of different reasons; and in the past always made sure my bikes were dripping with small brand stuff, because I liked the idea of supporting small brand stuff.

Issue was I swapped to XT discs on my one of my mtn bikes a year ago and they were so good and so cost effective that they are not on 3 of my bikes. While I have not tried the road stuff yet, I am sure Shimano will dial it in as they have their mtn stuff, so the question I am left pondering isn’t this just a little too little a little too late? Well supported, big boy hydro disc brakes, that if not right now, will drop to bottom dollar very soon, vs. expensive mechanical discs….?! It’s not as if you have a new disc ready cross or road bike you are going to rip the brakes off to replace with these…

Antipodean_G

8 years ago

oops…. “…that they are NOW on 3 of my bikes.”

Kernel Flickitov

8 years ago

@Veloceette “more bling than substance”? Anyone remotely familiar with their parts or the Co. is going to have a good ‘ole knee slapper with that one! Kudos man, how does that foot taste?

Tim

8 years ago

@Kernel- I have pretty long experience with Paul stuff, around twenty years, to be exact. The first experience was around 1995, when as a gift I got some Love Levers for cantilever brakes. This was I think my second CNC item, and I was really into the indy, CNC stuff like a lot of other people were back then. They worked OK; I mean, they were brake levers. It’s not hard to make a good one. They definitely were light- they had pared them down to a pretty low mass. The pivot wobbled a fair amount, and if you tightened it, it bound a little. The pivot was made of brass and was unsealed; dirt and dust seeped in there, and ground their way into the soft brass of the pivot and couldn’t be cleaned “off”- it needed to be cleaned “out”, as the filth impregnated the soft metal. (That’s why they have since switched to a stainless steel bushing). The clamp was pared down enough that it flexed visibly when pulled hard.
I had the Crosstop brakes. They were quite good, a copy of an IRD design. The pad adjusters were easy to use for the time, and they had decent power. The power around doubled, along with the pad clearance, when you used the world’s best brake lever, any of the Shimano SLR-Plus levers with variable leverage. They had small pivots on the weird little linkage they used, and those pivots eventually got wobbly and weak.
The V-Brakes were really awesome. I won’t deny that; they still are great V-Brakes, second only to the now long discontinued Arch Supremes. A friend had their cantis- they were OK. The cable holding bolt tended to fray cables really, really quickly, and was a unique piece that could not be replaced with standard parts unlike, say a Shimano brake’s cable bolt
I had a front hub, and after a couple years of heavy (but definitely not abusive) use by 145lb me, the bearing cavity got walled out. It took a couple times of putting in new bearings before it clicked that the hub shell was distorted and that bearings were not an issue. Paul personally told me I had a “rare and beautiful museum piece” now that the hub was irreparable- the hub had cost 150USD in 1998. A friend with a Paul front hub had a similar experience.
Paul is another brand. My long experience has been mixed, and I consider it a brand about like any other. If I could turn back time and spend my money on other stuff, in most cases I would do so. I won’t discount that others have better experiences than I have with Paul stuff. But to me, it’s just another brand.

Tim

8 years ago

These brakes look sharp, and are very expensive for what they are, a mechanical disc brake. I guess I am the target audience of this brake: given unlimited money, I would probably choose a mechanical brake over a hydraulic one. I am used to mechanical brakes, and never really bought the claim that hydros presented such a huge advantage in performance over a good mechanical brake with a good lever, cable, housing, and good setup. I don’t care too much about weight.
BUT… This is a lot of money for what really looks like a glorified BB7. The ability to switch between long and short arms is a great idea, and the idea of clearly marking the adjusters with IN and OUT is common sense; it’s amazing that that hasn’t been done before. But 180 bones is a lot. I would pay this if I rode them and decided they really were that good compared to other mechanical choices.
There is a perception in the industry that there is a market for a high-end mechanical brake: just look at BB7SL, Rever’s new brake; TRP’s Spyre and Spyke, Shimano’s CX77, and now Paul’s Klamper. It’d be nice to see a mechanical brake that has all of the following: 1) actuation of both pads; 2) use of Shimano rotors so we can use the best rotors on the market; 3) use of finned pads; 4) tool-free adjustment, and one bolt size for the whole brake. That will never happen in one brake, though: hydros rule the market, and that’s that.

Tim

8 years ago

And remember- 179USD is without rotors. That’s a lot.

craigsj

8 years ago

“DUAL sided adjustment not singe! [sic]”

BB7 offers dual sided adjustment. (deleted)

briderdt

8 years ago

I applaud the effort, but feel it falls short. The larger movement of the pad is a good thing, but with single-sided actuation, you’re still going to only have the same rotor clearance on the non-moving side. Maybe they should have looked at the Spyre instead of the BB7 as their starting point.

SNIPE-HUNTER

8 years ago

CHAPEAU to YOU Paul!! You guys are making premium quality parts in the US; most others would settle for having someone else make it. Keep up the great work buddy.

Eric Hansen

8 years ago

So, uh, we’ve got a more expensive BB7, but the BB7 has been utterly obsolete since the introduction of the Spyre/Spyke. Whatever. (deleted).

John Parker

8 years ago

Anyone ever seen Paul and Les Claypool at the same party? Just sayn that one may have a side gig

Tim

8 years ago

@Eric Hansen- “Obsolete” is a pretty strong word. To me- 26ers are obsolete for non-DH mountain bikes- most people I know agree they’re significantly slower in most situations than 29ers. Fixed-gear bikes are obsolete because (under the control of most riders), they will be much slower than a geared bike. Rim brakes are obsolete because they stop worse even in dry conditions than a disc, and when it gets wet, well, we know what happens.
I haven’t used a Spyre or Spyke, but I doubt they are so much better than BB7s that I am going to suffer a major disadvantage using BB7s. If BB7s are “obsolete”, they’re “obsolete” in the same way that my 3×8 drivetrain is: they work awesome all the time with minimal maintenance, weigh a bit more than some other options, and are already paid for and on my bike. If they’re “obsolete”- so be it.

Colin M

8 years ago

So not enduro. Ugh.

😉

BillBob

8 years ago

Rim brakes are obsolete? lol Keep buying that marketing hype until someone comes out with the most awesomest of all braking systems – lighter, more aero, cheaper, easier to maintain, and less complex than discs! An amazing innovation in bicycle technology… rim brakes. Then you can hop back on that bandwagon.

Tim

8 years ago

@BillBob- good for you for riding the same stuff and not poisoning our environment by buying the latest gear all the time.
But are rim brakes obsolete? IMO, yes. You can still win a race on them if it’s dry. Which is most races, and indeed I suspect most riding conditions period, most of us ride in the rain I suspect by accident, barring the occasional creek crossing, of course. Even if you don’t consider rim brakes obsolete, you likely will concede that they work better in every imaginable condition. Almost everyone who’s tried them agrees. As for maintenance, I use BB7’s and have definitely spent less time working on them than on V-Brakes. And cost? 65 bucks a wheel one time for BB7’s is pretty cheap if you ask me.

Cryogenii

8 years ago

I’ll keep the hipsters happy.

Tim

8 years ago

Oh- and top-loading pads would have been nice so we don’t have to remove the wheel to change pads.

Topmounter

8 years ago

“…around twenty years, to be exact.”

Oxymoron.

jim

8 years ago

“Correction: 41g. Was comparing the BB7 S instead of the SL.”

BB7 SLs use Alu backed pads to save weight, aside from that it’s just a few ti bolts that you can fit to the std BB7, Paul, or any other brake.

These look great but how is the clearance between inside adjuster and spokes? TRP Spyres can’t be used with my SP dyno hub as the dual pad actuation makes them too wide there. There look quite wide also, would be good to have that measurement.

Arnold H

8 years ago

I am a huge fan of Campagnolo and wundering how this brakes will work with Campagnolo 11 speed leverd, does anyone know that? I’m going to build a Colnago Prestige and maybe I’m the first one in the Netherlands that will ride with Paul component…..