Road levers with Shimano XT hydraulic disc brakes

[bcroslin]

I'm going to run the risk of getting laughed at by asking this question but here goes: is there a way to run Shimano road levers with Shimano XT MTB hydraulic disc brakes? I'm considering running road bars on my MTB to finish out CX season. Cue laughter.

I'm also looking ahead at what CX rig I may put together for next season and as of right now Shimano only offers road/ CX hydraulic disc brakes with electronic Ultegra and DA. It would be awesome if whatever mechanical solution I figure out now I could then carry over to a CX bike for next season.

What got me thinking about this was looking at this post of Sven Nys (http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/11/07/sven-nys-makes-the-switch-to-shimano-hydraulic-disc-brakes-on-some-interesting-wheels/#more-69161) new build with disc brakes and realizing all the calipers are is XT's just like what's on my Santa Cruz.

Bob

[KonaSS]

Closest is TRP HY/RD.

Can use Shimano mechanical shifters and the brakes are hydraulic.



http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=1198&catid=206

[Oregonic]

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/06/30/shimano-unveils-hydraulic-road-discs-with-r785-di2-system-and-11-speed-ultegra-di2/

This is what he's running. The other linked article says Nov availability - not sure how they are on that time table as of right now.

But to answer your question, I don't think there's system to hook up your mechanical levers to your XT calipers. If there were, I'm sure you could run it on a CX frame, but I just don't think there is. Pretty sure the only thing close would be the Parabox system, but I think that has it's own calipers, and probably isn't interchangeable with XT's, or we'd have heard about it by now. As I see it, your choices are...

1. swap out the calipers to the TRP's mentioned above
2. swap out the calipers for something mechanical
3. save your money until next season and go full electronic/hydraulic
4. save your money and see if someone builds a better mechanical mousetrap for next year.

There is a chance that the calipers on the new system are identical to XT's, so I guess there's also a chance that you could cut the lines and use them with the new electronic stuff once it launches, but I'd guess it would be just as cost effective to sell the XT's and buy the new stuff as a system, to make sure it all works as promised. Just my 2ish cents...

[bcroslin]

Closest is TRP HY/RD.

Can use Shimano mechanical shifters and the brakes are hydraulic.


So theoretically I could run 6700 levers with the TRP's and mate them to my XT front and rear derailleurs?

[bcroslin]

http://www.bikerumor.com/2013/06/30/shimano-unveils-hydraulic-road-discs-with-r785-di2-system-and-11-speed-ultegra-di2/

This is what he's running. The other linked article says Nov availability - not sure how they are on that time table as of right now.

But to answer your question, I don't think there's system to hook up your mechanical levers to your XT calipers. If there were, I'm sure you could run it on a CX frame, but I just don't think there is. Pretty sure the only thing close would be the Parabox system, but I think that has it's own calipers, and probably isn't interchangeable with XT's, or we'd have heard about it by now. As I see it, your choices are...

1. swap out the calipers to the TRP's mentioned above
2. swap out the calipers for something mechanical
3. save your money until next season and go full electronic/hydraulic
4. save your money and see if someone builds a better mechanical mousetrap for next year.

There is a chance that the calipers on the new system are identical to XT's, so I guess there's also a chance that you could cut the lines and use them with the new electronic stuff once it launches, but I'd guess it would be just as cost effective to sell the XT's and buy the new stuff as a system, to make sure it all works as promised. Just my 2ish cents...

After running discs on my mtb I won't go back to cantis. One of the reasons I didn't buy a disc CX bike and instead decided to race my mtb the CX season is I felt like Shimano/ SRAM didn't really have the road hydraulic disc thing worked out. I'm hoping Shimano offers some sort of Ultegra level mechanical/ hydraulic solution soon because electronic just isn't affordable for me for a CX bike.

[oldpotatoe]

So theoretically I could run 6700 levers with the TRP's and mate them to my XT front and rear derailleurs?

Shimano road levers aren't compatible with shimano 10s MTB rear ders and to no MTB front ders.

Road front and rear der or 9s MTB rear der....just find a front der that is made for the crank CR differences...tooth differences but you said cross rig, double crank, road fder.

[bcroslin]

Way too complicated which is what I figured but I thought I'd ask. I'll ride my flat bars and get heckled until next season.

[rice rocket]

After running discs on my mtb I won't go back to cantos. One of the reasons I didn't buy a disc CX bike and instead decided to race my mtb the CX season is I felt like Shimano/ SRAM didn't really have the road hydraulic disc thing worked out. I'm hoping Shimano offers some sort of Ultegra level mechanical/ hydraulic solution soon because electronic just isn't affordable for me for a CX bike.

Not really possible unless you are willing to deal w/ the giant hoods a.l.a. SRAM's hydraulic road setup. The hydraulics live where the shifter guts are in mechanical levers.

[mvrider]

How about the TRP Parabox system?
http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=1184&catid=206&subcat=0
http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/category/components/disc-brake-systems/product/review-trp-parabox-45423/
http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/components/disc-brake-systems/1319665164486-26viouh5v0v2-399-80.jpg

[ais99spoke]

Way too many incompatibilities in that. Shimano Road drop shifter doesn't work with Front Mtn Derailleur. Even if you ran Hy/Rd or Parabox. Parabox ships with trp brakes so you'd wind up with 2 sets of calipers... I recommend heartily against.

[christian]

Magura hydraulic drop-bar levers. (Ancient)
Shimano Rapid-Fire shifters on the tops.
Shimano MTB drivetrain.
XT calipers.

Maaaaaaaaybe you could get that to work. When is next cx race? Sept? If so, can probably shade tree engineer it by then.

[christian]

Yes Magura is closed-system and disks need open system... Like I said, not plug and play.

[mvrider]

I know one of the guys behind this, but only found out about it yesterday (through a pop-up ad)!
http://www.cxmagazine.com/summit-labs-harnesses-the-power-of-hydraulic-disc-brakes-for-cyclocross-with-the-324-brake-adaptor

Unfortunately, their web site has a bit of a vaporware feel to it:
http://www.324labs.com/cart/

[thirdgenbird]

I want a drop bar 650b mtb with these:

http://www.trpbrakes.com/timthumb.php?src=ppic/09tr6724zwsi3gi_b.jpg&w=300&zc=1

Either ss or 1x9 with a bar end shifter.

[ais99spoke]

Now we're talkin.... I love the look of that lever.

[rice rocket]

Yeah, it has no shifting though.

[11.4]

I've got TRP Hy/Rd's and find they're very easy to implement. Plenty of them selling on the internet for $200 per pair, including rotors, new. Note that since TRP had a recall on their Spyre calipers, they got cleaned out of Hy/Rd's and you have to wait another week or two for replacements to arrive, so buy them on the street somewhere.

Use compression-less cable housing (Yokozuna or Jagwire) and they are really close to feeling like fully hydraulic discs. Very easy to bleed. Simple to install. They have pistons on both brake pads, so instead of one pad pushing the rotor into the other, they clamp together like good disc calipers should. Just attach the cable from the levers and you're ready. They work great with Shimano pull ratios.

I'd be a bit cautious about planning to have a new fully hydraulic system next year. Everybody, and I mean everybody, has had a recall. Sometimes for fairly esoteric issues, but Shimano was also unwilling to put out a Dura Ace version of their road discs because they just didn't have it nailed yet. It'll be a while before you can get a Dura Ace version and although the current R600 hybrid level does brake acceptably, it isn't Dura Ace. Everyone is now just starting to look at aerodynamics of calipers, etc., so they will change dramatically in the next year or two.

[bcroslin]

I decided to wait it out another year before pulling the trigger on discs and I'm putting together a canti cx bike this week to finish out the cross season.

I believe disc is the way to go for CX but I'm waiting for a Shimano mechanical/ hydraulic Ultegra-level group before I make the plunge.

[oldpotatoe]

I decided to wait it out another year before pulling the trigger on discs and I'm putting together a canti cx bike this week to finish out the cross season.

I believe disc is the way to go for CX but I'm waiting for a Shimano mechanical/ hydraulic Ultegra-level group before I make the plunge.

That's an interesting question. With a 105 level di2, and probably wet disc also, I wonder if shimano will make a road mechanical/wet disc group at all?

[christian]

I wonder if shimano will make a road mechanical/wet disc group at all?I would bet $100 against it.

[oldpotatoe]

I would bet $100 against it.

Considering the need to piggy-back a reservoir in a mechanic lever, and how crappy(ugly) that 'solution' is, I doubt it also. Think wet disc/electronic is a set. Even SRAM, mech/wet disc is interium only(after they figure theirs out).

[bcroslin]

I was just talking to someone about that and they were saying the same thing: doubtful.

I really don't want to go back to SRAM so I'm on cantis for the foreseeable future.