TRP EVO Pro Brakes | Explained + Initial Review

WATCH the Video:

Tektro went through a renaissance a few years ago. Establishing their high performance line, Tektro Racing Products, with help from top DH racers cemented them as a household name. TRP’s initial Quadiem brake was quickly replaced by the DHR EVO, which were some of the first widely praised brakes outside of Shimano and SRAM offerings. Their focus on simplicity, power, and modulation was refreshing, and many brakes released since then have had a similar focus. Now, TRP is releasing the EVO Pro brake, which is an evolution of their DHR EVO brake. The TRP EVO Pro is keeping everything riders loved from the DHR EVO and adding a few more features to sweeten the deal.

Updating a perfectly good brake like the DHR EVO is a brave task. It came out just four years ago, several years after other popular aftermarket brakes like the Magura MT7, Hayes Dominion A4, and Shimano Saint that was released way back in 2012. Their performance is still some of the best in class, and is the brake of choice of countless riders. TRP isn’t retiring the DHR EVO, and it will still exist just below the EVO Pro in TRP’s lineup, with a lower price tag than before. The EVO Pro is taking over the DHR EVO’s price point as the flagship brake in TRP’s selection.

To achieve increased power, TRP has redesigned how the lever pushes on the piston to give you more mechanical advantage at the caliper with the same force applied at the lever. Inside the lever, you’ll find the same 9mm piston, and inside the calipers, you’ll find the same four 16mm pistons. So it’s not a completely new system, but the important part is the newly designed lever will give you more all out power than the already impressively strong DHR EVO.

While the DHR EVOs were loved by many, the most common pain point for these brakes was the lack of adjustability at the lever. With only a reach adjustment, they fell behind the competition. Just about everyone else offers a reach adjustment plus some kind of bite point adjustment, and TRP now has the Pad Actuation Dial (PAD) in addition to their reach adjust. The reach adjust will control where the lever sits at rest, and the PAD controls where the lever bites and bottoms out. Adjusting either of these does not affect the other, and there is no “cross talk” between the two adjusters.

PAD sits in the armpit, while reach adjust moves outboard

Personally, I had issues with my dropper lever and shifter not playing nicely with the TRP DHR EVO lever, and its bulky body didn’t let me run my controls exactly where I wanted them. Others ran into this same issue, and TRP has slimmed down the EVO Pro lever to let folks run their controls wherever they want. TRP also offers adapters for shifters and dropper levers that use Matchmaker and I Spec mounting, so you can get that super clean single clamp on the bar. Speaking of a clean cockpit, the EVO Pro brake line exits the lever parallel to the bar, keeping those cables tucked in and looking sleek.

Like many home mechanics, my distaste for installing new brakes sits somewhere between bonking my head on a kitchen cabinet door and getting a parking ticket on a Sunday, but TRP does a great job of making this a painless process. Truthfully, the worst part of setting up the TRP EVO Pro brakes is navigating the internal routing for the rear brake, and their EZ Plug system makes installing a new set of brakes incredibly straightforward. Cut your hose to length, un cap your lever, and snug the hose up with the included compression fittings. Your lever, caliper, and hose come prefilled with oil and no bubbles in the system, and you’ll just need to do a quick lever bleed and piston massage before bedding your pads in. We recommend using the short hose from TRP’s basic bleed kit as a little reservoir on top of the lever while you coax the last couple bubbles out and get your pistons moving.

A piston massage is an often overlooked but important part of setting up any brake system. On most brake calipers, one row of pistons is more eager to emerge than the other, often the side nearest the brake hose. That makes sense, as there’s slightly more pressure getting applied to that side of the caliper. For optimal performance, we want both sides advancing in unison, like a well trained high school marching band. Figure out which side wants to pop out first, and hold those pistons in while you let the opposite side make their appearance. Then push them back in and repeat until all four pistons are on the same page. You can use an old rotor to hold pistons back and push them in place, but make sure that it’s clean and won’t leave any residue that could contaminate your fresh rotors and pads.

When performing a full bleed on the EVO Pros, you’ll follow the exact same procedure as the DHR EVOs. My preferred bleed method with these brakes is a full gravity bleed, and I avoid using a syringe whenever possible. Others will disagree, but this method has treated me very well over the years.

First, crack open the top and install the TRP bleed cup with oil in it. Make sure the plunger is installed, and remove the wheel and caliper from the frame or fork. Remove the brake pads and advance the pistons to clear the path for bubbles making their way out of the caliper. Then open the bleed port on the caliper, and direct the old oil into a bucket or rag via a hose to keep things clean. Remove the plunger from the lever and let fluid flow through the system, slowly rotating and tapping the caliper to coax bubbles out. Make sure to plug the bleed cup before it runs out of fluid and sucks air into the lever. Refill the bleed cup and repeat as many times as needed until the mineral oil is clean and no bubbles are coming out. Then close up the caliper, massage the pistons, and clean everything as much as possible with isopropyl alcohol. Install your pads, caliper, and wheel, and make sure you’re getting a good bite before closing up the lever. Removing the bleed cup and closing the lever is always the last step, and make sure to get all final bubbles out as you perform your final lever bleed.

Pair with the TRP RS05E Race Rotors to pull maximum G's

Dialing in the lever position was easy as could be, and it was a breath of fresh air compared to the DHR EVO. My BikeYoke Triggy Alpha lever mounts directly to the left lever, and while my SRAM Pod shifter doesn’t mount directly to the right lever, getting it in a comfortable spot was no big deal. Playing with the reach adjust and PAD was a quick affair, and easier than competing brakes for a few reasons. TRP took their time with adding this kind of adjustability, and you can tell they took their time to do it right. Both tool free adjusters are easy to reach, have very satisfying clicks as you spin them, and don’t influence each other at all. Counting clicks makes getting a symmetrical set up a quick job, and with the PAD you’re able to move the bite point in much closer than on the DHR EVOs, something I was hoping would be the case.

My silver TRP EVO Pros are set up with 203mm TRP RS05E Race Rotors paired with Organic pads front and rear, and getting these brakes bedded in was far more difficult than other brakes I’ve ridden recently. I’ll point the blame at the sub-freezing temps I had to deal with, and the brakes kept building power over their first few laps. Once bedded in, the EVO Pro brakes are very reminiscent of the DHR EVOs, with a relatively tame initial bite, but an impressive ramp in power as you pull the lever deeper into its stroke. It doesn’t take much effort to lock up the wheels, and I can corroborate TRP’s claims of increased power.

As I discovered in my crusade to find the best mtb brake a couple years ago, getting more than enough power with any modern four piston brake is a straightforward formula. Big rotors, a crisp bleed, high quality, properly bedded in pads, and the gumption to pull the levers as hard as you dare. TRP was the first to shout about their modulation, going against the grain in a conversation focused on who made the most power. That theme continues with the EVO Pro, and the intuitive control of the power gives confidence on trail in all scenarios.

203mm rotors means little spacers between the caliper and fork

While riding any brakes, the main attribute I’m looking for is not having to think about the brakes. The more mental space I can free up and the less I’m thinking about the bike, the better I can ride. While that’s true with any components, tires and brakes are where that’s the most true for me. The TRP EVO Pro allows me to get the lever feeling exactly how I want, with all controls right where I want them, with a predictable and controllable power delivery that lets me completely forget about them. The bite point and lever position remained consistent, and the brakes were quite performers throughout testing. During my relatively short time of riding this brake before writing this review, I never had an issue with the brake fading or pumping, but all of our high elevation descents are completely snowed in at the moment. We’ll get them properly hot in the coming months.

Creeping into the point of no return on big rock slabs is no problem for the EVO Pros, easily giving me the modulation needed to teeter on the edge of grip for as long as possible before letting gravity take over. Rock slabs are where modulation really comes to mind, as there’s tons of grip on tap, but if you stab the brakes too hard you’ll quickly wish you were wearing full moto leathers. TRP’s EVO Pro brakes are right at home in these high grip, high consequence scenarios, and their modulation is a standout in these scenarios.

Overall, the star of the show is the new lever. The action is sublime, and while not quite as light as the Hayes Dominion A4, the redesigned lever has a feel that is uniquely TRP. Pulling the DHR EVO lever and EVO Pro levers simultaneously makes the refinement clear as day. Sporting the same light free stroke with a more solid bottom out bite point, the EVO Pros take the quality a step further. You won’t find any play in the lever, with a bearing at the pivot point and metal construction throughout. There’s no discernible progression built into the free stroke like you’ll feel in a Shimano or Magura lever, and the linear pull makes for a predictable bite point.

TRP has brought themselves back to the pointy end of things with their EVO Pro brakes, with power and control to rival the other top performers. While the power has increased over the DHR EVO, the PAD system is the standout feature. The EZ plug system makes setup incredibly easy, and while there are limited pad options from TRP, plenty of aftermarket options are available. Anyone in the market for new brakes should strongly consider the TRP EVO Pro, as they have the power, control, and adjustability I expect from any modern brake.

Got questions? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call!

(360) 306-8827

sales@thelostco.com