Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

I've had TRP spykes on my commuter for 6 months and once setup only required minimal maintenance. I've not used Avids much so cant compare them properly but from my limited experience I'd go for spyre/spykes again as I like the idea of both "pistons" moving to make contact the rotor.

I'd second what @tallsam says, Spyre I had was pretty lack lustre. Did manage to get it stopping semi good by dialing the pad adjusters right in. Only lasted a couple days though and it was back to being a bit shitty, redoing the pad adjuster settings didn't help.

Got bb7 on a few bikes and they work far better, for me at least. Can't say I'm a fan of the 'tri-align' system though.

Used the Spyre with drop levers and flat bar levers, never tried a bb7 with drop bars.

Yep, in theory they're better. As for maintenance they seem to require strip down and rebuild annually. Depends how much use they get I guess. Whereas I've seen BB7s that are ancient and severely neglected and still work ok.

Bang for buck though BB7s is incredible.

I've not been happy with these BB7s. Maybe I need to play with them again. Been keen to go hydro like on my commuter and MTB but price is crazy. You can get flat bar XT hydro so cheap...

Are you using the tri align washers still? Maybe consider switching them out for some flat washers if your disc mounts are sufficiently aligned (the ones I welded onto my Kona myself were so chances are you'd be fine to do this).

I take it you know the deal re letting the arm fully return to the rest position, adjust lever feel with the red knobs etc and the tricks with bits of card and stuff to set up the caliper position?

Agreed, bb7s are very fire and forget. Spyres just add a little bit of performance

Stock pads are pretty junk on the Spyres. Swap them out and you're laughing.

I wasn't setting them up using card or anything. Just adjusted dials until they rubbed, then backed off...

Replace housing with compressionless, BB7 then feel awesome.

It's something like you slip a business card between the inbound pad and the rotor, then squeeze the lever and it puts the caliper in the right position, the business card creates the clearance for the inbound pad.

Personally I just dial the inboard pad in a bit, squeeze the lever, do the bolts up and then back the pad back off.

Most important bits to bb7 in my experience though are, compressionless cables and arm fully returning.

Sorry if this is teaching you to suck eggs but if you're using drop levers, you are using bb7 road calipers not bb7 mtn calipers?

I wonder if the Spykes are better than Spyres?

Just different amounts of cable pull

Same brake, different cable pull ratio

*Tldr

Spykes/spyres, I meant with the different pull ratios (road/mtb) is it possible that one is better than the other ?

I'll try compressionless then. Anything you recommend?

Some say Yokozuna Reaction. Others swear by BMX cabling. No personal experience, just summarising previous discussions I have read.

Jag wire pro cables. Get a full set of cables for around 20 on eBay

I cabled spyres yesterday using Shimano cable cutter, safety pin and jagwire CGX braided outer and lifeline brake cable .. all good. Just need to replace the POS stock pads. Tricky, bendy internal routing but working fine.

I'm using Spyres with BMX cable. All good

jagwire CGX braided outer

Chainreaction says 'low-compression', you know how it compares to true compressionless?

I have no idea, its the first time I've used anything apart from lifeline .. how can I tell? its stiff AF, I was surprised how the cable was travelling smoothly through tricky places. Esp the curve where it gets clamped onto the caliper. I do use silicone grease on outers everytime though.

That is great

£4,600

http://www.vulpine.cc/uk/the-handsome-mixte

Those shifters look like they've spent some time in an autoclave.