Now here’s a scoop for all of you tech heads: Formula Brake Company was cool enough to send me a set of 2011 Formula R1 brakes for a review. I was actually expecting to get the the 2010 model so when these babies arrived I was stoked!  The R1 is basically the pinnacle of the accumulated technology behind Formula which means these brakes are up there in cost but they’re dripping with superior modulation in a super strong, lightweight package. To me these brakes may well be worth their weight in gold.

The first thing you’ll notice about the R1 brakes is the forged and compact master cylinder (similar to Formula’s the ONE). The master cylinder (MC) takes up very little bar space and is radially constructed. Featuring a convenient flip-flop design, the R1 allows you to bleed the brakes on either side (dual ports) while the split clap allows you to install and remove the brake without disturbing other components (nothing drives me crazier than having to remove unrelated parts unnecessarily). Inside the MC is a high capacity reservoir that surrounds the piston.

The R1 master cylinder body is forged and then machined for maximum strength and minimum mass. Speaking of mass, you can get these brakes down to 263 grams±. This is very light indeed for a brake that can be used safely by AM riders (Enduro) who want to keep their rigs in lightweight climbing condition.

The 2011 R1 model adds reach adjustment as well as pad contact point adjustments.  The reach adjust (red knob) on the lever makes it easy to adjust how far out you want the levers, with plenty of room for adjustment. The contact point adjuster, which is radially mounted before the brake line, adjusts the volume in the line to compensate for pad wear and engagement points. Reach adjust is retrofit-able to 2010 models.

The bright red bits are all-aluminum fasteners to further reduce weight on the R1 brakes and torx heads on all the bolts reduces the risk of stripping the bolt heads. With the R1 it’s important that you follow the installation instructions to the letter and torque all the bolts down to stated values.

The R1 caliper hasn’t changed this year (probably because it’s hard to improve on perfection) and features the same forging process as the master cylinder. The upshot: a compact, lightweight, and stiff structure. What is hidden from view is the 22mm pistons and larger-than-expected brake fluid capacity behind the patented cap design. All of this increases the fluid capacity (reducing the chances of boil over) and reduces the physical size of the caliper (as well as weight).

The calipers are post mount in design and can handle rotors up to 220mm. However, keep in mind these are not DH brakes (those would be the ONE or the ONE FR). Earlier I mentioned how I dislike removing parts for no good reason and with Formula’s top load design, removing pads and springs can be accomplished without disturbing caliper alignment (see image right).

The stock R1 brake pads sport organic material backing on aluminum to further reduce weight but you can get the sintered pads on steel backing plates if you want a more aggressive set-up.

Installing the R1 brakes on my OPUS Stahk was a piece of cake. Following Formula’s instructions and recommendations it took all of about 30 minutes to get both front and rear brakes installed. I’m sorta particular so I shortened the hoses a bit and then re-bled the brakes (15 minutes per wheel). In the package you get extra fittings to get the job done without having to hit up your LBS for parts. Remember to torque everything down properly – the last thing you want to do is snap a bolt or even worse have something come loose on that 15 mile loop you’re hitting.

On the trail the R1′s have a similar feel to the ONE’s which I’ve been rocking on my DH bike. The modulation on these brakes is second to none. The R1′s don’t engage like on/off switches; rather they come in with an amount of stopping force proportionate to the lever pressure. I only use one finger to grab the levers and that is more than enough with these brakes. On descents or technical spots where I find myself dragging the brakes, the overall characteristics of the brakes didn’t change much due temperature increases on the rotor and pads.

The amount of braking force the R1′s generate is certainly less that its bigger brother the ONE but clearly the R1s sport a much more compact and lightweight package. These brakes release very quickly without a hint of drag which to me is a great thing. This is especially important for competitive riders where every second counts – the last thing you want is a system that slows you down when you don’t want it to. Valuable energy can be lost when brakes drag and fortunately the R1s don’t.

If you go back and read my review of Formula’s the ONE you can see that both sets are very similar in performance aside from overall braking force. Pricing is also similar with the R1′s landing at $330.90 MSRP. These are incredible brakes for XC and AM use and you’ll have a hard time finding higher performance in a mountain bike brake package anywhere close to this weight and build quality.

Although it’s not shown here, Formula does offer the direct mount MiXmaster for your XX/XO/X9 shifters, both left and right side to clean up your bars a bit. They can be had for about $33.60 each; carbon levers and titanium bolt kits are offered as well.

Take a look at the Formula website for further details. Shout out to the good folks at Formula for providing the R1 brakes for review!

Now here is something really unique. While bouncing a few emails back and forth with Wayne Moore, General Manager at Ashima, we started talking about some really cool up and coming products. Ashima is best know for their replacement brake pads and rotors for almost every brake out there, but in about 6 weeks time, or however long it takes to clear customs, Ashima will have a new MTB brake set in their line up: the Ashima PCB (pancake brake).

The $229 PCB is a departure from the normal piston-type braking system designs on the market today. Taking a quick glance, you probably can’t spot the difference, though you may pick up on the solid forged, one piece construction of the caliper body and its external fluid transfer port (ala Brembo / AP). You may also pick up on the top drop pad installation, but the lack of pistons – it’s easy to miss. One giveaway is the tight, narrow body of the braking mechanism. It honestly took me a few minutes looking at these brakes carefully to notice that the transfer tube / brake hose and bleeder are not part of the main caliper body but integrated into the bore caps, hiding the true width of the brake which is 25mm wide.

The test samples I received feature a semi-metallic pad; however, the production version will get the SOS+ pads (multi-compound pads using sintered-organic-sintered material). Unfortunately the production pads were not available when the test unit was shipped of to me.

The brake lever and master cylinder are also hiding a few secrets to keep weight low.  The levers are alloy with reach adjustment and feature a split mount design so you can easily mount them up to your bars and alloy hardware. And the engineering-grade reinforced plastic master cylinder body (not aluminum as you might expect) has a super smooth inner bore that doesn’t require a sleeve.

All this adds up to less than 310 grams per wheel, including caliper/lever, 160mm rotor and bolts. Sure, this isn’t the lightest brake set on the planet but pretty close, and from what I hear, at a budget price which many folks can afford. To top it all off, you get a 2-year warranty and each individual brake gets tested and the performance data is placed in the box. The test data information is also saved and converted to a unique code that is etched as a bar graph on each brake (my photo shows “test sample” in place of the unique code).

Installation was a snap and nothing out of the ordinary. Just follow the set-up instructions – getting the right torque is about the hardest thing you’ll have to do. Thanks to the larger spacing between pads, the whole procedure is a breeze. I used the Feel’R gauge from Hayes for added precision and speed, though it’s certainly not necessary. Just remember to burnish in the pads by applying the brakes a good 20 times to get the pads set in (basically stopping with medium force). The AiRoToR must be properly torqued and you can install the rotor with the spider forward facing as in the photo above or rear facing. Torque the bolts to 55- 60 inch-pounds and remember to use a star pattern when adding torque.

Hitting my usual XC loop with the PCB brake took a little getting used to. Unlike other brake sets I’ve been using for years, the PCBs have much more modulation. They’re not mushy at all but rather they build braking force slower than other brakes. Total braking force is also a bit lower than others on the market but for those who ride super technical courses with tight, twisty turns where you need to control your speed, these fit the bill nicely.

Because the PCB doesn’t act like a light switch, I was able to drag and control my speed without locking up while controlling the bike and I got more precision without the bike bucking around. Now for those who want to do stunts like manuals, these are not the brakes for you – they simply won’t lock up that quickly. Although the AiRoToR is super lightweight, I found it generated a bit of pulsation due to the rotor pattern. I ended up using a familiar rotor that I have had good consistent results with and got a better brake feel.

Keep in mind the PCB brake I tested is a pre-production unit and did not have the new pads that the production units will carry. The production SOS+ pads should generate more bite compared to the semi-metallic pads that are on the test unit.

I will keep you posted on this very promising braking system from Ashima. The pancake design is a great idea and could possibly eliminate issues with pads generating drag due to retraction issues. You may even see other manufacturers taking a few hints here and there based on the innovations featured in the Ashima PCB (like the SOS+ pads). Only time will tell…

A quick thanks to Wayne at Ashima for sending up these brakes for testing and evaluation.

SUN-Ringlé has be around for a long time now but these days they’re delivering some especially sweet products. Recently the good folks down at SUN-Ringlé sent me perhaps one of their best kept secrets (pssstt – listen up weight weenies). At just 1421 grams for the set (including quick release skewers), the Black Flag Ceramic Diskis a super lightweight MTB wheel set, especially compared to similar Mavic and Easton sets that weigh 1550+ grams.

Looking at these wheels I got all goose-bumpy – well not literally but I don’t know how else to describe the feeling of unboxing such an artfully crafted wheel set. The build quality of the Black Flag wheels is incredible – the spoke line was dead straight (which contributes to a longer lasting wheel build) and all the spokes were tensioned precisely. Overall the Black Flag wheels have relatively high tension at the spokes (though not as high as others like the Easton XC-Ones) which sets the overall feel and performance characteristics of the wheels. Spinning the wheel in free air I could really see how smooth the ceramic bearings were and just how true this wheel set was right out of the box. Can you say butter?

Placing a set of XC tires on the Black Flags was bit of a chore, though that probably had something to do with my tire choice. Other than that installation was a snap – just bolted on my rotors (160mm front and 140mm rear) and a cassette and I was off to the trails.

Talk about lightweight! At first I was a little worried that the Blag Flag wheels were really a set of road wheels in disguise because they felt so light. On the XC trails I was floored at how much faster and how many taller gears I could push with these wheels and I found that I was riding the large front ring a whole lot more than on my typical training ride. Putting the power down, these wheels just went – the low rotational mass combined with the ceramic bearings make for a super fast rolling wheel set. For such a light set of wheels I was impressed by the amount of control these babies offered in tight, twisty turns. I found these wheels to be stiff enough to keep them pointed where I wanted without being so stiff that they knocked my teeth loose.

Overall the Sun-Ringle Black Flag Ceramic wheel set is great for its intended purpose – fast XC trail riding. While you won’t want to use these if you plan on hucking around, the Black Flag wheels are the perfect set to use for race day. If you’re on the heavier side of 180lb these wheels may not be a good fit but running a slightly higher volume tire (2.1″ vs. 1.95″) can give you some added protection against heavy hits. The Black Flags Ceramic wheels are certainly an impressive and lightweight XC wheelset – give them a try!

Cheers!

The Sun-Ringlé Black Flag Ceramic wheel set is sold at most great local bike shops for around $840 MSRP (some dealers may sell for less). Fortunately these wheels are not über-expensive, especially compared to wheel sets with MSRP’s over $1100 for essentially the same thing.

Specifications from Sun-Ringle:

• For XC race conditions
• Black anodized, welded Equalizer 21 rims – disc brake only
• Black anodized Dirty Flea hub set with sealed ceramic bearings
• Hole Count: Front 28 and rear 28
• Wheelsmith high performance spokes – black finish
• Wheelsmith alloy nipples – black ano
• New SUN-Ringle alloy QR with hollow chromoly axles
• 26″ – 559mm
• Weight: 1421g