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Two or four pistons? Thick or thin discs? With or without cooling plates? Light riders have plenty of choice. Heavy riders need to take a closer look and find out in our new Brake testso that they can indulge in the thrill of the deep without hesitation.
We have tested ten brakes weighing between 110 and 515 euros and between 280 and 500 grams. Eight of them are solid four-piston designs with a gravity claim. There are no groundbreaking innovations to announce, but attention to detail can also make a difference.
Only trial and error brings knowledge, so we put the test brakes through their paces on our tried and tested test machine and our demanding test track. Once again, we found the most striking differences in the stability of the stoppers.
You can find the complete comparison test of the 10 disc brakes in the download PDF from BIKE 5/2021.
That's what our subscribers get. Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in BIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them - tens of thousands of euros every year.
- Formula Cura 4
- Hayes Dominion A2
- Hope Evo Tech 3 E4
- Magura MT7 Pro
- Shimano Deore 6120
- Shimano XTR 9120
- Sram Code RSC
- Trickstuff Piccola
- Trickstuff Piccola HD
- TRP DH-R Evo
This is how we tested it:
What brakes are really capable of is shown above all in extreme situations. We pushed the limits of the stoppers in practice and in the laboratory.
In practice
Our tried-and-tested route in Bolzano was not available due to the pandemic. We switched to the brake test track from our sister magazine TOUR. 230 metres downhill with an average gradient of 13.8 percent and a peak gradient of up to 25 percent are used to test modulation, braking power and stability. The test procedure: Firstly, the brakes are allowed to slip, then powerful interval braking and finally an emergency stop from 60-65 km/h on a steep downhill gradient. Only the front brake is used for braking. Two riders (75 and 100 kg) each ride downhill. Surprise: Even if the scenario doesn't seem hard at all, it was already too much for some brakes!
In the lab
In the BIKE laboratory, the brakes are gradually pushed to their limits. The test procedure comprises 200 brake applications, from applying the brakes to determining the wet and dry braking values to the final three-stage fading test. The loads are based on real-life data, with a fan replacing the airstream on the test bench. The determined braking and manual forces result in the characteristic curves in the profiles. The temperature measurement helps to interpret the force measurements. This enables us to recognise the conditions under which fading occurs. The final assessment is based on practical and laboratory data.
¹ Price and weight specifications apply to one brake incl. 180 mm disc
