Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

I'm at a loss with mechanical disc brakes (and internal cabling) - TRP Spyres on a Giant TCX to the extent that I'm thinking of selling the bike. At their best I didn't really think they where that much better than rim brakes, and I'm finding they need much more maintenance to keep in good working condition

Rear brake in particular is giving me problems. I'm guessing some containment got in there - the brake only marginally scrubs off speed. Changed pads and scrubbed the rotor with disc brake cleaner to within an inch of it's life. To not much effect.

Ideas ? Not ruling out being cack handed with it as it's my first disc brake bike

Compressionless!

Does the brake lever have enough tension? With Spyres I first get the cable streched and bolted to the caliper, then aprox the pads to the rotor with each piston screw, then increase the cable tension the caliper cable tensioner until it starts braking when I want to.

If that's not the case, maybe your rotors aren't totally compatible with Shimano M525/M515 brake pads?

Edit:

Compressionless!

Yes! Using jagwire compressionless too

Ideas ?

turn on your phone screen and use a white background to see how it look, it should have an even gap between each pads.

if the rear felt sticky (too much friction), take off cable, and fit campagnolo one in.

A lots of bicycles I've build come with Spyre and Shimano newer shifters, the combination work very well, even the one that have a normal cable housing, so it's entirely possible to make your brakes feel great.

Lastly, if you're on standard pads, ditch em for Shimano.

I can second the mention of switching brake pads from the original stock pads.
Picked up some of the swissstop cheap and they make a massive difference.

Edit: replied to the wrong person... @Ste_S

Thanks folks. I'm fairly certain it isn't cable tension, both front and back have similar tension - front brakes ok, rear doesn't.
Still feels as though there's some containment in there. Can hold the brake on full and still spin the rear wheel with my hand.

Pads are generic branded Giant ones, will try something better. Also tempted to buy a new rotor just to rule that out as well

Can hold the brake on full and still spin the rear wheel with my hand.

Waaaaaaat

I'm getting Shimano road discs for my ultra build:

£400 https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-di2-r785-sti-hydraulic-disc-brake-with-rs805-flat-mount-calipers-EV253007

Are these the best rotors to match?
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/shimano-rt99-cl-rotors-front-or-rear/

I'll be finding a CenterLock dynamo front hub, suggestions for a Shimano rear say 32h CenterLock suitable for the Kinesis 4S?

^^^ are the pads even touching the rotor? Might be worth winding them in a little...

Sounds weird. Should be enough bite to stop you from being able to turn the wheel by hand even if you'd soaked the pads in oil. Something else must be wrong. Can you post a pic with light background like Ed suggests?

Have you got the wrong adapter on or something and they're not grabbing much of the rotor?
Or as Andy says, back off cable tension and wind the pads in, maybe the braking you can feel through the lever is the swing arms bottoming out and not the pads hitting the rotor fully, although I didn't think there was enough adjustment for that.

Take it to a reputable bike shop and ask them to inspect it, best option.

Condor sell the Fratello disc forks separately if you ask nicely.

Thanks for the heads-up. They do, and for a good price too (£150)

Take it to a reputable bike shop and ask them to inspect it, best option

Is probably what'll end up doing. I'll wind the pistons in as far as they go and see if I can still the spin the wheel to rule out any cable issues first

Edited post back: thought they'd changed the centerlock standard, realised it was just the lockring in this photo

vs.

That's the lockring.

Yeah, I've had lunch beers.

I can't pay you out for that because I didn't even notice and I'd likely be asking the same question sooner or later.

Put the post back more or less. Nothing to worry about :)

I got the original in the email, went to panic, then realised what you'd done. :)

Try a new set of pads before you do anything else.

No, take it to shop and let an experiences mechanic look at it before throwing money at it

Surely taking it to a shop is throwing money at it.

Also, wish I was actually an experiences mechanic.