Hayes Announces Limited Edition Purple Brakes

Feb 21, 2024
by Hayes Bicycle  
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PRESS RELEASE: Hayes

Historically associated with royalty, the color purple represents power and high standing. The expensive and complex nature of the procurement of the dye ensured that only a select few privileged individuals were to be seen donning the illustrious color. The purple associated with Hayes since the brand’s inception, serves to underline the prestige, power and high standing of brakes that are designed, built and held to a higher standard. The Purple Hayes colorway provides a visual cue to the justly earned position of the brand’s brakes amongst mtb component aristocracy.

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While the power, performance and reliability of the Hayes Dominion brakes are available to all, the PURPLE HAYES version of the iconic brakes is, as with dyed fabric reserved for historic royalty, available only to a select few. Official Hayes riders across all disciplines will compete with Purple Hayes, building up their bikes with a more visible badge of pride known as Dominion in the highly regarded purple. However, as brakes are produced for MTB royalty at the professional level, an additional quantity will be made available for a few lucky consumers who wish to not only ride the same quality as the pros, but desire to build their bike with a visual statement of their great taste in fantastic braking performance. While available in all markets, the quantities of the Purple Hayes brakes are limited to the extra quantity associated with the athlete production run and as such will be sold in a first come first serve basis while supplies last.

The limited-edition release of the Hayes Dominion A4 “Purple Hayes” Brake Kit may fit the royal metaphor yet it is truly a symbol of its own heritage more than anything else. The purple colorway is a testament to the early days of mountain biking that saw Hayes bring a technology to the world that was to forever change our sport. The early editions of Hayes disc brakes were both groundbreaking and disruptive. To celebrate such a fantastic ride, a quarter century of molding the definition of fantastic braking performance for mountain biking, Hayes is to produce a limited run of the highest performing brake to date, the Dominion A4, in a colorway that recalls perhaps the brand’s most iconic and visually striking model.

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The Purple Hayes, launched in 2000, were an immediate success as much for their loud colorway as for their bombproof zinc construction and quickly gained cult status amongst those in the know. While the purple colorway wasn’t seen on the professional circuit, the same 2-piece zinc DH master cylinder bodies were on the top teams of the time (Specialized-Mountain Dew, Volvo-Cannondale, Trek-Volkswagen, Tomac Racing, Maxxis, Foes, Fisher, Be-One Racing, Haro, Mongoose and several others) only in the stock color, Champagne, with purple logos. Eventually this same brake garnered such attention that a version available to the public, in a purple anodization, a play off of the purple Hayes logo on the team version.

The Limited Edition 2023 Purple Hayes A4 Brake Kits are a fitting celebratory piece of not only the iconic past product but a fantastic way to commemorate what an impact Hayes has made over its 25-year history in the cycling world. Revolutionizing the Mountainbike industry with the introduction of some of the sports very first hydraulic braking systems in 1997 led the way to setting standards that shaped our sport from its infancy to current day. Hayes was instrumental in developing the standards around performance, rotor sizes, mounting hardware, mounting dimensions, open systems, fixed caliper, radial mount and slotted adjustments among others. Parallel to developing the standards, Hayes worked diligently with OEMS to integrate these standards and with suspension manufacturers to set testing standards.

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Innovations followed, some setting standards, others at proprietary technology that would dictate what not only a hydraulic disc brake was but what an advanced one should look and operate like. Launching the original Hayes Mag was just the first step in a long tradition of continuous innovation that has never slowed down and still has a valid claim on producing the finest, most reliable and top performing brake on the market. Purple Hayes, blowing minds from 1997 straight through the current day… Get yours quickly as quantities are limited!

Author Info:
HayesPerformanceSystems avatar

Member since Jul 14, 2017
19 articles

81 Comments
  • 146 1
 Purple Hayes, all in my brain.
  • 8 10
 Top Comment
  • 15 0
 Purple hayes all around Don't know if I'm speeding up or down
  • 1 1
 @artistformlyknowasdan: If your dazed your on the purple hayze you'll be speeding down.
  • 2 1
 Jimi Hendrix edition
  • 34 1
 HIstorically, the purple color "associated with royalty" is the actual purple (i.e. pourpre in French = deep red). There was a semantic digression which led purple to be associated with violet, but violet is not actually real "purple". BTW, in France, the royalty color was the white. Deep red/purple was associated with the church and considered as a symbol of the cardinals power.
  • 147 0
 it's only real purple if it comes from the purple region of france, otherwise it's just sparkling violet
  • 2 0
 Duh, I’ve seen the three musketeers
  • 5 0
 In French, she would be called "la renarde" and would be hunted with only her cunning to protect her.
  • 7 0
 @Mountain2Man: it's a lot like "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In many ways it's superior but will never be as recognized as the original
  • 2 0
 I think purple and royalty association. goes a bit further back than the French. Look to the Romans/phoenicians and the Tyrian purple silk which were illegal for anyone besides the emperor to wear (sumptuary laws). It was made of special snail shells and was incredibly labor intensive. As for the linguistic digression, any link for info. Linguistic nerding is definitely my kind of nerding.
  • 2 0
 As an aside, I really want these. Every bike deserves some purple anodized bits on it.
  • 29 1
 Can we instead, get Silver limited Edition?
Silver chrome brakes with Silver chrome dropper post would look dope.
  • 10 0
 Especially if you got a silver chrome grill.
  • 1 0
 Strip the anno and bam
  • 2 4
 Please, no more silver. Fastest way to make a bike look cheap is to add silver parts.
  • 17 0
 Haven't these been available since last summer?
  • 2 9
flag Ignaciosc22 (Feb 21, 2024 at 10:12) (Below Threshold)
 No bud, i wanted them and they at the time said they would no longer be produced. These brakes are absolute GOAT right now.. But i havent tested maxima or TRP or saint
  • 12 0
 @Ignaciosc22: This announcement should really just be that they're available again. They even say in this release they're "Limited Edition 2023 Purple Brake Kits". Also, the pics in this release are the exact same as their announcement from April, 2023. (Yes, I looked back in the Hayes IG).
  • 4 0
 Yes, because I have some and I'm not sponsored... I was going to post the same thing.
  • 2 0
 Yeah I bought these a year ago. Super sick set up though. I can't even believe the braking power on the front with Michelins currently on it. I have to remember to go easy on the front when switching back from riding my stock brake trail bike.
  • 1 0
 You mean 1996?
  • 13 0
 Hayes yous guys, want some purp?
  • 3 0
 You got that Grand Daddy Purp?
  • 12 0
 Was this written by AI?
  • 1 0
 Sentence structure and repetition definitely feel like it was. Especially the first half is like getting beaten over the head with the word purple
  • 11 0
 Purified in the waters of Lake Minnetonka
  • 5 2
 Yup, there was a whole big pile of time between then and now that you couldn't buy them, lim-it-ed
  • 3 1
 "The Limited Edition 2023 Purple Hayes A4 Brake Kit" seems like some artificial scarcity going on or something.

You would think if they were "lim-it-ed" they would be "The Limited Edition 2024 Purple Hayes A4 Brake Kit"
  • 18 0
 Maybe they are adopting the McRib business model. It’s back!
  • 6 0
 Well, I know what song is going to be stuck in my head the rest of the day...
  • 4 1
 For anyone on the edge about these brakes. I've tried quite a few different brakes over the years. Formula Cura 4, XTs, Code RSC, the new Silvers, and the only brakes that come even close to power is the TRP DHR evos. It took me one parking lot bounce around to feel out the Hayes, and I was in love. Bought a set as soon as I got back home. Got a second set coming now, in this purple color way.
  • 2 0
 I have these too, already in the purple and they are amazing for sure.
  • 4 0
 All the comments are positive. Hayes released these brakes 2 years ago. Pinkbike isn't pinkbike...
  • 2 0
 That is quite a lot of literary puffery. “We made them purple, and they look pretty neat!” works too. Props for selling them for the same price as the black ones though.
  • 2 0
 Have a look at those washers under one tab of the caliper but not the other tab.
  • 3 0
 201.5mm rotor
  • 3 0
 Excuse me, while I kiss the sky
  • 5 0
 Excuse me while I kiss this guy
  • 3 0
 Seen em on Brendog's DH bike.....they look sweet
  • 1 0
 The originals had a 'Loud Colorway'? They were literally grey with a small Purple Hayes logo. I had a set on my Brodie Holeshot.
  • 2 0
 Those were the G1 mag versions. Purple Hayes had purple bodies and silver levers
  • 1 0
 so there was a limited edition in 2023 and now there is another limited edition in 2024?
May be they do not understand the meaning of their words....
  • 3 0
 Color is cool. Brake is great.
  • 2 1
 Jeez...that was a lot of waffle. Here...I fixed your copy for you..."we're doing limited run of some cool looking purple levers. Buy if you care about this stuff".
  • 3 0
 Wonder why Pink Bike isn't covering the new Aluminium Atherton?
  • 1 0
 because it hasn't been released yet
  • 3 0
 Wooooowwww
  • 3 0
 I need these
  • 4 3
 First test of any current brakes is simply -
Are they as good as boggo Deore 4pots?
If no, swipe left
  • 5 0
 Much better
  • 4 0
 Different league
  • 4 0
 Much much better
  • 3 0
 World Champs don't ride Deore brakes, do they?
  • 2 0
 @therealmancub: Some ride XTRs which are just weight-reduced Deores

(I kid, I kid!)
  • 1 0
 So limited that you can buy them on r2-bike with 20% discount since two weeks
  • 1 0
 Alright, this was definitely written by ChatGPT...lol. At least edit it a little bit!
  • 2 1
 anyone else have issues with noise and vibration with this brakes?
  • 3 0
 Not once, ever, and I've got four sets in the garage...
  • 3 0
 Not at all.
  • 1 0
 If you use rotors only rated for resin with their metallic pads.
  • 1 0
 Yeah I actually do get some on my rear. It just started happening this winter, and my pads were not even close to worn. I swapped them out, same issue. Changed to their resin pads, same issue (and noticeable lack of power). Next I think I'll have to try a new rotor but it doesn't happen all the time so I will probably just wait.
  • 1 0
 Running hayes metallic pads on sram hs2 rotors, no issues.
  • 1 0
 @therealmancub: no wonder these have been sold out
  • 2 0
 I had a friend who had to Jimi them a bit to keep the distortion levels down..
  • 1 0
 Yes. But only because Introed to be an Atherton and threw Gslfer shark rotors and pads in them.
  • 1 0
 Yes. I have these purples with a 180 rear D series rotor and when they get hot on extended DH that rear will make noise. I have another set with 203 front and rear and those never make noise even on the same trails.
  • 1 0
 I had ton of noise with metallic t100 pads on Swisstop discs, front and rear. Switched to the t106 and the screams went away. The feeling is a bit less sharp and the pads wear out faster thoug.
  • 2 0
 I did with my first set. It was an alignment issue and resonance. It went away with a better centering. I likewise have four sets. Sintered pads will squall for a bit post creek crossings but it goes away very quickly.
  • 1 0
 Sounds nice, until you don't say how limited?
  • 1 0
 My buddy Riley really likes these brakes.
  • 1 0
 Ohhhhhh Reeeeeemy!- Hayes
  • 2 1
 The 90's called and want their purple anodising back!!!!
  • 1 0
 purple got me slow-mo
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