If you’re like me, SRAM and Shimano have been my default choice considering they are shipped on most stock bike builds. But Hayes, Magura, and TRP were always options that intrigued me considering I would see them on the World Cup circuit or on my favorite YouTuber’s build. So, when my last generation Shimano XT 8020 brakes were getting long in the tooth, I decided to make a wholesale change and give the Hayes Dominion A4 a shot. Unfortunately for me, the task of cutting lines, bleeding, and bedding still remained. These A4’s, however, have some unique features that do make the setup process a bit easier, and aid with maintenance down the road.

    Here’s my 6 month experience with them so far.

    To start, each set of Dominion A4’s include both sintered (metallic) and semi-metallic brake pads in the box. Kits are pre-bled and ready to go, if you’re smart enough to externally route your brakes. While you can use off-brand rotors, it’s recommended to use the Hayes D-Series rotors that were developed specifically for the Domain platform. Rotors are offered in 6-bolt configuration only, and include the appropriate mounting hardware.

    The first thing that impressed me during the install was the hoses themselves. It’s immediately apparent next to my old Shimano hoses that the Hayes “K2” hydraulic lines mean business. Reinforced with Kevlar, they are better protected from outside dangers and wear caused by rubbing inside your frame.

    Once I had the lines cut and calipers loosely mounted with the new rotors, it was time to bleed and then align the calipers for a noise-free ride. When you go to hookup your caliper syringe, you’ll notice two T10 screws on the backside of the caliper. This differs from other brands - the added benefit is that you can thoroughly bleed old fluid out of both sides of the caliper insuring best possible performance. Since these were new and pre-bled, I just hooked up to one of the bleed ports since there is no “used” fluid in there yet.