The most notorious disc brake in the test: Is the SRAM Maven B1 still the benchmark?
Max Fuchs
· 04.05.2026
Conclusion on the SRAM Maven B1
Despite top marks for braking performance, many usability points and top marks for modulation, the Maven B1 has to cede the test victory to TRP. Although the newcomer shows progress in terms of modulation, the EVO Pro releases its similarly high braking power in a more controlled manner and feels better in the hand. - Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
Technical data: SRAM Maven B1
| Price (without disc and accessories) | 325 Euro |
| Weight per piece | 354 grams (incl. 800 mm cable + pads) |
| Slices / thickness | HS2 180 / 2.00 mm |
| Brake pads | Organic |
| Braking medium | Mineral oil |
| Pressure point adjustment | Yes, tool-free |
| Lever width adjustment | Yes, tool-free |
| Special features | - |
Small part, big effect
At the centre of the update is the revised SwingLink lever. This is a reversing lever that transfers the force from the brake lever to the master piston. SRAM has optimised the geometry in favour of a lower breakaway torque. In a direct comparison, the initial bite is now much easier to modulate, as the pads no longer apply as abruptly as on the predecessor. Even with medium hand forces, the new Maven no longer reacts as impulsively as before. Nevertheless, compared to the rest of the test group, the Maven still has a tightly defined pressure point. However, the new SwingLink is not the only trick used to optimise the response behaviour of the Maven. The Americans have also reduced the piston diameter in the brake calliper to a standardised 18 millimetres. This means that the hydraulic transmission ratio is slightly smaller. The result: the smaller piston diameter reduces the maximum braking force by five per cent at 80 newtons of manual force. Nevertheless, the new Maven is still one of the top candidates for dry braking in the laboratory - Hope, TRP, Magura and Fahrwerker are slightly ahead according to the figures. SRAM achieved the top score for wet braking.
Still a practical benchmark
The measured power gap is irrelevant in practice. Laboratory values or not, in real life the Maven, together with the Fahrwerker, unleashes the most powerful forces. The sovereignty with which the Maven unwaveringly forces even high system weights to a standstill is unrivalled. We would have liked a more curved lever end and a more structured surface. Although the lever sits unobtrusively on the finger, other models offer significantly more grip. The Maven sets the bar high when it comes to adjustment options: lever travel and lever width cover practically all preferences.
The BIKE rating
| Category | Grade |
| Braking power (50%) | 1,25 |
| Wet braking laboratory (10%) | 1,5 |
| Dry braking laboratory (40%) | 1,5 |
| Practice (50%) | 1 |
| Modulation (30%) | 2 |
| Usability / Handling (10%) | 2,5 |
| Weight (10%) | 2,5 |
| BIKE grade | 1,7 |
Our impressions of the character, modulation and handling come from practical tests. We determined the maximum braking power and thermal stability in accordance with the DIN standard on the roller test bench of the brake manufacturer Magura.
Braking force test in the laboratory
To ensure that the brakes can deliver their maximum performance on the test bench, the test standard prescribes a defined braking procedure. All models must maintain a constant braking force of 200 newtons over 20 braking intervals in order to come up to temperature and rule out pad fading during the brake force test. Only then does the actual test of strength begin. It consists of three brake applications per force applied to the lever. It starts with 40 newtons of manual force. The test stand increases the force on the lever in 20 Newton increments until the brake reaches its maximum lever travel. Each brake undergoes this procedure twice: once in the dry and once in the wet. During wet running, the disc is continuously wetted throughout the entire measurement. For an optimum comparison, all models run with 180 mm discs. The pad compounds always correspond to the standard equipment. The manufacturers were allowed to select the discs themselves - if several options are available in their own range - in favour of braking performance. For uniform comparative values, we carry out the braking force test and the heat resistance test with a fresh pair of pads and a new brake disc. For the evaluation of braking performance in the laboratory, we only use the results at 80 N manual force. In this range, all models still deliver practice-relevant values below the 600 N threshold, especially during dry braking. Above this level, there is a risk of rollover under ideal grip conditions.
Heat resistance
As a second hurdle in the laboratory, all brakes have to pass a standardised heat resistance test twice. After all, the candidates should decelerate reliably even under high thermal loads. The programme includes three endurance braking sessions of five minutes each. Shortly after each interval, an abrupt control brake application follows, which shows whether the brakes still decelerate perfectly despite the heat. Finally, the test bench calls up the required minimum braking force three times. All brakes passed this test.
Practical test
No test bench can measure how a brake develops its power off-road, how it reacts to low manual forces, how finely it can be metered and how it feels in the hand. This is where experience counts. And our testers have plenty of it: over 100 complete bikes go through our test procedure every year. Our editors therefore know most of the brakes inside out. In addition, two testers rode all the brakes in this test in direct comparison on standardised bikes with identical setups.
Competitor models in the test
Max Fuchs
Editor
