Hygia Disc Brakes

[DeeEight]

I posted this on the weight weenie forum already but since its apparently too generic a brand name for them (while being as light as XTR for 1/2 the price), figured it'd would get more attention in the brake forum. I won an ebay auction for some red annodized Hygia Elite disc brakes on ebay, and they arrived in the mail on wednesday and installed them yesterday and then rode them on a brisk but alas short ride due to my riding partner's Formula ORO K24s failing on her yet again (she fell slowspeed and the lever body broke where the pivot pin is for the lever... i had to juryrig it in place with a zip-tie so she could even use it to drag the rear brake at all).

Out of the packaging from Taiwan, they were 291g for the front, 316g for the rear (lever, caliper, hose, and post-to-flange mount adapters installed), 23g for each package of hardware (2 stainless steel mounting bolts, 6 stainless steel rotor bolts), and the rotors were 207g for the pair (160mm 6-bolt). The levers have a reach adjustment, a two-bolt removable clamp (like formula, tektro, hope and many others) which uses T25 bolts instead of the more usual 3mm or 4mm allen head bolts, and they come in an annodized red, gold, or grey finish.





Performance wise they stopped my Haro Beasley quite well in technically singletrack, didn't exhibit any fade, and didn't have any unusual dragging issues. The pads look to be identical to what shimano uses for the XTR/XT calipers so sourcing replacements should be simple. They're also quite a good deal ($229USD for the brakes, $35USD shipping to N.A.) and it took about 1 1/2 weeks from payment for them to arrive at my door.

I seriously recommend folks looking for an affordable light weight disc setup without resorting to rotors that are so cut out as to destroy pads quickly, or fancy Al/MMC rotors which take specific expensive pads, give these brakes a look. They also incidently make an even lighter brake called the USAGI that's actually cheaper ($199USD) but the manufacturer only rates it as being for light cross country usage where the Elite's are for XC/AM and bordering into light freeriding. I in any case am ordering more of them and will likely convert over several of my bikes to them. They're certainly lighter than anything I used previously.

Incidently I checked the manufacturer's website and its pretty detailed and it seems likely given the similarities of their brake designs to some other brands, that Hygia is the actual source manufacturer for the other ones.

[dogonfr]

Nice looking set up. They claim to use the XT/XTR pads so that makes pad replacement simple.

[mountain_bomber156]

Something like that should get more attention. They look pretty sweet.

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Any US support for those at all? Any special kit needed for bleeding? Do look nice.

[vk45de]

Heh you can be the long term road test guy.

[Jerk_Chicken]

I posted this on the weight weenie forum already but since its apparently too generic a brand name for them (while being as light as XTR for 1/2 the price), figured it'd would get more attention in the brake forum.

Hah, they'll wait for either a rebranding from their favorite "lite" brand and then pay attention.

...or maybe wait until nino panders them.

but alas short ride due to my riding partner's Formula ORO K24s failing on her yet again (she fell slowspeed and the lever body broke where the pivot pin is for the lever... i had to juryrig it in place with a zip-tie so she could even use it to drag the rear brake at all).

Not possible, if you go by the forums. Formulas don't break and are teh bestest.

Looking forward to hearing more about them.

[DeeEight]

Well so far her formula's have been a pain but they came stock on her RM Vertex Ladies so its not like she had much choice in the matter. Now that they're beyond the cheap replacement part stage (she's already replaced the brake line, the rear pads, and several fittings from a previous collision, and had to undergo about a dozen bleedings to get them to feel close to new again) she gets to go to something more reliable and supportable in canada. Hell, given the wait time, the hygia's are even good alternatives. To get a new formula master cylinder would take a week. Full set of hygia's a week and a half.

I just ordered a set of the USAGI's to put on one of my more XC oriented bikes (replacing some rather retro Rockshox discs). I may order a set of them for her bike if she wants to spend that sorta dough. I told her she should try and sell her formulas (the front is fine, the rear is just good for parts now) to offset some of the cost of the new brakes.

[mountain_bomber156]

Fart powered toy gun?

[celly]

Can always count on Upie to keep obscure parts from past, present and future flowing through the system.

[Mike T.]

Originally Posted by celly

Can always count on Upie to keep obscure parts from past, present and future flowing through the system.

Stalker!

[JonathanGennick]

I've seen those brakes on eBay, on occasion. I've wondered about them.Thanks for posting up with a review.

[celly]

Originally Posted by Mike T.

Stalker!

Look who's talking.

[DeeEight]

A followup update...

Just a mini-update, haven't used the USAGI's yet. Was going to put them on my DosNiner when I built it but decided that since I wasn't using any other white parts, I'd order another set of Elites in the silver for it instead. So far my own momentary problem with the Elites has been a stuck piston seal that wouldn't let the master cylinder piston retract fully and that was discovered at the start of a ride (and fixed in 2 mins with some liquid wrench spray lube on the piston seals). No problems since and its experienced a LOT of mud since then. Also my USAGI's and the second set of Elites came with extra bits in the small parts bag. Olives, hydraulic line end fittings, and one of the banjo bolts for the caliper end. So any worries of not being able to support the brakes with say, a line replacement are now solved.

[Popper252]

Any updates on the brakes?

I'm interested in the Usagi but I certainly like the red anodized elites. I'm only 150 lbs on an Anthem X and was looking to upgrade my stock Deore hydraulic brakes to something a little (a lot) lighter.

Looks like they're going for about 150 bucks now.

Since you've had experience with both which would you choose? In terms of adjustibility and over all durability. I'm riding in Florida so long down hills aren't a concern.

Thanks!

[DeeEight]

My elites continue to work fine, bit of howling on the rotors lately but its the wet season here and you can't do a half-hour ride without even the top of your stem having mud on it afterwards. I still have not used my set of Usagi's, largely because the white colour scheme fits practically nothing in my collection until I assemble the '07 Rocky Mountain Blizzard frameset I'm selling. I may order a set of Usagi's in black with the price drop on ebay, since those would more readily go with the colour scheme of my own bikes. I'm planning to run Ashima AiRotors on them when I use them, so I'll probably switch to the shimano sintered pads at the same time. If I had to choose between them... well the Elites are easier to take off/put on thanks to the split-clamp on the levers, but the Usagi's have a nicer lever blade shape. I guess it depends for me right now on colours and the bike.

[mountain_bomber156]

These sound like really nice brakes. How do they compare to the big brand's offerings?

[Popper252]

Well I went ahead and took the plunge on the white Usagi brakes. The weight savings over my Deore brakes was attractive. Me being only 150lbs I'm not worried too much about the size.

I'm really looking forward to getting these and putting them through their paces.

I've got BB7's, Juicy Carbon, and Deore brakes to compare them to.

[agu]

Originally Posted by Popper252

Well I went ahead and took the plunge on the white Usagi brakes. The weight savings over my Deore brakes was attractive. Me being only 150lbs I'm not worried too much about the size.

I'm really looking forward to getting these and putting them through their paces.

I've got BB7's, Juicy Carbon, and Deore brakes to compare them to.

How're the Usagi brakes so far? Which Deore did you upgrade from?

Would be nice if you could post up a review

[Popper252]

The short and sweet: they work great and so far I'm extremely pleased. People ask me about them all the time and they're amazed when I tell them the price.

When I get home from work later today I'll try to be a bit more thorough

[Popper252]

Alright, so I finally got a chance to take some pics tonight. I went a little crazy with the pics just because I know there is so little information out there about these brakes. I would have loved to see more pics when I was first researching them

Anyways what can I say? These brakes rock!

In general the construction is very solid. The lever feels great on your fingers. Uses easily replaceable XT pads. Didn't need bleeding and felt great out of the box. The only adjustment I needed to make was to fine tune my lever reach (red knob) and then adjust the pad contact point on each lever. No brake rub or drag using the typical caliper centering method (loosen caliper bolts, squeeze lever to center caliper over rotor, tighten bolts. Done.)

In my opinion these are well worth the 160 dollar (shipped) price tag. I'm very very happy.

Included in the box: 2x Rotors, 2x Fully assembled pre-bled brakes (levers, calipers, hose), 2x front and rear I.S. Mounts, and all mounting hardware. Only thing really missing was an instruction manual (who actually reads those anyways )

My only one complaint is that the rear brake hose is maybe a centimeter or two too short on my full suspension frame. I would have preferred a little more breathing room in terms of length, but as they are out of the box they're still perfectly usable. They would probably be perfect on a hardtail with more direct hose routing. On my bike the hose is a little shorter than what I'd want. Just something to keep in mind when ordering these.

Compared to my BB7s:
Pros:

• Tons more modulation. A lot less of an on/off feeling. (Although if you dial in your BB7's correctly you can alleviate a lot of that on/off feeling)
• Much more finesse in braking.
• I can finally brake using only one finger under all but the most extreme of stopping.
• A ton lighter (Claimed weights are very accurate. About 258g for front caliper hose and lever minus the I.S. mount. 285g for rear due to longer hose and inclusion of I.S. mount. The included rotors weigh 106 grams.)
• Look better in my opinion.
• Won't throw you over the bars as easily

Cons:

• Not as much brute power. I can no longer lock up my front wheel on pavement
• Not as easy to work on vs. a cable actuated system. A con for all hydraulic brakes really.

Compared to my juicy carbons:

• Pad contact point isn't as easy to adjust. You need an allen wrench to get to it. But generally this is a one time setting and you won't have to fiddle with it much once you get it set to how you like it.
• Much less noisy under braking. You get your typical wet disc brake squeal under wet conditions but once the rotors dry they're quiet again.
• No weird vibrations under braking like I would occasionally get with my juicy brakes.
• A little less powerful but nothing all that concerning. If you're a larger rider you shouldn't be looking at weight weenie brakes anyways The elites would probably work better for you.
• Lever feel is a bit smoother.
• Clamping them on isn't as easy. On the juicy's the entire back of the clamp comes off so you don't have to remove the grips. With these you have to slide them on from the bar ends.

Compared to the Deore M486 (surprisingly good brakes for a low end offering btw):

• Again a little less power.
• Equally great lever feel. (This is more a testament to how nice the Deores felt)
• Again weight was a huge plus for the Usagi brakes.

Tonight I added some Alligator wind cutter rotors to the mix. From the couple of hard stops I've taken in my driveway they feel pretty good. I know I'll have to break the rotors in a bit more before I can really discern what kind of power I'll get out of them but so far so good. Compared to my Avid G2 (108grams) my Windcutters(92g) save me a bit more weight and they look pretty awesome aswell
Looking at the pad contact area on the windcutters it looks like It makes contact with a good amount of the rotor so that's definitely a plus.

Alright well here are the pics of the brakes on my Anthem X.












Here you can see the red reach adjustment knob and the pad contact adjustment point. Just stick an allen wrench in there and adjust to your preferred feel.












I've got the front post mounted.


The rear is using a traditional mount. If you wanted to use a 140mm rotor on the back just use the front IS mount adapter. Works best if your front fork is a post mount obviously, otherwise you'll just need to buy a new adapter.















Sorry about the less than flattering Garage pics. The lighting kinda sucks so the details are kinda hard to see in some of the pics. If you all have any questions or want to see anything specific please let me know!

[Kona0197]

Where can you get those Hygia brakes other than Ebay?

[agu]

Thanks for the info popper! The photos are much appreciated too. Though nothing beats actually holding and using a set.

[Popper252]

There are a few sites I've seen them listed on. I honestly can't remember where they are but I did find them through using google.

Actually here's one store: http://isgcycles.com.au/shop/index.p...od&productId=3

You'll just have to sift through the google results unfortunately. Ebay is the cheapest from what I can tell.

Yeah, nothing like holding the set in your hands and using them that's for sure!

Took a nice 21 mile ride over at Snowhill in central florida. Not a difficult trail by any means but there are lots of quick tight turns where braking is integral. The brakes with the new rotors performed fantastically. My measuring stick is, if I don't have to think about them then they must be working right!

I've finally got my bike really dialed in and I'm in heaven on it. There may be some drivetrain upgrades in the future but as for my brakes I've settled on my set.

[agu]

Originally Posted by Popper252

Yeah, nothing like holding the set in your hands and using them that's for sure!

Will keep you guys updated

[COLINx86]

Right now I have Elixir R's and I hate them! and I really like the look of these and they seem nice.

Does anyone know the actual (not claimed) weights of the Hygia Usagi compared to the Avid Elixir R?
How do you bleed them?
I want to use a IS mount 160mm up front with a 140mm IS mount in the back, will this work? (will be using Alligator Wind-cutters).

Thanks,
Colin.

EDIT:
one more, any idea what the bolts are made of on the usagi? could I bolt tune them with alu. and ti bolts?

[Popper252]

The claimed weights are rather spot on. My front caliper, hose, and lever was around 260grams and the rear caliper, hose, and lever with Is mount was 285.

The elixer r's weigh 375 for the front including the rotor. The rear probably will weigh a tad bit more due to the longer hose. So we'll say the rotor weighs 110 grams or so and that brings the comparable weight down to 265grams.

If you have an IS mount fork you'll need to buy another 140mm IS mount adapter to use for the rear.

Basically the front IS mount works with a 160mm rotor when used up front on the fork and if you put it in the back it'll fit a 140mm rotor.

So you'll need two "front" IS mounts for it to work.

Hope that's not too confusing.

I haven't had to bleed mine yet but I guess you'd have to remove the black cap from the levers and then open up the little bolt on the side of the caliper. Then just squeeze the levers to pump the fluid out of the caliper. Add more fluid to the levers and repeat until all the bubbles are out of the line. Should be relatively similar to many other comparable brakes.

[Popper252]

Just a quick search pulled up these as a possible mount you could use. You'll have to purchase the 160mm. It works as a 140 when used on the rear.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/113...dard-Mount.htm

The mount looks like it would work with the Hygia brakes.

[COLINx86]

Cool, thanks.
Do you think I could use the adapters from my avids? (2x160mm front)

[Popper252]

I'm assuming they're steel since there's nothing advertised about them being special.

If you look at the pictures there's a Y marking inside the head. I'm not sure what that stands for so maybe someone more informed would know.

Here's a shot of the original front is mount just for reference.

[Popper252]

As long as the adapter fits, yeah you could totally use your avid adapter. That would sure save the hassle of having to buy another one

[COLINx86]

Yeah, sure would. maybe i can sell these elixir's to help pay for the (small) cost of the brakes.

[COLINx86]

Here is a document with information on bleeding the Hygia Usagi. Think it's the same as some older Hopes my dad has.
http://www.hygia.com.tw/images/downl...de-english.pdf

[Popper252]

Oh wow good find. I'm going to have to bookmark that for later reference.

Apparently I was completely wrong about how to bleed them. Good thing you posted that!

Seems like it would be pretty easy once you get all the syringes and adapters for it. Any idea where you can find all that stuff?

[Popper252]

I wonder if you could buy something like that at an auto parts joint



Looks like cambria bike carries them too http://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?ID=22997

[COLINx86]

I think I have seen them before at an auto parts store, but the one on cambriabike is pretty cheap.

[flipnidaho]

interesting brake system... i'm subscribing to this thread for updates...

[cherrybomber]

looks promising.

cant wait to try mine.

[Popper252]

Awesome, you get a set too?

Btw I emailed a bunch of ebay sellers and there's one guy that sells the kit. He's selling it for 20+8 for shipping. So 28 total for a kit guaranteed to work. Might be worth it to avoid the hassle of hunting down different parts.

Anyways, I won't list him here just to avoid spamming the forum but if you're interested just let me know and I'll send you his ebay name.

[agu]

The yellow and red Santa (DHL)'s got some in his sleigh...

details soon.

photos too!

[david8613]

anyone thats a clyde using these im interested in the elites....

[AlexJK]

http://www.hygia.com.tw/about.htm

wow! they seem to be getting it right! yall are happy with them and they are freaking BEAUTIFUL!!! they even have one for trikes and 4-wheeled things that has an integrated parking brake!!

[agu]

Ok folks.

I received some of these brakes for testing on Christmas Eve

Here are my initial thoughts:

ASPIRE
This set uses 24mm pistons, and feel really solid , both in build quality and brake bite.
Long-ish levers mean that you may need to re-orient shifters (see pics)

ELITE
Finish is really good. Especially the silver/XTR grey one.
My fingers don't jive too well with the lever shape (that's just me).

USAGI
The sleeper of the bunch. Lightest, yet most affordable.
I prefer the shape and feel of their levers.
Reach adjust screw is secured with a c-clip, to stop it from coming off.

I initially used these with my Ashima AiRotors, and while they performed OK, they seemed to be wanting in the power department. I fitted the stock Hygia rotors and noticed an immediate improvement in power. Will ride them some more so as to have them bed in.

Other observations/notes:
All the Hygia brakes have reach adjustment,and pad clearance adjustment.

On the Usagi, the pad adjust is perpendicular to the lever, while on the Aspire and Elite they are inboard of it.

WARNING: If you dial out the pad clearance adjustment too far, the lever may leak some DOT.
All samples were fitted with steel braided lines, which may have contributed to their solid feel.
Stock pads are semi-metallic according to Hygia.
Hygia will aso be offering a carbon lever upgrade for the Elite - and judging from the prototype's photos they seem to have a nicer shape too.

I've attached some photos, and amongst them is a comparo of the Deore 2010 to the Usagi.

Feel free to ask me questions - I'll try my best to answer them

[AlexJK]

cool! i'd like to see a fade test... just run the hell out of them and see how they perform under abuse and adverse conditions compared to other brakes

[CMu_dogtag]

Do any fittings come with these brakes for re-connecting tubing after making a length adjustment? Are the fittings and tubing similar or the same as Shimano?

Reason I ask is, I have never had pre bled hydros with the right length of tubing out of the box. In fact, I've wondered why a manufacturer would pre bleed brakes other than to test.

Thanks

[agu]

By the looks of the fittings in the accessories section of the Hygia website, they seem to be like Shimanos.

[flipnidaho]

Originally Posted by CMu_dogtag

Reason I ask is, I have never had pre bled hydros with the right length of tubing out of the box. In fact, I've wondered why a manufacturer would pre bleed brakes other than to test.

Thanks

Because for most people, bleeding brakes is a dark art....

[david8613]

fit and finish looks nice but what about performance? hows the power, modulation, and do they fade, would they be good for a big guy like me at 240lbs? what about a dh/freeride brake maybe a four pot, do they make one? i like the elites

[agu]

Originally Posted by david8613

fit and finish looks nice but what about performance? hows the power, modulation, and do they fade, would they be good for a big guy like me at 240lbs? what about a dh/freeride brake maybe a four pot, do they make one? i like the elites

Since the Usagis are on my personal ride, here's what I think:

Modulation is very good. I'd say at least as good as, or better, than my last set of hydros (Formula Oro K24).

I initially paired them up with Ashima Airotors, but when I swapped for the stock Hygia rotors I noticed an increase in power, along with a more solid feel at the lever.

I haven't taken them on long DH runs, but will try to sort that out soon.

...

The Aspires are their "heavy-duty" brakes, with 24mm pistons. They are mounted on a VooDoo Canzo29 ridden by Cherrybomber (Clyde category) - he should chime in soon with his thoughts.

[Popper252]

I've got to echo what agu is saying about the Usagi brakes. Great modulation and easily adjustable to get the feel how you like them.

Unfortunately for me I accidentally sprayed mine with some Teflon dry lube when cleaning up my bike and that killed their performance for a while.

Luckily though they're easy enough to get the pads out of. I cleaned the pads in some mineral spirits and then scrubbed both the pads and the rotors with some sand paper.

While they aren't as strong as they were brand new I figure they'll be good enough until I get some new pads on them.

Btw I'm still using them with the Windcutter rotors from Pricepoint and they're holding up just fine.

[cherrybomber]

been running the Aspire's for about 2 rides.

things to think about:

1. I'm a retro-grouch, having been traumatized by early gen Juicys which spent more time being bled then being ridden.

2. I'm a Clyde so regular disc brakes will have me go right into the bushes in downhill turns. i've never wanted to go hydraulic since whenever i try the bikes of my ride buddies they never seem to stop me. this may also be because of how they were tuneds since my buddies arent as clydey as i am, but for the high price of hydros i didnt even want to experiment. BB7s have been stopping me well enough (most of the time) so i didnt really see the urge to shift at the time.

3. ran the Aspire's on shimano centerlock rotors. the smallest size- (that makes em 6? or 7?).

findings:

Pros.

1. easy install! got it done in no muss no fuss installation in less than an hour (you'll need a torx wrench for the brake handle mounts though. set the pad clearance once and away we went. this is a big factor for someone who doesnt do his own bleeding and is normally all thumbs.

2. ninja-quiet braking with no howling. not even any *ssssss* noise as you slow down. just stopping power with no sound effects.

3. STOPPING POWER! jamming on the brakes produces fork dive and rear wheel lock. something i have not been able to do on the bb7s. this says a lot for a clyde of my size who weighs in at about 230-245 with equipment.


Cons:
1. them's long-*ss levers. as was pointed out to me they are downhill brakes with three finger levers. so to set them for one finger braking you have to set adjust them way inboard on your bars and dial down the reach adjust. this compromises the modulation a bit. Of course thats just my setup preference. modulation and setup would definitely improve if you install them for 2 or three finger braking.

2. slightly chunky when compared to the othe brakes on the hygia roster. I'm chunky too so i dont really mind. im willing to sacrifice a little weight for something that will stop me when i need to- for Clyde's like me, thats the bottom line.



So far so good for these brakes. liking them more and more as i do minor setup tuning.
i'd love to see them in two or one finger levers which would really help my setup. i wonder if Hygia can swap the levers on these too, or if these will work with aftermarket levers out there.


more inputs as i get more rides in.