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IB14: New Klamper Disc Brake from Paul, Plus Fat Bike Hubs, Thru Axles & More

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Paul Klamper Disc Brace

In development for over three years, the new Paul component Klamper disc brake is designed with road, cyclocross, and gravel adventures in mind. Featuring the classic styling the company has become famous for, and likely the same level of reliability, it’s sure to become a must have.

Stop past the break to learn more about the brakes, and more after the break…

Paul Components Klamper Disc Brace (2)

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Paul Components Klamper Disc Brace (1)

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IMG_0238

Unlike Avid mechanical disc brakes which have plastic components and spin on loose ball bearings, the Paul Klamper uses no plastic bits, and rotates on a thrust bearing.

Paul Klamper Disc Brake

I called Paul Components to see if someone could send over a scale shot and The Paul picked up the phone – which is pretty damn cool. He didn’t have a digital scale on hand, but the fancy old scale read 199.5 g.

Paul Components Klamper Disc Brake

The production model will receive a reshaped brake pad adjuster with larger knurls (pictured above), to make fine tuning easier. The Klamper will utilize the same brake pad as the Avid Elxir, so replacements pads should be readily available. The brakes will ship will Kool Stop Organic pads.

At Interbike, Paul stated he would be working on a Shimano flat direct mount road version as soon as the spec’s were made available. The current brake will run $230 a wheel, and that price does not include a rotor.

Paul MicroShift Tumble and XX1 Shifter Adapter

For applications where you don’t want to be limited to a drop or flat bar, Paul’s shifter mounting hardware gives end users a little versatility. The MicroShift Thumbie (pictured left) enables you to mount stock bar end shifters on a flat bar. The XX1 shifter mount (pictured right) does the exact opposite, allowing you to run the 11 speed MTB shifter on a drop bar.

Retail for the two units is $74 and $61 respectively.

Paul Thru Axle Fat Bike Front Hub

For the fat bike crowd, Paul is now manufacturing a 15x150mm front hub with disc brake tabs. Did you really need another reason to get a Bluto? The hubs will be available initially in only black or silver, with retail set at $190. If you’re interested in doing a custom color, the company charges an additional $75 per batch of parts.

Paul Fat Bike Rear Thru Axle Skwers

Last year Paul reissued an updated version of the very first product they released back in 1989 – a closed cam skewer. Now they also produce a full range of thru axle skewers, which include: 15×100, 15×150, 12×142, 12×177, and 12×197 sizes. You can pick one up for $60.

Learn more at Paul Comp

 

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32 Comments
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pile-on
pile-on
9 years ago

Chico suave.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
9 years ago

I’m only buying a set if it comes in Rasta Anno…

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

So this is for psuedo retrogrouches who want retro looks with modernish performance?

PR
PR
9 years ago

No it’s for roadies who apparently want disc brakes with mild performance, the extra weight of a mechanical actuation, and none of the benefits of hydraulics.

shafty
shafty
9 years ago

@anon No, it’s for those that want long term performance without the worries associated with hydraulic fluid. They’re also the only disc brake made in the USA. To anyone who says that doesn’t matter, I’ll put it another way: why can’t we make brakes here, no matter the cost? I’d love to see the US produce a high-quality hydraulic brake, but it’s not happenin’ yet. This is a big undertaking for such a small company–let’s encourage them!!

And your user name is just as creative as your comment :/

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

Someone is touchy. So the selling points are it looks kind of like a classic disc brake from an era of days gone by when they didn’t have disc brakes, and it is made in the USA.

Otherwise it has absolutely no advantage over hydraulic or mechanical brakes produced by other companies?

It’s not like Paul is the only guy making mechanical disc brakes. If you want to know why you can’t make a widget in the USA, that’s probably because for most things, the cost of labor is high, and that is reflected in the price of a subpar product.

Tech and R&D are bigger strong points of US industry than manufacture. It seems silly to prioritize US manufacture and forgo tech and R&D.

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

Also, obviously my points on classic styling are sarcastic. I have no idea why BR thinks blocky CNC parts look classic instead of crude. Maybe they look like classic small production run 90’s parts.

shafty
shafty
9 years ago

It’s plain to see(and I’ve inspected a lot of their stuff in person) that these are most likely made to tighter tolerances than all the competition. For some, like myself, the care taken during manufacturing matters most of all. Yeah, they’re boring(utilitarian) looking, but they’re brakes.

Dude
Dude
9 years ago

Well I for one think they look pretty awesome. If I had the monies and ran discs they would be on the top of my wish list.

Oli
Oli
9 years ago

They offer as much reliable stopping power as ever needed if set up well.

Cable operated disks deffinatley have their place, I wouldn’t have hydraulics on my touring bike for instance.

One immediately obvious advantage is they can be adjusted for pad wear on the fly by hand.

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

Campy is made to tighter tolerances. I can feel it when I thread in BBs. That doesn’t mean it actually does anything better.

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

@Oli- hydraulic brakes adjust themselves for pad wear automatically. (I am not razzing you- I am a user of mechanical brakes, BB7’s with Ultimate levers and full-length housing. I have ridden hydros and don’t think they’re much better than what I have, although they are lighter for sure.)
I wasn’t expecting Paul to make a mechanical disc brake, but the brake disappoints me. If you’re going to make a mechanical brake, then why not optimize the design instead of polishing (literally and figuratively) an existing one? Use pads that install from the top, and have heat radiators on them like Shimano’s Ice-Techs. Make it a two-piston design like TRP’s brakes. Make it burly like Hayes overbuilt CX5 discs. Give it a lightweight rotor. Paul’s brake is not that much different from a BB7, except in cost and appearance. Heck, the BB7 has an advantage over these Paul brakes- the Tri-Align caliper mounting system. I think my hopes of a really optimized mechanical brake will never be realized. Sigh.
Some people complained about the price of these. Yeah, they’re overpriced. I don’t have the money for these brakes, but that’s fine by me: they don’t seem to be functionally better than my BB7’s. And Paul’s stuff is overpriced anyway- that’s fine, though: he is a small entrepreneur asking money from people who can afford it.

anonymous
anonymous
9 years ago

The article clearly states the advantage over BB7s. Instead of a red plastic piece you get a red aluminum piece. You also get classic(?) styling.

Fartknocker
Fartknocker
9 years ago

Try that reading part again. Paul’s uses thrust bearings, which will be part of the cost difference versus loose ball bearings. I wish my hand was so finely calibrated to tell the difference between Campy and other BB’s.

dockboy
dockboy
9 years ago

Avid’s CPS is a stopgap for poor disc tab alignment and rough caliper shapes. I often re-face Avid calipers and get much better alignment. These calipers will save a half pound over Avids, too, and have a look that matches Paul’s other parts. Toss in the thrust bearing, US manufacturing, and probably eventual addition to Paul’s anodizing batch program, and you’ve got a pretty kicking brake. I bet pad contact will be easier than with Avid brakes, too.

luddite cyclist
luddite cyclist
9 years ago

i wish these had the dual pad contact of the TRP brakes but still a nice design. paul stuff isnt overpriced it is made in the USA by ‘mercians making $20+ an hour with benefits in a clean OSHA approved evironment.
i have never set up paul disc brakes as they arent availible but anything is better than avid. the pad adjustment is so course a thread the pad has a wonky advancement and a flat pad rotor interface is almost impossible. TRP you loosen the bolts, pull the lever,tighten bolts,forget it.

quickgeezer
quickgeezer
9 years ago

Never fails to amuse me how many people get wrapped up in what bike parts — or even whole bikes — look like. It ain’t fashion, it’s for going fast! And, occasionally, stopping.

I like stuff made in the USA, because that’s where I live, and I want my country to prosper.

MS
MS
9 years ago

I find it interesting that it uses Elixir pads, which are for a top-loading design, but this is a bottom-loader. Without the tabs like BB7, I’m curious how the pads are removed.

Oli
Oli
9 years ago

Tim. I realise hyrdos self adjust. What I was trying to point out is that mechanical ones don’t and to adjust them you require a tool. These have the advantage of tooless adjustment.
I personally use TRP and it is a shame they haven’t gone with twin “piston” design, although I guess that would add weight.

groghunter
groghunter
9 years ago

There are better brakes, for something like half the cost, that perform better. & that’s just in the mechanical world. Paul makes some good & innovative products(If I ever run a front shifter again, it’ll be a paul thumbie, so i can keep my dropper lever on the bottom of the bar) but this brake is for fanboys, sorry to say.

Shredder
Shredder
9 years ago

Pretty sure the Microshift thumbie is for mounting bar end shifters on a flat bar, not a drop bar.

ObligatedToSay
ObligatedToSay
9 years ago

It’s a PR stunt. There’s established brands with identical if not better setups (no screwdriver access for the inner pad – seriously?!). The competitors weigh less, and more importantly cost less. Where something is built means basically nothing – parts can be sourced from outside, doesn’t mean the entire product is local or home grown.

Dude
Dude
9 years ago

How ’bout some thru axle hubs to run those pretty thru axles in? Or even better some conversion kits for existing PAUL users? I’m experimenting with a 15mm kit from White Ind but would rather it come from the people with nice parts….

Loki
Loki
9 years ago

They’re not the latest design (single sided activation, TRP Hy/rd hybrid solution ), they’re not the lightest(Hayes CX 197g, BB7 SL 159g, TRP Spyre SLC 146g), they’re not the cheapest; thrust washers, machine/hand made by ‘small’ shop, name and reputation of industry icon and particular styling is why you buy them. And those are good enough reasons for it to exist, maybe not good enough for you to buy them, but good enough for someone else.

Mike Bechanic
Mike Bechanic
9 years ago

serious question: What is the advantage of having two moving pistons on a cable actuated design? The only difference i can see between that and a single piston design is that the rotor doesn’t need to flex but I haven’t had that aspect be a drawback for me. Can anyone provide some insight?

Randall
Randall
9 years ago

@Mike, I think it’s better rotor clearance making it easier to prevent any unwanted rubbing.

That said, I also have trouble understanding the BB7 haters. Trade a little modulation for a ton of power, the bike stops and you live another day. Raining, commuting, trying to prevent a car from running you over… it happens…

anon
anon
9 years ago

Luddite: “‘mercians making $20+ an hour with benefits in a clean OSHA approved evironment”

Not my recollection of working there.

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

@Loki- well-said.
@anon- Did you work at Paul Component Engineering? If you did, can you say what was wrong with the work conditions there?

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

I also recall how crummy the Paul brake levers were. They were super light and trick, but the bracket that mounts them to the bar visibly flexed when you pulled hard. And the pivots would easily get corrupted- they were made of soft brass, and dust would easily get into the unsealed (and slightly wobbly) pivot area, mix with the oil or grease there, and then impregnate the brass bushing. “Cool, they’re rebuildable, I can take them apart,” I remember thinking at the time. Shimano brake levers did not need this treatment, and suffered from none of the other defects.
I had problems with Paul’s hubs, too- after a two years of use, the bearing cavity got walled out and even new cartridge bearings would wobble in there. There was no tightening it anymore. I called Paul about it, and he said I had a rare museum piece as if that was some kind of honor for me to spend 150 bucks on hub that didn’t work anymore.

jake sikkink
jake sikkink
9 years ago

Does anyone know if these will be compatible with my disc brake adapter? i have an older bike that i currently run a disc brake bracket adapter on. are these sizes universal? here’s basically what i have, but i think its a different company:
http://www.amazon.com/brake-bracket-frame-adaptor-bicycle/dp/B00I6IV782

Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
9 years ago

jake

it’ll work

ddgl
ddgl
9 years ago

Hard to see this as good value. You can pick up BB7s for ~$60 or TRP Spyre mechs for ~$100. Obviously i haven’t used them but i doubt the performance is 4x better than BB7s or 2x as good as the Spyres. Their styling is also not my jam but some will see this a bike bling.

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