TRP has issued a voluntary recall notice for its Spyre and Spyre SLC mechanical disc brakes, having identified a specific condition that can result in a brake failure. It applies to roughly 4,000 brake calipers sold between April and 6th December of this year.

The specific condition the company has discovered occurs when the brakes are operated with extremely worn brake pads or no pads installed. The ball bearings inside the twin opposing ramps, a feature of the dual piston design, can be forced out and result in a reduction or complete loss of braking power. TRP says there has been one reported incident of this happening, with no injury.

Anyone with Spyre or Spyre SLC brakes is urged to return them to the shop they bought them from, or alternatively contact TRP’s UK distributor Upgrade Bikes at trp@upgradebikes.co.uk or 01403 712543

This is the latest disc brake recall in as recent months, with Shimano recalling BR-CX75, BR-R515 and BR-R315 mechanical brakes in August and SRAM recalling its RED 22 and S-700 Road Hydraulic disc brakes in November. We’re not drawing any conclusions here, it’s most likely pure coincidence that each of the big component manufacturers has recalled new disc brakes this year. Unlike Shimano and SRAM who have refused to give details on the reasons for the recall, TRP has at least given the reason for the failure and resultant recall.

TRP, the offshoot of Tektro, has no shortage of experience with disc brakes, they produce 2.2 million per year, so they know a thing or two about brakes. We reviewed the Spyre brakes earlier this year as well, and summed them up as “best non-hydraulic road bike and cyclo-cross stoppers we've used”.