Paul Components Klamper Mechanical Disc Brakes – Make Stopping a Thing of Beauty

I think it is pretty safe to say that Paul Components makes some beautiful pieces. The finish is impeccable, the design is incredibly well thought out, and they are built to last, not to mention made in the US with domestically forged aluminum. So, for part of a gravel build we were doing with a not-so-traditional drivetrain, it only made sense to add a set of Paul Klamper mechanical disc brakes.

The build was starting off with a stock Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie with a SRAM CX1 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes. While I love the setup and have raced cyclocross and ridden gravel events on it, I was swapping out the SRAM shift levers for an Archer Components wireless/electronic/mechanical hybrid system (more on that to come soon). I didn’t have to ditch the shift levers and their hydraulic brakes, but I did so to give it the full effect of using an electronic drivetrain, with shift buttons integrated into the hood, without the shift levers on the stock SRAM levers. So I swapped in a pair of SRAM single-speed mechanical brake levers I had, which meant I needed some mechanical brakes.

Travis from Paul was kind enough to set us up with some absolutely BLING polished silver Klampers. I mean, seriously, these things sparkle. It was almost a shame to add them to a bike that was going to get dusty and dirty, but Paul doesn’t make their parts for show, they make them to be used, and look good doing it.

The Klamper is a single-piston mechanical disc brake that uses a cable-pulled swingarm to actuate the piston. This is a very simplified version, but we’ll get into the details a little later. The design and development process took about 3 years to complete, with about 20 different prototypes to get to the final product. Each Klamper is sold individually, and is available in flat mount or post mount, along with short pull (SRAM/Shimano), long pull, and Campagnolo pull, and a range of colors that can change depending on any special editions they might have going on.

The Details

Let’s just dive right into the nuts and bolts of the Klamper. It starts with a two-piece caliper body made from 6061 aluminum. Three bolts hold it all together, with all the moving bits locked into the central tunnel. On either side, there are independent wheels for adjusting each pad individually, along with a barrel adjuster at the cable stop. The piston itself is made from 12L14 steel, which allows it to be heat treaded for extra durability on the bearing races. Breaking is controlled through a single swingarm on the outside of the caliper connected to a mechanical brake line. If you happen to change levers, Paul offers swingarms you can purchase and swap as needed. The specially designed ramping with the use of large ball bearings helps to modulate brake power to find the balance of a light touch when you need to scrub some speed, or those “oh $#!+” moment when you need to stop quick. The pads included are Kool Stop sintered metallic.

The instructions from Paul are pretty comprehensive, so as long as you follow them, you should be set, but here is a quick version. With the wheel with disc on the bike, drop the caliper on, and tighten the adjuster wheels equally so the pads meet in the center at the disc, and then tighten them down to 8Nm. From there, thread the screws into the caliper, but leave them a little loose. Next, run the cable and housing, making sure the ends are all filed and smooth, and any burrs have been removed from the housing. Add a little bit of your favorite high quality cable lube or grease on the cable, and run it through to the brake, torqueing it down to 6.5Nm. Take up any slack with the barrel adjuster, and back off the inside adjustment wheel two notches, and the outer until there is about 25mm of space. From there, bed the pads in and enjoy the ride. Paul recommends regular brake housing, so I used a Jagwire Sport level mechanical brake kit.

Getting them mounted on the Full Tilt Boogie was a fairly standard job on the front, but the back was a little tougher due to tight transition from the exit port on the frame to the cable stop on the brakes. Adding a spacer to run 160mm brakes might make this a little easier by lifting the caliper up. It took a little bit of fiddling to get the brakes dialed in to eliminate any initial dead spots on the lever pull, and I did add some inline adjusters upfront so I can dial them in even a little further from the bars.

In the Dirt

First things first, the Klampers look beefy. They are not going to be the svelte hydraulic calipers you are used to. But these things are made to stop, and also made to be serviceable out on in the field with nothing more than a decent multitool. They are made to be utilitarian. With that said, they look great, and the polished finish is absolutely bling, even when they get dusty on the road. I had a few people comment on them during my rides, as they pop against the black and red frame.

Like I said, these things are made to stop, and that they do. When you first grab the brakes, they feather on, and have a predictable ramp up, increasing stopping power the further you go. I typically ride with two fingers on the levers, two under the levers, and the thumb wrapped around back. I could easily use a single finger for scrubbing speed, but I was more comfortable using two fingers. I never felt the need to use any more, even during a few “oh $#!+” moments on some sketchy single track. Everything was just buttery smooth with plenty of stopping force.

Now, for noise. There was a little bit here and there, but I attribute that more to bedding in the pads and maybe scrubbing them a little. After some mileage on them, and working through some moisture, the left the choir behind and have been pretty quite ever since. Pad wear has been pretty minimal for the conditions I rode in, and I haven’t had to touch the rotors. While some might want for a dual piston rotor, if you set them up right, there shouldn’t be any chances of bending the rotors from piston force.

The Verdict

Klampers definitely have a very solid following, and they have their place. If you are looking for a light, fast ride, and are fine with faffing about with hydraulic lines and the occasional bleed, you’ll probably want to stick with a stock hydraulic setup from your drivetrain company. If you are looking for easy of service, being able to rebuild them with simple tools, and hydraulic rivaling stopping power without the mess, the Klampers are right for you. This Full Tilt Boogie build was more about utility with the Archer Components drivetrain, so it made sense to put the Klampers on. Plus, you just can’t beat that bling.

At 209g a caliper, they are not going to be the lightest brakes on the market, but they are the most serviceable and are essentially investment grade. Considering they run $244.50 a caliper for all colors except our full polished (a bump up to $317 a caliper), they better be built to last a lifetime. Paul stands behind all of their products, and offers parts to keep your Klamper running well into the future.

www.paulcomp.com