TRP CX 8.4 or Avid Shorty Ultimate

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omgkthxbye
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:41 pm

by omgkthxbye

Hey guys

I am one of the few people who don´t have disc brakes yet. I am using cantilever brakes at the moment, but am not really satisfied with their braking performance. The squeal really loud and the braking performance is subpar. I am riding a steel frame with a steel fork, so that probabliy doesn´t help a great deal. (At some point i´ll upgrade to a carbon fork)

Anyway i want to upgrade my brakes to either TRP CX 8.4 or Avid Shorty Ultmiate. I am riding a lot on the road and sometimes gravel, as this is my only bike. The leverls are Shimano 105 5800 so maybe CX 9.0 would be a better alternative to CX 8.4. I read good things about both brakes, but someone mentioned, that CX would be better if i do road and offroad, as they offer more power.

Any input would be welcome
Cheers

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gummee
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:01 pm

by gummee

I have had both Revo-X (that I swapped out Shorty Ultimates for) and 8.4s on different bikes at the same time.

If you're racing and there's mud, the Revo-Xes are better suited.
If you're riding gravel, the 8.4s will stop you much better, but there's less mud clearance.

If you ask nicely, I may talk myself out of putting the 8.4s on my Hilly Billy Roubaix bike and sell them to you

M

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ALAN Carbon+
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:21 am
Location: Canberra, Australia

by ALAN Carbon+

I have CX8.4 on my Felt CX bike with Campy Athena ergos (also used them with 5700). The braking power is really good compared to the cantis that were on there previously, but they were cheap oem crap.

The main consideration if you go the mini v route is they have to be set with the pads quite close to the rim, so true wheels are a must and like others have suggested reduces mud clearance. Also, I found that a change of pads from the stock trp pads to kool stop salmon made a huge difference.

Ditch the standard cable noodle for one with a barrel adjuster to make life easier.




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happyon2wheels
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Denmark

by happyon2wheels

I have been through exactly the same thing. Coming from a couple of years riding my Ridley X-Fire with the Shorty Ultimate (using both Ultegra 6700 and later 6800 levers) I wanted to try the CX8.4 as the Ultimates had started to shudder (which they didn't do the winter before so probably my own poor adjustment after reassembly of the bike).

Anyway, I went for the CX8.4 expecting the shudder to go away and improved braking performance. That was not the case.

The shudder was worse than before and with less adjustment options than the Ultimates. With the supplied pads the squeal was intolerable, the feel had gone from nice and firm (on the Ulmates) to mushy and soft with almost no clearance to the rim. Once having replaced the pads, the braking power was significantly increased, though, so even if the lever feel was soft and mushy, I could easily make stoppies or comlete lock-ups on both wheels (DT Swiss R23 Spline). Also there is no adjustment possible other than loosening the cable bolt on the CX8.4, which I eventually solved by cutting the tip of the brake "tube" (for want of the right word). Alternative you can build in a barrel adjuster when installing.

I went for the CX8.4 as these are recommended for Shimano levers by TRP and in several reviews, but they ended up being heavier than the Ultimates, causing even worse shudder and loosing any feel in the lever. Needless to say they are now off the bike and I am back on my Shorty Ultimates, which I will be until I may switch to disc at some point.

But if brutal braking force with mushy lever action is your thing and you bike does not have a tendency to fork shudder, then they may work for you. They just didn't for me.

Master-Ti
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 5:54 pm

by Master-Ti

ALAN Carbon+ wrote:
Thu May 03, 2018 11:01 am
I have CX8.4 on my Felt CX bike with Campy Athena ergos (also used them with 5700). The braking power is really good compared to the cantis that were on there previously, but they were cheap oem crap.

The main consideration if you go the mini v route is they have to be set with the pads quite close to the rim, so true wheels are a must and like others have suggested reduces mud clearance. Also, I found that a change of pads from the stock trp pads to kool stop salmon made a huge difference.

Ditch the standard cable noodle for one with a barrel adjuster to make life easier.




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I've nto had any luck finding a cable noodle with a built-in barrel adjuster. Any suggestions?

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ALAN Carbon+
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:21 am
Location: Canberra, Australia

by ALAN Carbon+

This is similar to the ones I have https://www.amazon.com/Jagwire-Degree-N ... B002SR7LPK

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by Weenie


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omgkthxbye
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 1:41 pm

by omgkthxbye

Thanks for the input guys. I think I´m going with the TRP CX 8.4

@gummee I wrote you an email regarding the brakes

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