The BFO is different. Even the latest version of the lightweight Swabian stopper with magnetic stepped piston and Kool-Stop brake pads cannot and will not shake this fact. A single pull on the brake lever reveals the independent operating principle even when stationary. Anyone expecting a defined, hard pressure point that can withstand increasing hand force will be disappointed. Due to the integrated brake booster, the brake is primarily controlled via the lever travel and not, as usual, via a significantly increasing force on the lever. So much for the "dry test" on a stationary object.
When it comes to the trail, the BFO will give you a real surprise. Thanks to the strong transmission ratio generated by the brake booster after the pads are applied, the brake is already very powerful with very little manual force. Compared to the predecessor model, the new Kool-Stop pads also provide more braking power. The fact that even a small amount of force on the lever is enough to achieve maximum deceleration benefits the BFO on the test bench, where the braking force is determined at a moderate hand force of 80 newtons. This means a certain amount of familiarisation time for modulation.
For both disc sizes, the BFO leads the field (Brake test BIKE 2/15), but in comparison to conventional brakes, it can hardly gain any further traction on the lever (see hysteresis loop in the test report below). Nevertheless, it outperforms most of its competitors in the lightweight brake category. In direct comparison to the test winner Magura MT8, the BFO is just as powerful. When decelerating hard, however, it is difficult to set accents/force peaks, as you don't get any direct feedback when the maximum braking force has been reached due to the travel-dependent modulation. Here, the Magura feels like it has slightly more reserves.
BRAKE BOOSTER - HOW IT WORKS:
The intermediate stepped piston is designed to combine opposites: friction-free braking thanks to a large air gap between the pads and the disc and yet high braking power when the pads are in contact.
INTERVIEW WITH JAKOB LAUBHOFF, DEVELOPER:
Two-speed instead of single-speed
Why are you taking a completely different approach with your brakes and integrating a brake booster?
At some point you come up against physical limits. If you want a drag-free brake with a large air gap, you generally have to accept less braking force and vice versa. The brake booster is the only way to combine a large air gap with high braking power and yet low manual force. We have, so to speak, installed a two-speed system on a single-speed bike, with which you run out of power on a hill with a high gear ratio. With our brakes, the gear ratio doubles as soon as the pads come into contact with the disc, resulting in high braking power.
Why does your latest version use a magnet instead of a spring to hold the stepped piston in position?
The magnet in the stepped piston reduces the manual force by 30 per cent, which improves ease of use and dosing.
How can the high price of your brakes be justified?
Innovations have their price. Our brakes are also among the lightest on the market. We also produce almost all parts in Germany. 75 per cent of our purchasing costs are incurred in Germany.
BRAKE FORCE ONE MAGNET
BIKE verdict VERY GOOD (for 160 and 180 mm discs)
Price from 427,90 Euro
infos www.brakeforceone.de
details Two-piston brake with one-piece caliper, organic pads, mineral oil, disc thickness 1.95 mm
Leverage 4560 mm (adjustable)
Empty way 7 mm (adjustable)
Hysteresis loop: red = dry braking, blue = wet braking, the horizontal axis shows the manual force, the vertical axis the braking force in Newtons. The steeper the slope, the more powerful the brake, and the points awarded for braking force and stability are based on the laboratory and practical results. The price applies to a front wheel brake.
*The BIKE judgement is independent of price. It is not an addition of the individual ratings.
BiKE judgements: super, very good, good, satisfactory, with weaknesses, unsatisfactory.
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