State Bicycle Co. - All-Road Disc Brake Caliper (Cable-Actuated Hydraulic)

Cost-Effective Upgrade

Compared to the previous mechanical disc setup on my Giant Revolt 2 (Tektro MD-C550 calipers with compressionless housing), the State calipers don't actually add much in terms of maximum braking power. However, they make accessing that power easier. I could lock up my rear wheel with my old calipers, but they had to be set up JUST right, and I had to squeeze the brake levers like they owed me money. I got the State calipers almost perfect on the first try, and I kept locking up the rear wheel by accident while I was bedding them in. Installation took me about an hour, and was pretty easy except for when I had to flip the front adapter from 140 to 160 (the mounting bolts must have been torqued by the Incredible Hulk). It looks like there have been some recent updates to the design, because my brakes have a little rubber grommet to keep water out of the brake line that's not shown in the official product photos. A few weeks after I installed the brakes I rode in a gravel race with some truly scary descents, and they performed solidly. They weren't as strong as full hydros and my hands still got tired, but I didn't need to use the drops for maximum power as much as I did when I rode the same course last year. As an added bonus, despite using semi-metallic pads, they're quieter than my old brakes with organic pads. If you want to upgrade your mechanical disc brakes, I still think compressionless housing gives you the most bang for your buck, but these calipers are a great next step if you want to go further.

Perfect Replacement

Easy drop-in solution for my All-Road!

Better than full mechanical

Works well and happy with first performance. To note, if using the State carbon fork the 140mm adapter setup is what works. If you set it up 160mm with a 160mm rotor the caliper will sit too high.