Two-pot doesn’t have to mean tinpot. Hayes continues to impress with this 2-piston all-rounder.
- Brand: Hayes
- Product: Dominion A2 brake
- Price: £239.99 per end (does not include rotor)
- From: Ison Distribution
- Tested by: Aran Francis for 3 months
Pros
- More powerful than some 4-pots rivals
- Superlight lever action for great feel and modulation
- ‘Cross-hair’ caliper alignment stops rub AND improves braking response
Cons
- Brakes aren’t cheap these days are they?
- The bronze/black may not be to your taste
Perhaps it’s just the enduro echo chamber I am a part of, but it seems to me that Hayes Dominion A4 brakes are some of the most sought after brakes on the market. With the 4-piston A4 being held in such high regard, I was really excited to see how the 2-piston version – Dominion A2 – would perform.
For starters, who is the A2 for? Hayes are at pains to state that the A2 is aimed at cross country or trail riders. But my experience of the brakes confirms that the A2’s remit can extend much further.
Most of my riding seems to end up being steep and technical, albeit on fairly short tracks. This riding is probably outside the intended usage for the A2. Yet with a set of 203mm rotors front and rear the A2s are easily the most capable 2-piston brakes I have used.
The power may naturally be slightly less than some 4-piston brakes, but for riding on short and steep tracks that most of us endurofolk spend most of our time riding, there is more than enough power. In fact, I haven’t ever felt underpowered with these brakes, even on some stupidly steep stuff.
At first this power was actually a bit jarring. The braking power feels quite sudden. The superlight action to the lever is possibly to ‘blame’ here. However, with a couple of short rides getting used to the feel, the Dominion A2 offers some really, really good power modulation. This instant power is something that you really come to love about the Dominions. And the light ‘breakaway force’ of the levers becomes a real bonus of the Dominion.
Installing and bleeding the Dominions is not the most simple procedure. Hayes do have a good clear instruction video (embedded below). But with a proper bleed kit and some decent mechanical competency it isn’t too daunting a task. If you don’t frequently bleed brakes it might be worth getting this done at a local shop. They do use specific olives so make sure you keep hold of these when you unbox the brakes.
The tool-free reach adjustment is simple and I find that I often change the lever reach on the fly (because I’m odd like that). There is a good amount of pad clearance. The unique ‘crosshair’ caliper alignment is another really nice feature of Hayes. It really helps you get that little bit of extra adjustment to fine tune the caliper’s placement over the rotor for minimal rub, improved bite and overall feel.
The Dominion A2 has been nice and quiet, even on some seriously wet days. Hayes also included a spare set of pads in the box which is a nice touch.
With most of my riding being steep and technical ‘enduro’-type riding, I wanted to see if these brakes would keep up. They’ve coped well down long tracks, not seeming to fade or overheat too much with sustained braking. There is more than enough power to lock up both wheels, pull an endo turn, or just come to a stop nice and quickly. The lever pull also being nice and light helps with reducing arm pump on longer sections.
These 2-pot calipers can be strong enough for way more than you expect, especially for winter enduro riding.
Overall
The Dominion A2 is a great brake to live with. Ironically the main issue with the A2 is the existence of the A4; opting for the A2s isn’t much of a saving in terms of weight or money. Aside from this, the Dominion A2 is an excellent brake. If you are worried about the A4 being OTT for whatever reasons, the A2 will be more than enough. A great option for XC, trail and – if it came to it – I wouldn’t be upset about using the Dominion A2 for full-on enduro racing. I would even go as far to say that I have preferred the 2-piston A2 to some of the 4-piston options offered by rival brands.