# Hygia SLP disc brakes - budget weight weenie



## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Just got a set of these Hygia SLP brakes for $200. With stainless braided hoses they are not exactly light. The complete set came in at 768g incl. rotor bolts, mounting bolts and post rear mount adapter for 160mm.

Front brake assembly weighs 246g:









Rear weighs 275g:









Rotors weigh 80g:









So from a weight weenie point of view the only thing decent weight-wise are the rotors.

It is possible to shed almost 120g off the set with the following mods: use shimano post mount adapter (18g), Ti rotor and mounting bolts, A2Z ultralight pads (use XTR version), Jagwire Hyflow hose and aluminum clamp bolts. Total cost for this is less than $100 and brings the weight down to 650g for a total outlay of around $300. That'll get you to within 80g of Formula R1 setup for about half the price.

Performance wise the brakes are powerful with good modulation. Better power and modulation than XTs and Avid Elixer CRs, much more power than older XTRs. I haven't ridden Formula R1 or the newer XTRs so can't give a comparison there.

The levers are the only part of the brake system that seem a bit "cheap". They're made of pressed aluminium. At 8g each they are certainly light, but I've already bent one in crash.

I've just started the process of making some replacement levers in carbon fiber. For the initial set I'm aiming to increase strength without additional weight. So far the results are good. An 8g carbon lever is incredibly strong, so something in the 6g range will probably still be plenty strong and durable. Here's the first lever:










Test mounting:









The lever looks a bit "rough" as it doesn't have the final clearcoat. Once that's on the carbon weave will shine through. I'm in two minds at the moment about whether to clear coat the levers or leave them with the matt industrial look.

More info on making the levers here and more info on the Hygia SLP brakes themselves here.


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## stig (Jan 20, 2004)

Excellent post! Thanks for the useful info!


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Nice write up and great job on the lever.
I have a set of these in transit for a 2nd bike....and have already ordered the bolts from Toronto Cycles.They also have the lighter pads and Adapters.


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## Kaizer (Jul 19, 2010)

Hi Tigworld, nice job on the CF levers! Wondering if you're selling those? And would you be able to custom length it for extra leverage ratio?


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Thanks for the nice comments.

Sorry, I won't be selling the CF levers. From what I learned making the first set, I'll make a second spare set with a slightly refined and improved process. With all of the tricky bits ironed out it should be possible for just about anyone to crank out their own set. Keep an eye on my Carbon fibre brake lever DIY article which I'll update with the improved process.

Hopefully Hygia will start making CF levers for the SLP. They already have a CF option for the Elites.

Here's a finished lever with its final 2 part gloss polyurethane protective coat:


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Just a quick update as we've had some seriously wet weather over the last couple of days and it looks like its settling in for the rest of the week!

The brakes have continued to perform well in the mud and rain. No squeal or funny noises other than the usual "grit grind" that you get when the rotors are dirty just as you apply the brakes. Initial bite in the wet is slightly less, but in a fraction of a second the brakes clean out and then you get close to full power and modulation back again. This is probably more a function of the open design rotors than anything else.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Just a quick update after almost 7 months and around 4000km offroad on these brakes.

They continue to perform really well. Braking power and modulation are both great. Only a few negatives:

combined with ultralight rotors like the Alligator Aries, the brakes are prone to fade on really big long descents where you are constantly dragging the brakes to stop speeds from getting out of control. Riding downhill or super-D runs I have never experienced any sort of fade, but descend 1000m vertical metres down a loose and rutted fire trail where you are on the brakes continuously to maintain control and fade becomes an issue;
when they get hot, the brakes "pump up" and the lever engagement point comes in earlier - this is more likely to occur with contaminated brake fluid;
riding these over winter time in rain and mud has required a full brake fluid change very 3 months, and even then the fluid has come out grey and contaminated looking. This seems fairly high maintenance, but I do ride a lot of km's in all conditions.

I've just switched over to using 2012 XX HSX rotors for wet weather riding. They really work well with the SLP's albeit at a 20g weight penalty per wheel. I'm not that happy with the Alligator Aries in the wet. The stock Hygia rotors performed better, but the XX rotors are much much better.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

hello Tig World, I have a question for you;

How the hell did you mounted the hygia slp needle and bushings (olives) on the discobrakes hose? didn't you realise that discobrake hose has a too small inner diameter for hygia slp needles? Maybe this is why you are having such a bad performance. I bought those hoses because of your website, and then I realised that they don't work... this make me think about how much credibility I should give to your testing comments. I´m sorry for that but it's how it seems to me...

*By the way, I have a spare brand new set of Hygia SLP disc brakes lying at home never opened, what should I do with it? I´m thingking about returning it to the seller, but if anyone wants to give them a try, I´m open to sell them. I also have spare slp red reservour caps, and spare pads available. I also have spare needles and bushings for anyone in the need of these...*


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

MaLoL said:


> hello Tig World, I have a question for you;
> 
> How the hell did you mounted the hygia slp needle and bushings (olives) on the discobrakes hose?


I used this tool:












MaLoL said:


> Maybe this is why you are having such a bad performance.


Where have I said that I'm "having such a bad performance"? The brakes perform great but like any product there are some negatives that after riding them for more than 6 months I thought it might benefit others to hear about.



MaLoL said:


> ... this make me think about how much credibility I should give to your testing comments. I´m sorry for that but it's how it seems to me...


Don't give it any credibility. I've only shared what I've actually done. If you can't get it to work then feel free to post up your own information on how it doesn't work.


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## Veda (Dec 17, 2009)

TigWorld said:


> Don't give it any credibility. I've only shared what I've actually done. If you can't get it to work then feel free to post up your own information on how it doesn't work.


Lots of people here would give opinions based on indirect experience or just outright baseless remark. Then again experimentation costs pretty $ and bike parts ain't cheap. Thanks for the detailed info on this product.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

TigWorld said:


> I used this tool:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


-Fluid replacement in 3 months is what i call bad brakes performance.

-discobrake hose is certainly not suitable with hygia needles. for sure if you push hard you can fit it in; as the expression says: "with some effort and spitting, the elephant fa-cked the ant" but you know, it's quite a wrong mix of components if you ask me. Too big needle can damage the portion of hose in contact with the needle, destroying it a bit, maybe that is why you have to replace liquid so often, and why it's dirty. bad setup brings bad performace, anyway, i´m sure you will disagree with all i just said.

best regards.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

Got a chance to weigh the front brake complete with new pads - 198g.


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## 3Ronin (Feb 4, 2010)

is that weight comparison fair ? it looks like you have different hardware, different hoses and different levers


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

3Ronin said:


> is that weight comparison fair ? it looks like you have different hardware, different hoses and different levers


What "weight comparison"? Stock weight is at start of thread. I didn't think this needed spelling out in full. Tuning article here (or clicking on the pic above) indicates what was changed.


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## 3Ronin (Feb 4, 2010)

oh cool, i didnt see the whole write up, nice work.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

No worries. I've also done a little write-up on giving the SLP's a full service. I started to get uneven pad wear indicative of a sticking piston on the front caliper so I gave them a complete overhaul. The caliper piston seals were fine, just needed a clean and some rubber grease to prevent the sticking piston. The master cylinder piston was showing signs of scuffing the bore due to dirt getting in from the outside. I replaced it with a spare I got from the Hygia online store.

We've had one of the wettest years on record so this has meant these brakes have seen around 50 rides in the mud and rain since I got them. The soil here is highly abrasive, so everything has a pretty hard life if its wet and higher levels of maintenance are required.


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## Satanpez (Sep 16, 2007)

The Hygia olives did not work for me with the discobrake hose. I didn't have the fancy alligator tool (it's way expensive).

The discobrake olives actually worked well with my Hygia Usagi brakes. They look like they may not work but they seal.

There's another huge thread on these brakes.

-Steve in NJ


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

I've updated my article on Tuning the SLPs to include a warning about the discobrakes hose. It's possible that the discobrakes hose you guys are buying now is different to the hose that I bought 6+ months ago.

Has anyone tried any other lightweight hoses? The Hygia website now has some coloured replacement hoses for sale. Anyone tried those?


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## tgreathead (Mar 8, 2004)

Thanks for the great writeup TigWorld, I'm this close to ordering a set of Hygias but I'm still deciding between the Elite, Usagi & SLP. I'm confused though since your SLP's have the pad adjustment screw and the SLP's pictured on the Hygua site don't have it. Do you know if they removed it in the new version?
From their site:








HYGIA-HYDRAULIC-BRAKES,The best disc brake for mountain bike,bicycle components


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## tgreathead (Mar 8, 2004)

Nevermind, that must be the only picture that doesn't have the pad adjustment screw, in their store it has it.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

On the carbon lever, the reach adjustment is via a small grub screw which you can't see in the pics. On the alu levers reach adjustment is via a red anodised alu screw that you can turn by hand.

I haven't used the Elites or Usagis so can't offer any comparisons. Let us know what you decide to go with.

If you go with the SLP's, try to get the newest version with the ceramic pistons. I don't think the braided hoses are necessary - adds lots of weight and extra $$$. The carbon levers are also not critical - only slightly lighter than the alu levers, so they're really only for the bling value. If I was buying SLP's now I'd try to get a set with the ceramic pistons, non-braided hoses and alu levers and hopefully save some $$$ for bolt tuning which is where some weight savings are to be had.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

i have the carbon version, the one in the picture and yes, it comes without the red anodized adjuster wheel. I guess it's for weight reasons, and because you don't need that in the trails, an allen key will work just fine. 

I have mine for a couple months already and I think they are really light for their price, and finish is ok, but shimano brakes I also own have much much more brake power, and you can stop the wheel with 0 effort. with the hygia you have to push hard the lever. maybe it's my setup, my pads and all the tuning I made... i´ll keep on testing though, they might get better.


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## tgreathead (Mar 8, 2004)

TigWorld thanks for the info, didn't realize the ceramic piston is a new addition. I'll be putting whichever set I choose on a hardtail 29er and being a little bigger (190 lbs with gear) I want to make sure they'll stop me and that big wheel in hilly Southern California. Based on your recommendation that the steel lines aren't necessary, especially with the new ceramic piston, I'm leaning back toward the Elite again with standard hoses. I'll post up whatever I end up choosing 

MaLoL, which Shimano brakes do you have? I know people like the XT M775, I've looked at that too but they obviously weigh much more. I'm still open to different brakes though if the power/reliability/price are all worth it.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

tgreathead said:


> TigWorld thanks for the info, didn't realize the ceramic piston is a new addition. I'll be putting whichever set I choose on a hardtail 29er and being a little bigger (190 lbs with gear) I want to make sure they'll stop me and that big wheel in hilly Southern California. Based on your recommendation that the steel lines aren't necessary, especially with the new ceramic piston, I'm leaning back toward the Elite again with standard hoses. I'll post up whatever I end up choosing
> 
> MaLoL, which Shimano brakes do you have? I know people like the XT M775, I've looked at that too but they obviously weigh much more. I'm still open to different brakes though if the power/reliability/price are all worth it.


xt 2010. they weight much more and brake much more too.


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## tgreathead (Mar 8, 2004)

MaLoL said:


> xt 2010. they weight much more and brake much more too.


Ahh gotcha.

I decided for now to go with a used set of Juicy Ultimates. They're definitely heavier but I've owned a couple sets of Juicys and have lots of spare parts, etc. Down the line when I've got some extra cash I fully plan to try out the SLP or Elite, I just don't want to rely on them right now without a backup set.

Thanks for all the info guys, looking forward to Hygia making a bigger presence in the future.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

MaLoL said:


> xt 2010. they weight much more and brake much more too.


Only half right. They do weigh more, but the braking power is similar to the SLPs.

In the dry, the SLP's with the Avid HSX rotors have more power. With the stock SLP rotors the power seems about the same.

In the wet, the XT's with XT rotors have much more power than the SLPs with the SLP rotors. Power is about the same with SLPs and HSX rotors.

XT's with Ashima AiRotor's have less power than SLPs with stock rotors.

XT's with stock rotors provide good fade resistance. Better than SLPs with stock rotors but SLPs with HSX rotors are better again.

For these tests I have been using the same pads (discobrakes ultralight pads) in both sets of brakes (SLPs and XTs use the same brake pads).

The big drawback with XT brakes (other than the weight) is that Shimano does not sell spare parts. If a $0.10 seal in the calliper goes you need to buy a whole new calliper.

XT brakes are lower maintenance than the SLPs.

I've put lots of miles on both the XT 775's and the Hygia SLPs and tried many combos of pads and rotors in wet and dry. As always, YMMV. :thumbsup:


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

TigWorld said:


> Only half right. They do weigh more, but the braking power is similar to the SLPs.
> 
> In the dry, the SLP's with the Avid HSX rotors have more power. With the stock SLP rotors the power seems about the same.
> 
> ...


well, then my setup of the hygia slp must be quite a big piece of ****, because my shimano XT on my scott scale works much better, infinitely better, with shimano pads and shimano discs. Maybe discobrakes ultralight pads are crap, so you are getting similar performance on both. I use those pads on the hygia, and also discobrakes housing... the braking power is ok, but is even lower than a good v-brake setup. I really have to squeeze the lever to lock the rear wheel. on xt's locking any wheel is instant, effortless on the lever.

maybe you have a poor setup on the xt's, actually i think you mix and match brake components too much, and again, not noticing that hygia lines are thicker than discobrakes ones, gives you 0,00 credibility to me. as i already said...

shimano brakes performance is over most brakes, and these crappy asian brakes is no exemption, unfortunately. you can keep on making un-trustable testing though.


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## TigWorld (Feb 8, 2010)

MaLoL - You're really putting the LOL into MaLoL.

The fact that you can't get your SLPs to work properly only demonstrates that you're clueless.

Your posts are also whining, obnoxious, argumentative and plain wrong. Makes for a bad combo when you mix in the cluelessness.

Instead of posting unsubstantiated rubbish in this thread, go and start your own thread on the brake forum asking for help - you clearly need it.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

TigWorld said:


> MaLoL - You're really putting the LOL into MaLoL.
> 
> The fact that you can't get your SLPs to work properly only demonstrates that you're clueless.
> 
> ...


sure, but it's you the one saying that SLP has same power as XT's so go figure who is clueless here, hehehehehe...


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

If you've been here long enough, you'll know this isn't new behaviour for MaLoL. I use the Hygia Elites on three bikes and know that while the stock rotors they came with worked fine and were decently light (103g each), that I wanted to try some lighter alternatives. As a result, I now know that they produce enough power to bend a warp into an Ashima AiRotor when braking in the dry.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

hey deeEight, still on mamma's basement?


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Thanks ever so much for proving my point. Also for being a complete moron.


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## MaLoL1 (Jan 16, 2004)

U are welcome sweetheart. Hope ur basement on mommy's house is till good. Now back to the topic, hygia's are ok so far, still far from any shimano on brake power, specially because of its light rotors and non-braided house, etc. Still worthy. Only 200km on them. Performance should improve after more km and a final re-bleeded. Still i wonder if using discobrakes thinner housing and thinner olives must be the reason for the lower performance...

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk


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