TRP Hydraulic G-Spec Quadiem Rider Review

TRP Cycling has made a big splash in the world of brakes since releasing the Quadiem, making them a serious contender against the big guys like Shimano and Sram. In this rider review, our friend Travis Jeffries reviews his recent purchase of the TRP Quadiem G-Spec brakes that he installed on his Santa Cruz. Check it out below!

Introduction

TRP G-Spec Quadiem brakes are chunky, attractive and powerful, I’ve run them on my downhill bike for two seasons and just recently purchased a second set from Worldwide Cyclery to put on my enduro bike. The polished levers and calipers look a little moto and feel very high quality, and when they’re bleed properly these things feel so good on the trail. Coming from Shimano Brakes which have more of an on/off feel, TRP Quadiem brakes deliver power in a much more gradual manner without sacrificing overall power. The two key words that come to mind when discussing these brakes are consistency and power. 

Installation

The SRAM MatchMaker product was something that came on my last downhill bike. The tidiness of the cockpit and simplicity of alignment was pretty epic. I really appreciate only seeing one clamp on the handlebar per side. There is a pre-drilled hole in the lower brake lever clamp and on the inside of the clamp, there is a recessed cavity where a square nut fits. With the brakes installed, the nut is trapped by the handlebar you can install your adapters and with the included hardware your shifter and/or dropper leaver will mount right up. I attached a SRAM X01 shifter to TRP G-Spec Quadiem brakes. My normal sized hand lets my thumb drop right into the correct place to shift easily. If your hands are smaller, it might require a little bit of a reach to shift given how long these brake levers are.

Performance 

On the trail, TRP Quadiem brakes paired with their two-piece 203mm rotors are monsters. Regardless of how intense the descent is the lever pull doesn’t change which is something I couldn’t ever get my Shimanos to do. Along with the pull not changing, the total power doesn’t decrease as the brakes get hot. I’m not sure why they are so consistent but they seem to be completely unaffected by heat which is something special. The rotors themselves are beautiful. The black and silver aesthetics with the drilled braking surface provide the look and feel that I wanted. I would guess the heat dissipation of the two-piece rotors and machined fins on the calipers play a role in the consistency of the brakes across long heavy descents.

Final Thoughts

As a package, TRP Quadiem brakes with two-piece 203mm TRP rotors are epic. The power and consistency are top notch and they have a very cool moto look to them. Paring these brakes with the Match Maker system creates a tidy cockpit that is worth the expense.