TRP EVO12 and TRP Slate EVO - Build powered by Jagwire

Advent season is tinkering time, and since Christmas is just around the corner and the gold price is quite favorable, the bike can also shimmer, shine, and sparkle under the Christmas tree - with a new TRP Evo12 group in gold.
My existing TRP TR12 has reliably served its purpose for the past three years, and when the opportunity recently arose to switch to the new Evo12, I naturally had to seize it immediately. The matching brake for my long-term test is the beginner-friendly TRP Slate EVO.

Such a swap or modernization of components is, in many cases, not a big deal, or at least nothing that can't be done in two weeks of Christmas vacation. However, the prerequisite is the right tools in solid quality.
Jagwire has provided us with a few important tools, my personal favorite being: the Jagwire Pro Cable Crimper and Cutter. How I wish I had had that years ago! But more on that later.

In the following report, I will guide you step by step through the replacement of the components, introducing you to the new TRP parts alongside the tools and attempting to address some questions about the reasons behind it.

With the switch to the TRP Evo12 group, I am also replacing the entire drivetrain, from the crankset to the cassette. And with the brakes, the discs will also be replaced.
The plan is to remove the existing parts on the repair stand, then in the first step, install the brake and in the second step, mount and perfectly adjust the drivetrain.

Such a component swap always offers a good opportunity to clean and maintain the bike properly. Depending on mileage and age, it's advisable to service the fork and shock, replace moving parts like bearings and other wear parts such as brake pads or bushings.
In the disassembled state, it is also possible to inspect some hard-to-see areas of the frame thoroughly.

After removing all the covers and pulling the cables out of the frame, I seal the old rear brake line to prevent further leakage of brake fluid. If the length of the cables fits 100%, you can immediately mark the new brake lines accordingly for later cutting.

I will keep the new cables a few centimeters longer. In the first step, I thread the new cables through the frame using the Jagwire tool and mount the brake calipers and brake levers very loosely for now.
Now comes the final, but most difficult part of the brake installation: cutting to length. After marking both brake lines at the correct spot with a bit of length reserve, a clean, right-angled cut with the "Jagwire Elite Hydraulic Hose Cutter" provides the right conditions to then press in the support sleeve with the "Jagwire Pro Needle Driver." Before pressing, make sure to have the end cap, olive, and fitting on the line. When screwing the line, you should ensure the cable sits correctly so that nothing twists during pressing.

In the case of the TRP Slate, the pressure point is already quite good despite opening the line. The front brake fits perfectly, and I will briefly bleed the rear one later.
There are several pitfalls, from the sometimes different and challenging internal cable routing of the frames to the precise cutting and pressing of the hydraulic lines. Therefore, I would advise beginners in the topic to first gain a certain level of confidence with other tasks on the bike. My tip for the pros, however: Don't forget the cover for the brake line before pressing it in!
Before everything is screwed in place and perfectly adjusted, we still need the brake discs.

Even though brakes are part of the critical infrastructure: Replacing these moving adversaries and energy converters on the wheel is something beginners can also dare to do.
The TRP brake disc is special with its 2.3 mm thickness. If, as in my case, it's not a centerlock disc, the change can be done easily without special tools. Correct torque is always an advantage; otherwise, you just need to pay attention to the wheel direction of the disc and ensure it lays flat.
After installing the wheels, you could already fix the brake levers and calipers. In my case, the rear wheel still requires the cassette replacement.

After the bottom bracket comes the crank. I love this type of Cinch crank. This also makes it easy to disassemble and reassemble the TRP Evo12 crank, for example, to change the chainring. The latter is simply mounted and screwed on with the help of a bottom bracket tool.
The whole system is incomparable to some older crank and bottom bracket standards, where you often had to act carefully to avoid misalignment or loosely screwing the chainrings. Changing the gear ratio by swapping the chainring with the Cinch system is a matter of a few minutes.

For the smooth replacement of the cassette, the right tool is essential. Time and again, I've struggled with cheap sprocket removers or chain whips, which then cause the sprocket to slip or the tool to not fit properly.
Before I can mount the new cassette, I need to replace the freehub body. The old Garbaruk cassette was XD-compatible, while the new cassette is compatible with the Ratchet-EXP standard. With a high-quality wheelset like the DT XMC 1200 Spline, the freehub body can be extremely easily swapped thanks to the DT-Swiss 180 hub. A look inside the freehub also reveals the ingenious simplicity and robustness of the DT-Swiss Ratchet technology.
After aligning, fitting, and screwing in the cassette, it's on to the final and labor-intensive steps of the conversion.

Handling the TRP EVO12 derailleur is a real pleasure because you can feel how solid and elegantly crafted the part is. Details like the adjustable clutch or the cage release (the lever for disengaging the cage) are thoughtfully designed, and every pulley, every screw feels valuable and fits perfectly. Accordingly, the derailleur is easy to mount, and the cables are quickly routed.
If the old derailleur has already been removed, this always provides a good opportunity to check the alignment of the derailleur hanger.

The shifter is directly bolted to the brake lever with a Matchmaker adapter. Here, too, the well-thought-out details catch my eye. At first glance, the adapter seems somewhat intricate, but this three-part connection to the handlebar bolt provides a relatively good adjustment range for the position of the shifter. Thanks to the high precision fit of the parts, the shifter sits very ergonomically in the end. The thumb position can still be adjusted over a relatively large range on the lever itself.

When cutting the cables, one should ensure that they are long enough for full steering lock (or falls). The right tool for cutting is important so that the cuts are firstly clean and secondly, the cable housing becomes nicely round again at the end.
End caps are essential to ensure that the cables sit neatly and crisply in their end positions and do not fray over time.

Last step before hitting the trails is the correct trimming of the chain. Here, I strictly follow the manual, release the air from the damper, and shorten the chain as instructed.
The first important thing is the correct distance of the derailleur to the cassette, which is adjusted using the B-screw. If it's too close, the derailleur pushes the chain onto the next larger chainring; if the distance is too great, the shifting operations will no longer be precise.
The second important factor is the correct chain length, so the chain doesn't slack too much or is still under tension on the small sprocket, and on the other hand, has enough reserve on the largest sprocket when fully compressed.

If both settings are correct, it's time for fine-tuning the chainline so that the chain runs nicely centered on the sprockets. In the end, you should adjust the two stops (High + Low screw), and then it’s off to the trails.