Hayes’ Prime Brakes have been a long time coming. First unveiled back in February, they finally had the production ready models at Interbike with news that they’re shipping.
The two-piece rotor of the Pro model is pretty sharp looking, and it’s optional on the Expert, which probably makes up the bulk of the difference between the very reasonable prices: Prime Pro is $199 and Expert is $159 per wheel. Full specs and photos after the break…
Why would anyone choose these brakes over any of the main players already out there? It MIGHT be power, modulation competitive, it is not weight competitive, it has yet another pad size, and Hayes has been a let-down for years. All the hype, blurred pics for a silly little switch that you probably won’t touch after initial setup? Look at Formula for how it SHOULD be done- a separate stroke adjustment piece that can be purchased by the 1% of riders that actually want it.
They should change their name to NO LONGER RELEVANT.
I hope someone from Hayes reads this.
The brakes look very nice, can’t wait to try them out. My current Hayes brakes are great. I have no issues with them, I really did not see the need for the adjuster, other than appealing to the silly magizine writers. I will probably set it once like u say, but doubt I will ever have a issue with gunk.
I really like the Strokers, and expect the Prime to be even nicer. Tech/engineering arguments aside, Hayes offers an unbeatable price/quality ratio and their brakes are decently reliable and consistent. Also, from a personal experience, Hayes probably offers some of the best customer service in the industry.
