TRP RG957 Deep Drop Brakes

The deep drop RG957 brakes from TRP provide stopping performance akin to the top end race brakes on the market. They don't come cheap though.

There has been a real shift in the last couple of years towards performance bikes that will also take full mudguards, Kinesis' GF Ti V2 or Dolan's carbon Dual are two such examples but while you can deck them out with carbon wheels, top end finishing kit and groupsets, brake options that could match that performance have always been a little on the limited side.

In the RG957s case your £129.99 gets you an all round top end set of calipers with stainless steel bolts and fittings which are so easy to set up. They weigh 171g front and rear which is about on par with most deep drops. I'm not going to complain about the weight, I'd rather have the material there for stiffness.

The arms are forged from TT6 aluminium before having the slots CNC'd creating a very smooth looking caliper where everything fits together perfectly with no play in the mechanism at all. The cable adjustment wheel is easy and comfortable to use and it's the little things like this that give the feeling of quality.

The brake pad slots are positioned to allow a pad reach of 47-57mm and there is loads of clearance for large tyres. I tested them on a bike shod with 23mm tyres and SKS Raceblade mudguards and there was oceans of space to go larger both in terms of mudguard width and tyre size.

In use the performance is easily on par with my Campagnolo Skeleton calipers which I rate as some of the best road brakes on the market. The RG957's are very stiff and provide progressive braking with loads of feel at the lever. TRP's own alloy compound pads work great too especially in the wet. You've still got to clear the initial layer of water off of the rim but after that braking is just as good as in the dry. Wear is looking pretty good too.

Overall the RG957s are very impressive both in terms of quality and performance easily matching short drop road brakes in terms of stopping power.

It's that consistent all-weather braking that in my opinion makes them good value for money. The matt black ones we've got here also look pretty cool in an understated sort of way. You can also get silver or grey though should you wish.

Verdict

High performance stoppers for fast audax, winter training or touring that look the biz too.