Future Brakes: An Unridden ‘Brake’ Down of Tomorrow’s Super-Stoppers

Editor's Note: Call it questionable minds thinking alike, call it parallel evolution, regardless I (Cy) have also been working on a high-powered brake roundup with a slightly different emphasis and angle than Andrew's. So expect that next week!

Charger 3.1

I am here today because of SRAM’s Charger 3.1. Yes, a fork damper rather than a braking system. I was not one of the test writers waxing poetic about SRAM’s 2023 forks. Not that they are not good, but I am among the collection of folks who feel better served by the previous generation Charger 2.1 forks, with their bladder-style dampers. That is especially true once the forks are worked. That is, overdue for a service instead of being fresh from a suspension tuner.

I have extensive hours on the, now previous generation 2023 Lyrik Ultimate and Zeb Ultimate platforms, complete with ButterCups elastomeric vibration absorption systems, and Charger 3.0 dampers. For many months I have been predicting that a higher-flow, less-restricted, Charger 3.1 would emerge but, apparently, I never wrote it down anywhere. So now, other than my friend Toucan remembering our conversations, I sound like a bike-media blue-pill schlepper pettifogging the gospels of newer is better and perpetual upgrades.

So yeah, if I owned a RockShox fork with a Charger 3.0 damper I would immediately be contacting my local service center about a Charger 3.1 or Fluid-Focus piston upgrade. And rather than making the same mistake twice, I am going to write a few things down about future brakes from ShiRAMano.

Best In Braking | I Have Not Ridden

I have not ridden the latest Magura Gustav brakes that just launched. I would love to. I am a long-time Magura fan – I rode the past generation Gustav M for a few years, not to mention Louise, Marta, and the latest MT-5 and MT-7. But all that aside, even with the massive increase in fluid and the novel 2.5mm wide rotors, the Gustav launch very much informs this conversation.

Magura’s current top-end MT-7 platform has massive stopping power, excellent power control, and handles heat very well. What then is the potential benefit of the new much larger and heavier Gustav Pro brake? Consistency and lever action.

Mountain bike brakes are powerful enough and have been for years so improvements will come down to these two things. The lightest controllable lever action which lessens feedback through our hands reducing fatigue and discomfort on long runs. The most consistent braking feels in all conditions, whether they are cold dropping in or on fire at the bottom of a steep run.

Okay, yes, look at those monster Gustav Pro stoppers, there is going to be some level of power boost as well, but with the combination of the lightest possible lever action, it should be easily regulated. Or, to quote Magura’s marketing materials: “More control, later brake points, and less arm pump.”

After hundreds of hours of off-road riding, these Magura MT-5 brakes took on a new role, slowing my daughter and me down on the hills of North Vancouver in this beast.

This once-a-year service was easiest to perform with a bleed buddy. That said, Magura brakes are significantly easier to bleed than some folks make it sound.

Best In Braking | I Have Ridden

The current best brake for me on the market is my Hayes Dominion T4s. No doubt. It is a sum of the lightest action, consistent lever feels, epic power, and beautifully shaped carbon lever blades. The last feature is what elevates them above excellent stoppers like Hope’s wicked Tech4 systems, my upgraded Formula Cura4 brakes with FCS lever upgrade, and the Magura MT-7. That said, Formula has a long history of brakes with carbon lever blades. Hope makes several carbon fiber products in-house. And Magura makes carbon blades now, the shape just does not work for me as well as their aluminum blades. So, nothing is stopping those brands from matching the sweet ergonomics of the Reynolds carbon levers on my T4s.

Why carbon lever blades? My circulation is not as good as it used to be, and I ride all year round. When it gets cold and wet having levers blades made from that plastic-fantastic is experience-changing for me. I can often get away with lighter gloves, my fingers do not ache all ride, and I get proper trail feedback from my hands.

Why these four brakes? The Formula FCS upgrade is not for everyone – folks with smaller hands or a very close-to-bar lever preference will not be happy with where the blades sit – but for me, the difference in hand fatigue vs. power creation using the same Cura4 brakes was immediately noticeable and catapulted them into the running with the other systems. The brake feeling, where I run the FCS for max-power, is firm-ish enough and very easy to control, quite similar to the MT-7.

{A note here, that the Magura MT-7 itself is a 10-year-old system, albeit one that now has several lever blade options for folks seeking different ergonomics.}

The Cura4 and MT7 are both older systems, though the Cura4 can be upgraded with FCS. While they are both excellent brakes I can happily recommend, what they give up to Hope’s Tech4 and Hayes’ Dominion T4/A4 brakes informs most of what I expect from the next-generation brakes from the S-brand-duopoly. And future Magura brakes, Gustav Pro and beyond, and a future next-generation Formula brake. It is that magic combination of light action, firm engagement, and massive power.

A couple of asides. If you have not put your hands on Dominion brakes, they are becoming much more common out in the wild and I am certain you could find an opportunity if you wanted. I delight in the feedback I get from folks admitting they thought I was full of sh*t when it comes to just how nice the action of these brakes is, firm and light.

Also, I know this list is missing one obvious contender in the most recent TRP DH-R Evo. The brakes have an excellent reputation for quality, function, and longevity and are more powerful than the Quadiems I reviewed years ago. I simply have not ridden them off-road to be able to comment.

Predictions, General

Take it sprinkled with whatever amount of salt you require for taste, but when it comes to the following ShiRAMano predictions I have zero, zip, zilch when it comes to tip-offs or advanced knowledge coming into this.

Saint 2025 Predictions

The current iteration of Shimano’s Saint brakes, recently reviewed by Cy , has been around for some twelve years now. I have owned a couple of pairs and when asked I provide this mixed review. If they were the only brakes in the world, I could happily run them riding the same trails I ride now at the same speeds. On the other hand, I would choose almost any system raced on the WC DH circuit over the Saints if I needed a fresh pair of brakes. From the bite point and general lever action to training my brain around the power curve when the levers are pulled in anger, they simply do not feel as refined as the brakes I have listed above and, therefore, given the choice they are not as nice to ride.

Put another way, what separates the Saint brakes most from the more recent best in braking is not raw power but rather that magic mix of consistency and lever action.

I will note here that no matter where you sit in the Shimano wandering bite point conversation, there is a fairly common consensus that the current generation of Saint brakes does not have the issue or at least does not have it to the extent of other two & 4-piston Shimano brakes.

I have not seen or heard anything about the next-generation Saint brakes except that we can expect to catch a glimpse of the finished product sometime in 2025. What are these bolt predictions based on then?

It is true that from low-normal derailleurs (which I actually like) to Dual Control shifters and MicroSpline (meh), Shimano never is too busy worrying about what other companies are doing. But there is also no way their design team can be riding and working on other brands’ products and not experiencing the same differences in experience that I am.

Prediction 1: Death of ServoWave

ServoWave is Shimano’s lever technology that allows the brake pads to sit outboard of the rotor, for rub-free performance even with tweaked discs, and then travel that initial distance faster, with less lever movement. It makes tons of sense for budget-friendlier brake systems, where Shimano does not use it, but the biggest component of improving lever action and consistency is going to be ditching this variable-rate hydraulic actuation.

Yes, this means the pads sitting significantly closer to the rotor and that means more notable noise and drag with a rotor that is not dead straight. Is there any other disc brake application – power sports, automotive, or otherwise – where we expect brakes to run with zero residual rotor contact? No.

Prediction 2: No Change in Rotor Thickness

Where many brands have improved braking performance and heat management with thicker rotors – 2.0, 2.3, 2.5, etc. – Shimano will continue to add stiffness and manage temperatures with their IceTech hybrid rotors that use a machined and heat-treated steel braking surface but an aluminum structure.

This makes sense to anyone predicting a pendulum swing back to weight weenieism in every mountain bicycle application as well as for motor-assist-ized riders trying to improve their on-trail experience while maximizing runtime from smaller and lighter batteries.

More metal is more mass and some of those beefcake rotors create their own gravitational pull when they are spinning.

Prediction 3: Lever Flip-Flopping

This is my boldest prediction and I doubt its occurrence to my very core, and yet the masses have spoken on every level from suppliers managing inventory to rental shops managing fleets to riders seeking spares. The next generation Saint Brakes will announce Shimano’s plans to get away from right-hand and left-hand specific primary cylinder/brake lever setups and join the Magura, Formula, Hayes, and SRAM flip-flop lever clamp.

I recognize the momentum against this change. Shimano would have to abandon their love of hinged lever clamps, but chances are, for the clean cockpit crowd, that it would NOT require yet another iteration of I-Spec. The same bucket-bleed method would work as well, just with a port on both sides of the lever, a la Magura.

The reduction in SKU count for Shimano making this change across their lineup, not to mention easing of inventory requirements for shops should mean better support for riders who need a spare. Hey, mountain biking happens.

Maven 1.1 Prediction

Unlike Shimano’s aged Saint stoppers, which have now matched the record-setting age of the average American car, SRAM just released a new DH and e-MTB MONGO-level brake system this year. I am certain you have read all about it. Reduce your rotor size! Ditch your sintered brake pads! When it comes to all the stuff that I have written up above, “ Never mind that sh*t, here comes Maven! ”

My prediction here is that, as with Charger 3.1 forks, the Maven 1.1 brakes will appear externally exactly as the current system does now. The brakes will use the same pads and rotors, though many folks will jump back to a sintered setup. The fluid and lines and bleeding process will remain unchanged as well. But, at the same time, we will hear and read about a massive change in braking performance from the same folks who cannot get enough Maven action in the present.

What we will see is a retrofittable change to the lever cam, pistons, and seals for a combined effect of a much lighter action both initially and through the lever stroke. Essentially the Maven’s action and power will become comparable to the Hope Tech4 V4 brakes that are available right now, but for folks who already own a set of Maven brakes this upgrade kit will cost US$50 per primary cylinder, plus the labour cost of a rebuild and brake bleed.

I could also see SRAM adding an option for longer lever blades, not for any need for more leverage in terms of creating power but to aid with a lighter initialization.

As with the 2012/2024 Shimano Saint brakes, and so-last-year’s Charger 3.0 damped RockShox forks, I am certain, today, many folks will say the Maven brakes are perfect as they are now. I know a fair few of them, mainly coming off years of riding SRAM Codes. But spend some time with the most recent lightest-lever-action brake systems and it is strange that SRAM did not take the same approach with their latest all-powerful super-stoppers.

One last prediction then. I suspect riders will be experiencing updated SRAM Maven brakes months before we catch a glimpse of the next-generation Shimano Saint option.