TRP EVO: Tektro wants to attack the big players with a new MTB shifting group

There are currently two options when choosing an MTB groupset: Shimano or Sram. What if there was an alternative soon? A groupset for MTB that promises to play in the same league as the best? That's exactly what TRP wants to offer. TRP - the high-end product line of the Taiwanese manufacturer Tektro - is already known for its high-performance DH-R EVO brake and 13 million Tektro entry-level brakes produced every year. Now it's time for the big stuff: a brand new 12-speed drivetrain including shifter, cassette, crankset and sprocket as well as bottom bracket.

Our first riding impressions of the TRP EVO groupset are described here >>

At a "sneak preview" for just a few international journalists in Taichung, where the TRP/Tektro headquarters are located, one of the founders, Aver Tsai, and his developers presented the TRP EVO groupset. A 12-speed version (TRP EVO 12) in gold and silver and a 7-speed downhill groupset (TRP EVO 7) - also for E-MTBs. There is a choice of carbon or aluminium parts - depending on the price range. The TRP drivetrain now presented is the further development of the existing DH7 and TR12 drivetrains from TRP. According to Lance Larrabee, Managing Director at Tektro/TRP, the new EVO should be on a par with Sram X01 and Shimano XTR in terms of quality. In terms of price, however, the rear derailleur and cassette (according to the information available) are lower than the X01 parts. Tektro estimates the complete weight of the TRP EVO groupset at 1667 grams.

The EVO Group is just the beginning. We want to bring everything together. -Lance Larrabee, Tektro/TRP Managing Director

The components of the TRP EVO drivetrain - a new ecosystem for the MTB market

In order to break into an existing market with major players such as Shimano and Sram, Tektro had to navigate around the minefield of around 17,000 existing patents. According to Tektro's development department, this was almost as difficult as the technical development itself.

The EVO 12 rear derailleur - gold always works

The new TRP EVO rear derailleur builds on the existing 12-speed mechanism and incorporates elements that were developed in cooperation with athletes. One of these is the so-called "Hall Lock" - named in honour of DH pro Aaron Gwin's technician, John Hall, who came up with the idea. A lever can be used to completely prevent the TRP EVO rear derailleur from rotating around the derailleur hanger. This has the effect that the rear derailleur hardly bangs in rough terrain and the chain remains taut. The idea of aligning the parallelogram of the rear derailleur horizontally goes in the same direction, so that the forces exerted by jumps or root carpets have no effect on its function.

To make maintenance easier, the Hall Lock can be opened quickly with a large lever, allowing the TRP rear derailleur to be rotated again. A mechanism on the rear derailleur cage (cage release) also allows the spring to be decoupled, making it easy to remove the rear wheel.

The cage itself is also made of carbon and, like the carbon crank of the new drivetrain, is produced by TRP itself. Rollers with 12 or 14 teeth and sealed bearings rotate in the cage. According to the Taiwanese company, the TRP EVO 12 rear derailleur weighs 301 grams and costs 269 euros in the limited gold version or 259 euros in silver.

Comparison with the existing TRP circuit

John Calendrille, one of the lead developers of the derailleur at Tektro, is proud: "The 2nd generation of the derailleur is not just a few, but 10 steps further!" The first thing to mention is the 50 per cent stiffer B-Knuckle of the rear derailleur. The front knuckle has also been made stiffer, lighter and, above all, more compact. As a result, the parallelogram is closer to the wheel and the derailleur protrudes less outwards. In addition, the clearance of the derailleur pulleys has been increased so that mud that gets stuck on the pulleys does not block them in the cage.

TRP EVO 12 Shifter - shift lever changes up to 5 gears with one press

The principle of the shift lever is also familiar from the existing groupsets. However, TRP has listened to the feedback from its athletes and optimised a few points, explains TRP developer John Calendrille. What we also noted in our testwas the (increasingly) greater finger strength required to change gears. That is now history: the EVO 12 gear lever shifts quickly at first glance, requires a little pressure, but then engages precisely with a clean click.

If you have previously activated the major innovation on the EVO 12 shifter, you can shift through up to five gears in one go. A light click always provides feedback when the next gear is reached. And they do this just as cleanly as in single mode. Another improvement that developer John Calendrille points out is the new cable routing on the shift lever, which now runs parallel to the handlebars. This should make a modern (also integrated) cable organisation on the handlebars possible. The TRP shifter should weigh 139 grams (with clamp) or 125 grams. TRP quotes a price of 119 euros (Gold Edition) and 110 euros.

Comparison with the existing TRP gear lever

Ergonomically, the EVO 12 shifter has been tinkered with, but what exactly has changed should only be noticeable in direct comparison. TRP, on the other hand, has retained the very practical lever adjustment option from its predecessor. The starting point of the two levers can be adjusted by +-20 degrees on the underside. Mounting is possible via a clamp or directly on the brake lever (match maker).

We want more competition on the bike market and less "same same" for the customer. - Lance Larrabee, Tektro

TRP EVO 12 cassette - Gold against rainbow

The cassette of the new Tektro drivetrain is perhaps intended to make a statement against the competition - at least visually. While Sram only colours the largest sprocket differently, TRP dips two of them in gold dust. In comparison, TRP wants to stand alongside X01 and XTR, and in terms of weight, it succeeds with 372 grams for the EVO 12 cassette. And with an RRP of 430 or even 500 euros for Sram, TRP is similarly expensive or even cheaper at 459 or 439 euros.

The TRP cassette is Microspline-compatible and has 10-52 teeth (10-11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-36-44-52). To keep wear to a minimum, TRP uses a forged steel block for the 10 non-gold gears, from which the sprockets are milled in one piece. The two large sprockets, on the other hand, are made of 7075 aluminium, also milled from a single block.

For the tough descents: the TRP EVO 7 DH cassette

Especially for the downhill family, which has always been supported by Tektro/TRP, there is a separate 7-speed cassette in addition to the rear derailleur. This is Hyperglide-compatible and has 11-24 teeth, in the division: 11-13-15-17-19-21-24. The EVO 7 cassette consists purely of steel sprockets and has an integrated, CNC-milled aluminium spoke guard as an extra. This prevents the chain from jumping off between the large sprocket and the spokes, even under the toughest competition conditions.

TRP EVO crankset: stronger than the competition?

At the sneak preview of their new components, many Tektro developers seemed particularly proud of the EVO crankset, which is also available in carbon and aluminium. Firstly - according to Louis Tsai, son of the founder of the same name and the developer responsible for the EVO project - the carbon is manufactured by Tektro itself. Secondly, the crank not only fulfils the 50,000 test cycles for ISO certification, but also 500,000 in the company's own test. The TRP EVO crank can withstand up to 1000 kilos in static load tests. "It is probably the strongest crank on the market," says Tsai.

It comes with a 30 mm spindle and will be available in 165 mm and 170 mm lengths. The weight is said to be 504 grams without chainring - this adds another 81 grams (with 32 teeth). Gold and silver colours are also available for 389 euros.

The aluminium version of the TRP EVO crankset, which is only available in black, costs a comparatively slimmer 159 euros and will be available in three lengths: 165, 170 and 175 millimetres.

4 different chainrings for the EVO cranks

TRP offers three trail variants and a DH sprocket with its new EVO drivetrain - this refers to the colours. The downhill cassette has a much more stable milled design. There is a choice of 30, 32 and 34 teeth and a 3 or 6 mm offset (DH).

What they all have in common is "Wave Technology" - alternating wide and narrow teeth on the chainring. The opposite of Sram's Narrow-Wide, where the teeth are sometimes narrow and sometimes wide in the side view. To achieve this, Tektro has teamed up with Taiwanese chain manufacturer KMC, who supply the X12 chain for the EVO groupset. According to the manufacturer, it should weigh 270 grams.

Tektro offers 3 standards for its EVO bottom bracket

The final component in the TRP EVO ecosystem is Tektro's bottom bracket. It will cover the three industry standards BSA 68/73, PF92, PF30, have a diameter of 30 millimetres and is expected to be priced at 49 euros.

The first ride impression of the TRP EVO drivetrain

We were able to test ride an Intense Primer 29 a little after the exclusive preview, equipped with the complete TRP EVO drivetrain in silver - which, according to Tektro, will probably be the version with the higher number of units on the market. We also took the gold version for a spin on a Commencal bike, but without noticing any difference in terms of the TRP components.

Firstly, the ergonomics of the shifters. On our bike, these were attached with the clamp, which allows a different position in relation to the brake. It's a matter of taste, but you can twist the two units against each other fairly freely so that it suits the individual hand position. Personally, I ride my brakes tilted downwards quite a bit, while the shifters are not turned that far. In addition, the lower lever of the TRP EVO shifter can be adjusted according to preference using two small Allen screws - long thumbs tend to favour a few degrees more in the direction of pressure. For me, the centre fit quite well.

Multishift - not an entirely new idea

The first thing I tried out on the undulating and very dusty trail in Taichung was the setting that allowed me to shift up several gears, as flat sections alternated with short, steep climbs. Up to five gears in one shift - do I really need that? Well, the competition used to have a similar principle in the 90s, but it ended in hopeless chain rattling and not infrequently in chain jams.

With Tektro shifting, the gears now engage cleanly, a click gives feedback on each completed change and you can quickly shift into a gear that corresponds to the gradient. It probably only makes sense from the third or fourth gear onwards, because you can't shift down individually that quickly. I rarely needed the fifth gear change in a row, at least on this trail. But the Tektro Multishift mode is a nice feature that I didn't want to switch off during the test ride in Taiwan - I always select the Multishift option on my electronic Sram drivetrain too. Only the small lever for this on the EVO drivetrain feels a little wobbly and is difficult to find/operate while riding with gloves.

The gear levers themselves are a little slippery when your fingertips are damp in humid 30-degree temperatures. This impression remains even when wearing gloves. Overall, the shifting process makes a precise impression, the required finger strength is within the normal range, but it doesn't feel as clockwork-like as with the high-end competitors.

The drivetrain itself - according to the developers at TRP - is designed to ensure that the shifting arm is stable and the chain doesn't slap. The trail on the outskirts of the metropolis of Taichung wasn't too wild - a few rollers, a small drop and a few short rocky sections - but at least here the freshly oiled chain only left one (1) mark on the chainstay's impact guard. In addition, the tension on the cage and B-knuckle feels super tight, which is probably due to the Hall-Lock and the stronger spring. Gear changes are just as quick on the uphills as they are on the flat "on the pull".

Adjusting the TRP EVO drivetrain should be quite easy, as the two necessary screws are easily accessible. The mechanics of the Hall lock are just as easy, and the lever is easy to operate even when wearing gloves. Only the lever for the front knuckle (decouples the spring - the shift arm straightens to allow the rear wheel to be removed) is not self-explanatory, a little stiff and probably also very slippery in damp conditions because it is already slippery in itself.

I particularly liked the routing of the shifter cable: due to its upward and forward position, the cable can be routed fairly directly out of the frame. On the Intense Primer, the shifter cable barely protruded from the frame, on the Commencal, even less due to the outlet almost at the axle. In contrast, the end of the cable protrudes somewhat abruptly from the EVO towards the front. Not a problem that only the new TRP drivetrain would have, but here it is somehow more noticeable because everything is gold and black and then a silver wire peeks out of the mechanics. When will someone find a stylish solution for this?

Conclusion: The first impression is very good - perhaps the TRP EVO groupset doesn't "feel" quite as high-class, but it works very cleanly and precisely - both in single and multi-shift mode. - Marc Strucken, BIKE Editor

Tektro will officially present its TRP drivetrain at the Seaotter Bike Festival in Monterey, California: 20 April 2023. The components are also expected to go on sale at the same time. The first mountain bike manufacturer to use the complete TRP drivetrain is Intense from the USA.