Review: Hüdz

Well I have had the new Hüdz replacement brake hoods on my Dura-Ace equipped bike for several rides now and here is what I think. I like them. Now that doesn’t mean they are perfect, there are issues.

First what I like. They are slightly smaller than Shimano brake hoods. This means that if you have smaller hands and feel the standard hoods are a little uncomfortable these may be just the ticket. They are available in a wide variety of colors. Right now I have the black ones, it was what was available from the distributor and it fit better with the stealth look of my current bike. Once they become available for Ultegra I will have a blue set and a red set for me and my daughters bike (should be April). There is a rolled area on the back side where your fingers fit perfectly when holding on to the levers from the tops. I also like the slightly tackier feel of the rubber.

What I don’t like. There is a considerable mold line where the two halves of the mold meet. You can definitely feel the line in your hands. I am sure it will wear after a while and it will become less noticeable, or I could just take my Dremel and a sanding drum to it to remove it if it becomes really annoying. Another thing is the amount of flash left from the injection process. It is simply too much, I had to cut away the flash so that it did not interfere with the installation. One more thing I would like to see changed is the area for the FlightDeck button. It is simply too big, it would have been nicer if it was a raised area rather than a button.

One more thing, they are currently available for Campy Ergo and Dura-Ace only. Ultegra and 105 (same Hudz) will be available sometime in April. Sram sometime after that. They come in eight different colors. Even with the little quibbles I still like them and have an order for two more sets in color of course!