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review
ODI Hudz Enhancement Brake Hoods£19.99
VERDICT:
Colourful alternative to plain black hoods that provide a different shape and hand fit to Campag's levers
Weight:
47g
Contact:
www.ison-distribution.com
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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If you're a bit bored with the standard black hoods on your Campagnolo levers you should have a look at Hudz colour options, eight in total so there should be one to match your paint scheme.
These are for the V3 ErgoPower levers and while they fit just as snugly as Campag's own, Hudz have added a couple of little tweaks. For starters the sweep from the handlebars to the top of the brake lever is nowhere near as pronounced as Campagnolo's, it's more of a subtle curve. I actually like Campag's shape, it gives a nice firm grip to hold onto without any chance of slipping should you hit a pothole or something. Saying that though, the subtler radius of the Hudz is more comfortable over longer distances as you kind of rest your hands on it rather than against it.
The bottom of the hood is also deeper giving a larger handhold to grip. It's not quite as smooth a transition as the original's but will suit those of you with large hands.
You need to be a bit dextrous to fit them as they are a nice, snug fit but they are no more hassle than original Campag ones. If you follow the instructions on Hudz's website they go on reasonably well. It takes a little bit of pulling and jiggling to get everything in place but once they're in position they stay there.
Overall they are a good replacement for the original versions; if you have any issues with comfort on Campag's levers these could be just what you need. They now come in a single soft and durable compound, and offer a small weight saving over the originals. At twenty quid they are also a fiver cheaper than Campag's own.
They're also available for various flavours of Shimano brake lever.
Verdict
Colourful alternative to plain black hoods that add a touch of comfort to Campag's levers.
road.cc test report
Make and model: ODI Hudz Enhancement Brake Hoods
Size tested: 8 sent: Bastogne Blue, Milano Lime, Brugge Black, Eroica Celeste, Paris Pink, Roubaix Red, Wallonne White & Vlaanderen Yellow
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Hudz say that these grips "Maintain versatility of the lever shape while improving comfort on the top of the hood, and overall grab-ability. Unique underside profiling enhances finger grip" They are very comfortable and should you find an issue with the standard Campag grips these could be worth a try.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
*Weight savings of 7-12g/set.
*ODI’s proprietary material is soft but durable.
*Colours - Bastogne Blue, Milano Lime, Brugge Black, Eroica Celeste, Paris Pink, Roubaix Red, Wallonne White & Vlaanderen Yellow
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
8/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Ideal, they are comfortable, fit well and look good
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
loads more colour options than the standard Campag versions
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
they get grubbier than black ones
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course! My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
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Add new comment
7 comments
I'm happy to report that the trick with hairdryer works perfectly! The Hudz are finally tight and don't block the shift lever anymore.
Thank you @stuke for the tip!
Had a set of the V2 Campagnolo ones and they lasted for about 6 months, Ok fit & feel till they went saggy, no instruction included, so didn't know about the hairdryer trick. Went back to genuine Campagnolo, which just fit better then the Hudz.
I hope they're better than Hudz for SRAM levers.
I have a set of these and once installed (which is a bit of a hassle, but that's understandable), they are terribly loose. I had to stuff them from the inside to keep them in place - otherwise they would block the shift lever and not let it fall back to its place once I shift.
Other than that, they are quite a decent product. Not great, but decent.
Did you heat them with a hair dryer once they were in position, I found this in the fitting instructions and it worked a treat.
I will try that, thanks for the tip because my SRAM ones were so bad I took them off after about 5 or 6 rides.
Mine came without any instructions so I didn't think of that. Although I think they are so loose that it might not help too much, I'll sure try it. Thank a lot for a tip!
Overshoes for pixies?