Can you say: PRODUCTION BABY?! My main man Lane sent me this little heads up on the new TRP EuroX's for 2009. I received a set of the carbon beauties to test in Belgium and will be outfitting ALL my bikes with them for this coming season. Absolutely sick technology designed to be fully modularized. If you change wheels like me between carbon hoops for race day to 32 hole 3-cross bomber wheels for training, nothing beats a 10 second pad change the TRP's allow for to ensure your carbon pads are preserved for race day and no aluminum shavings are impregnated in the pads to nastily tear away your carbon braking surface.

But kids, TRP takes it up a notch for 2009! For years, PRO mechanics in Europe have been retrofitting their riders' brakes for small customizations on pad distance from the rim. When you swap between a carbon rim with a smaller diameter width to an aluminum one which have a generally wider tire well, the mechanics needed an ability to slightly open up the pad distance without resorting to the releasing the straddle cable. Thus the following inventions were born:

Note the adaption of the Zanconato above. A small barrel adjuster added to the end of the straddle cable to pull the brakes in...or out as desired.

Similarly, note my boy Jon Baker's set up on his Spooky Carbons. Probably from an old brake hanger adjuster.

But TRP for 09 has brought this to PRODUCTION! The detail here is astounding and as a career product manager, I applaud the PM who manages this line of business for TRP. This CLEARLY is a product manager listening to his users....and shows the cult details they want to bring to market to out-do the competition....and they have responded by not only blinging these mo-fos out in white sex, but have added the barrel adjuster AND toe-in adjustment capabilities!

SWEET!

Dear TRP: I will wear the Little Bo Peep Dress to get first dips at these. Please.

So the TRP Carbons have been set up and ready to go. Due to the time constraints of working and trying to prep for the trip, Mike and Dwayne and Boulder Cycle Sport got these on and ready for me in a day. After the trip, I plan on disassembling then re-mounting to see how easy they are but there is truly NOTHING to the install. Just slide on the posts, set the tension spring pin win the guide hole and tighten down to the correct torque.

I did however personally swap out the aluminum pads for the carbon pads and got a chance to pre-ride them albeit briefly. They are nice and gummy, the way I like them with little to no chirp/chatter or squeal against the FSA 488's surface. The previous pads used (SwissStop yellow carbon compound) were similar albeit not as smooth as the cork pads the TRP's come with.

The brief pre-ride proved that the pads and the arms (along with the killer set up the BCS boys provided) allowed for really nice/gradual modulation the way I prefer it. I don't want grabbiness at teh beginning of the stroke...only when I really pull those levers to the bar. That's what they felt like. We'll see how they work when I get some holy mud and gunk on them!

The TRP EuroX Carbons

The steed ready for boxing-up then battle.

So last week I spoke of my lust for the new carbon braking goodness TRP is set to bring to us at effective price points and insanely low weights. My good friends at TRP want me to help prove what's in their pudding by racing these bad boys in the Belgium pudding (mud) on my upcoming trip and sent on a set of their Euro Carbon Pro's. I will baptize them accordingly....likely married to my set of FSA-488 Carbon rims. I'm scrambling to get things packed and organized but will report in upcoming days on installation, use, care, etc.

Thank you Lance and TRP!!

'cross on.