For 33 years, Tektro only produced brakes. Since 2006, the Taiwanese have been trying to establish themselves in the market for high-quality mountain bikes with their own brand TRP. With success. After Aaron Gwin made the brand presentable with successes in the Downhill World Cup, well-known manufacturers have also started to fit TRP Quadiem and Slate brakes to their production bikes. Now the Taiwanese company is venturing into a new business segment for the first time. TRP is presenting its DH7 drivetrain to the public for the first time at Eurobike 2019. Prototype drivetrains have been circulating in the Downhill World Cup all year. Now TRP solves the mystery.
The technical details and prices of the TRP DH7
The derailleur is designed exclusively for downhill use. The gear set only consists of a rear derailleur and gear lever. To complete the drivetrain, you need to buy a cassette, cranks and a chain from Sram or other manufacturers.
The shifter has seven sprockets and both the lever and the rear derailleur are compatible with Sram's XO or GX downhill shifters. The shifter weighs 120 grams and costs 110 euros. The rear derailleur costs 170 euros and weighs 272 grams. The manufacturer's recommended retail price is significantly lower than for Sram XO parts. The compatibility with Sram parts could make the offer particularly attractive for those looking for spare parts.
We have already been able to press the shifter on a motorised test stand. The gear lever has short lever travel and is extremely defned. The chain changes gears quickly. The TRP DH7 seems to work well.
To keep the chain completely still, the rear derailleur has two friction clutches. One is located on the screw with which the rear derailleur is attached to the derailleur hanger, the other is located on the cage of the rear derailleur, as with Shimano and Sram. The derailleur will be available on the market from October in the colours black, silver and gold.
The interesting thing for all non-downhillers
The vast majority of BIKE readers are not on a downhill bike and are therefore unlikely to be interested in the TRP DH7 drivetrain. But the downhill drivetrain will most likely only be the prelude to a broader drivetrain offensive by TRP. The market for high-quality MTB drivetrains is dominated exclusively by Sram and Shimano. The market power and numerous patents of the two industry giants make it extremely difficult for other brands to enter the market. TRP has employed several people for over three years to develop this drivetrain. It's hard to imagine that this effort was made just for a downhill derailleur. The expected sales figures are not negligible, but compared to the sales figures of touring groupsets such as the Shimano XT, they are tiny. We suspect that TRP wants to gain initial experience in the new segment next year with the downhill drivetrain and already has a finished touring-capable drivetrain up its sleeve. This has not been officially confirmed to us. We are curious!
