Sram bolts the disc brake to the road bike

For mountain bikers it is unimaginable, but for road cyclists it is reality: braking is done mechanically with a rim brake. But now mechanical deceleration on thin tires is a thing of the past: Sram is the first major component manufacturer to launch disc brakes for road bikes. Mountain bike technology is also involved in the details in order to better decelerate the road bike.

With the recently introduced Red component group, Sram has not only given the go-ahead for the 11-speed cassette, but also for deceleration via hydraulics. Two additional gears are a "nice to have" in view of this new braking option, because hydraulics on the road bike is a "game changer": the brake lever - which now houses the hydraulics and mechanics - still gives the road bike the familiar look on the cockpit.

New perspective thanks to hydraulics
However, the option to brake the road bike with disc brakes brings new frames and wheels with disc mounts into play. Since braking is no longer only possible via the rim, the doors are wide open for advancing wheel construction on road bikes. The braking surface on the rim does not have to be strong enough to withstand the braking forces. Nor is heat transferred to this braking surface or to the tire or inner tube. This means that racing bike disc rims are on the horizon, which will be lighter than their non-disc counterparts.

The hydraulic Red disc brake
The brake weighs 449 grams per wheel - this includes the brake/shift lever, the brake calliper, the brake hose and the 160 millimeter brake disc. There are 19 millimeter pistons on the front wheel and 18 millimeters on the rear wheel. Discs with diameters of 140 and 160 millimetres are used, and both centerlock and 6-hole versions are available. When mounting the slave piston, you can choose between "Direct", "20mm Spacer" and "IS bracket".

The hydraulic Red rim brake
Sram's answer to the hydraulic rim brake from Magura presented last year weighs 387 grams. This weight includes the brake/shift lever, the cable and the brake body. The latter is equipped with an adjusting screw that can be used to move the pads closer to the rim, as with a mechanical system. Tire widths of up to 28 millimetres are possible and high rims with a profile height of up to 27.4 millimetres should also have room. Like the new 11-speed parts, the new Red brakes should be available for the first time in July.

Hydraulics for 10-speed groupsets
Sram is not forcing the customer to switch to a completely new groupset in order to slow down the road bike via oil pressure. With the S-700 components, a hydraulic rim brake and a shift/brake lever unit are launched on the market that are matched to Sram's 10-speed drivetrains. The S-700 unit weighs in at 448 grams.

Simple connection
For its hydraulic road bike brakes, Sram imports a system from the mountain bike sector. The "Connectamajig" is already known from the Reverb dropper post and makes it possible to disconnect the hydraulic line from the component without having to bleed it again afterwards. Sram recommends the hydraulic parts from the Red and S-700 series with this coupling system for easy routing of the lines within the frame.

www.sram.com