12 disc brakes in laboratory and practical tests

Robert Kühnen

 · 04.12.2019

12 disc brakes in laboratory and practical testsPhoto: Paris Gore
12 disc brakes in laboratory and practical tests
FREERIDE tested 12 disc brakes for tough use in the laboratory and in practice.
12 disc brakes in laboratory and practical testsPhoto: Paris Gore12 disc brakes in laboratory and practical tests

The complete test of these 12 disc brakes including overview tables, data and all grades can be found in the PDF below in the download area:

  • Formula Cura 4
  • Hayes Dominion
  • Hope Tech 3 V4
  • Magura MT8 SL
  • Magura Trail Sport
  • Shimano 501/520
  • Shimano SLX
  • Shimano XT
  • Sram G2 Ultimate
  • Trickstuff Maxima
  • Trickstuff Piccola C41
  • TRP G-Spec DH-R
Formula Cura 4
Photo: Daniel Simon

T I P P S

Correct braking

A brake can only develop bite, full braking power and stability when it is properly braked. Pulling the lever a few times is not enough. We explain how it works.


At the beginning
Let the brakes drag at 10 km/h with the levers slightly pulled over a distance of 200 metres. Then brake at least 30 times from just under 30 km/h almost to zero. Finally, apply the brakes really hot and provoke fading in order to finally form the friction layer.


Initial fading
You can provoke fading by riding down a long, steep descent and letting one brake drag alternately until the braking effect is noticeably reduced. Initial fading is important for the braking process.


After service life
If the wheel stands still for a longer period of time, oxide layers can form on the disc and pad. They weaken the braking performance. By allowing the brakes to grind, these oxide layers can be removed and the brakes will once again be able to apply their full force.

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Glazed covering
At high temperatures and incorrect braking, brake linings can vitrify - this mainly affects sintered brake linings. The surface compacts into a hard layer that hardly generates any friction. However, the lining can be refreshed by roughening it with sandpaper.

The pad makes the music: the right material, correctly braked, determines the friction coefficients and therefore the braking force.Photo: HerstellerThe pad makes the music: the right material, correctly braked, determines the friction coefficients and therefore the braking force.You can find this article in FREERIDE 2/2019 - you can order the magazine here > FREERIDE IOS App (iPad) FREERIDE Android AppPhoto: Sterling LorenceYou can find this article in FREERIDE 2/2019 - you can order the magazine here > FREERIDE IOS App (iPad) FREERIDE Android App

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