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It raining sideways, so I'm bored and browsing the interweb. This has resulted in me trying to convince myself that a set of Maxima brakes would go well on my Capra.
Anyone got a set, or tried them out ?
As a last ditch attempt at being sensible, I ought to see what others reckon to them before I splurge about a grand on a set of brakes. (seems wet weather can be expensive)
I ran them for a season and they're probably the best brakes you can buy. But, they're not 3x better than the next best.
Personally if I was going for the ultimate brake combo I'd go XTR levers and Saint Calipers
I ran them for a season and they’re probably the best brakes you can buy.
Why are you not running them now?
What were you using them for and any more critical review than "probably the best brakes you can buy"
What bike were they on? any pics of your setup?
I’ve got a pair.
They’re incredible. More power than anything I’ve ever used, and amazing modulation. Look quite nice too...
On this bike
https://m.vitalmtb.com/community/Tom-Howard,49177/setup,39368
As above, if you really want them, get them, but similar brakes are plenty good enough, are a third the price, and available now, not in 9 months time.
That said, if @Mehr wants to offload his, I’ll happily buy them.
Again Tom any actual review of them other than I have some and here's a pic of them in a kitchen/garden before they've been used?
Irrespective of price how are they better than anything else out there?
I get that they have the hand made works MX look from the late 80's early 90's
But how are they actually better from a use/ maintaince perspective?
As I said, they have noticeably more power than anything I’ve used (guides, codes, XTR, saint, assorted Hopes, off the top of my head) but they aren’t grabby like shimano, just a sort of surge of power that builds effortlessly. Anything specific you want to know?
Maintenance wise, the initial bleed after installing internally is a faff, but the instructions are pretty clear and easy to follow and the kit (extra £) is very comprehensive. Not had to touch them since then.
Ease of setup/disc rub, ching when hot/ how often do then need bleeding/how easy are they to bleed/ any specific tools needed/ hose trimming/ spares/ brake pump/ brake fade/ done any long tech trails with them where you're almost constantly braking?
You know all the usual questions other than how shiny are they?
Edit.
See you've edited a little too.
Up to a 9 month waiting list😱 and of cause the price lol.
If I had the cash probably still would 😂😂😂
Bleeding, see my edit.
Very easy to set up, plenty of pad clearance with standard rotors, I’ve got 2.25mm rotors in there now, and they fit, but it is a bit tight. Not had any problems with warped discs, or noticeable noise.
Hose shortening is great, they are goodridge hoses as standard, so have reusable hardware.
I’d like a set. Can’t afford a set.
Good answers so far but interested in the other questions?
It's a whole lot of money over some very good brakes from other people.
Singlespeedstu - you may want to be bit more polite when your asking people to help you?
Not asking for help just asking as they've been of a bit of interest to me. 🥱
If Tom doesn't answer I'm sure neither of us will be offended.
Not asking for help just asking as they've been of a bit of interest to me. 🥱
If Tom doesn't answer I'm sure neither of us will be offended.
Zero pump or fade. Properly fit and forget stuff that just works. I’ve done a few uplifts, but no long alpine descents on them. Takes a bit of adjustment to brake less, but harder.
Make no mistake, they are absolutely not worth the extra over the best of the rest on a price/performance scale. They are 90% as good, and a third the price.
Proper heart rather than head purchase, but I’d have another set, it’s the wait that puts me off.
Proper heart rather than head purchase
Oh I get that totally.
If it makes you happy and all that. 😎
Just interested in what made you go for them/ how easy they have been to live with.
OP
I'd also be interested if you wanted to sell yours.
The pads play a part in the performance too, I reckon those in your brake of choice will get you closer to the maxima/diretissima performance, without the silly money or wait.
The pads play a part in the performance too
Tried some Trickstuff pads a few years ago and didn't find them any better than standard Saint pads.
I don't have Maximas but I do have Direttissimas and I have run Saints, new XTR, Hope E4's, Code RSC's (closest I found in feel to them) and Guide ultimates.
The Trickstuff are really easy to bleed and shorten the hoses on, I do feel though at the price they charge they should come with a bleed kit, bionol, bleed block and the wooden pad pusher tool they sell. The overall quality and feel is second to none, the machining is amazing and the lever feel is the best out of all the brakes I have tried. Power is fantastic with modulation that beats all the other brakes I have owned. No pad rubbing at all, no pump up and a totally consistent lever feel.
I cannot help but think this is the brake Hope could and should make and they would make it at a fraction of the cost. I don't see any reason why they couldn't if I'm honest and that disappoints me a lot as the Hope brakes I had were the worst of the bunch.
You could have just looked at the Pinkbike review, which is quite detailed. Expecting someone to answer a whole load of random questions, but not prefacing them with any sign of gratitude is a bit weird.
JP
OP, if there is one bad part to them, some people will assume you have more money than sense/riding ability, so expect lots of ATGNI/dentist comments, back handed compliments or questions of minute detail, just to check you are using them properly 😉
Doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but can see how it might get old.
Very nice looking. I think id cry if I scratched them!
As a serial brake-swapper, I'd love to try these. That said, I'm very happy with Hayes Dominion right now.
Rick Draper makes a good point with regards to Hope. The V4 is the most disappointing brake I've used. It feels like a long time since Hope brought out anything new in their brake range and there's no reason they couldn't tear these down and replicate the engineering.
there’s no reason they couldn’t tear these down and replicate the engineering.
Possibly morals or common decency?
Possibly morals or common decency?
Isn't this pretty standard practice in any tech/engineering industry? You look at the best of the competition and figure out what makes them the best, then try to improve it. Genuine question. I have no idea how these industries work but I don't see a moral problem with what I suggested. If there's anything about the brakes that is unique or groundbreaking technology then it should be patented, surely? Why should there be a moral obligation to make a product different if by doing so you also make it worse?
Sorry OP, this has gone way off topic.
It might be personal pride. When have Hope ever done anything by just copying what someone else has done? I think if anyone even suggested it in a meeting, they’d be shown the door sharpish.
I don’t think there’s anything particularly special or different about trickstuff brakes, they just do everything to the absolute Nth degree. Super tight tolerances, no ‘good enough’. That’s why the bleed process takes ages, but it does mean that there is no chance of any air being in the system. Absolute performance of the brake is all they are concerned with, to the exclusion of everything else, like cost, or lead times.
I almost bought the Maxima during the Kickstarter campaign but I realised I hadn't been on my bike for months. I got through the summer of 2019 with my Hope E4's and I've been in hibernation ever since. So currently they'd be wasted on me, at least until I remember how to get dressed and leave the house.
I cannot help but think this is the brake Hope could and should make and they would make it at a fraction of the cost.
The V4 is the most disappointing brake I’ve used. It feels like a long time since Hope brought out anything new in their brake range
Pretty much my thoughts. I've always had Hope brakes despite trying stuff from other brands. I keep them because they're easy to live with and last much longer than any of the fragile, plasticky alternatives.
But, they've been making MTB disc brakes continuously for longer than anyone else, so how can an individual in Germany come out the 'worlds most powerful brake' and Hopes best offering is the slightly tragic V4?
It might be personal pride. When have Hope ever done anything by just copying what someone else has done? I think if anyone even suggested it in a meeting, they’d be shown the door sharpish.
Surely if someone went into a meeting at Hope and said "Let's build the worlds most powerful brake" they wouldn't be accused of ripping off Trickstuff. If I worked there I'b be campaigning for a much more powerful DH brake than the V4.
I think if Hope wanted to make the worlds most powerful brake, they would start totally from scratch (look at the back of a HB160, or the new track bike for examples) rather than try and do what someone else had already done, but a bit better, as was eluded to further up.
I also agree with the disappointment I get with Hope. It's not rocket science, just machined aluminium, hoses and a handful of O rings. Someone will be along soon to suggest we should just brake earlier or learn how to corner :). Sure, but I'm also an idiot and love a bit of panic braking. Plus, last time I was in the Alps even a boat anchor wouldn't bring you to a stop on some of the descents, only slow you down a bit.
Does anyone know where to buy them from in the UK. Trickstuffs website has them at Euros 1,100 and I see Bikecomponents in Germany at Euros 1,108. I'm not bothered about buying from Europe, just wondered if anyone has them here in the UK for sale where they are in stock.
Having said that, with these weekly storms it could well be months before the trails dry out.
Interesting comments so far, I do like them. But they are a daft price. I'm at the stage where I've run out of things to spend on my bikes, so I figuring these will do for this year, other than more coaching.
Yeah I deliberately didn't quote the reverse engineering bit! I'd like to see something fresh from Hope not a knock off.
Poshbikes are the official UK distributor, but not sure how active they are. Due to the lead times (when they say ‘up to 9 months’, they mean it) I don’t think anyone gets stock, just a place in the queue. I certainly don’t think you’ll find anyone discounting them. I got mine through Kickstarter, but was already on the (6month) waiting list for the diretissima, which I cancelled when I ordered the maxima, wish I’d kept the order going now mind...
Might be worth contacting Atherton bikes, see if they can sell you a set (I think they are speccing them on the DH bike, so might have some?). Now stif are sponsoring Nina Hoffman, they might be able to get some for you, but again, this is me thinking aloud, rather than actual facts.
I can understand people thinking owners of these brakes have more more money than riding ability. Especially when the owners post pictures of the unused brakes on a kitchen table and their 'bike of the day' weapon.
I'd rather see a clip of them being dragged down some painful alpine descent or an opinion on how they held up being abused over a dh race season. But its nice to see them on tables and unused bikes..
Do you really use these brakes to full potential if codes for example subjectively offer 90 percent of the performance?
Lol.
I’d expect that too, if I were reading an indepth review, from a professional reviewer, rather than a request on a forum asking anyone if they’d got or tried them, but thanks for your contribution.
lol it just sounds like you haven't really used them much and cant offer much more than 'best brakes ever'
I haven’t used them on any super long alpine descents yet, as there aren’t too many of them in Leeds, (hopefully going to morzine later this year though) but I’ve ridden them in most of the places I’ve ridden all the others I’ve mentioned including a couple of uplift days and these have more power and better modulation, without pump or fade, than anything else I’ve used.
If you want to know more, you’ll have to try them yourself.
Trimix,
Athertonbikes use them
maybe they have stock?
Atherton bikes have SRAM brakes specced for the DH and Enduro build.
Not sure who's brakes the race team are using this year.
Take a wild guess.😃
Cheers, I will spend some time online and see if I can order a set in less than 9 months and try Atherton Bikes on the off chance 🙂
On my Capra, with its SRAM Code RSC brakes, I have on occasion wanted more stopping power. Mostly on those techy steep as f*** winch and plummet rides I do in the FoD. Before I had the Capra I managed to boil a set of Saints in the Alps. Lots of the riding out there was over the limit of the Saints. I want some brakes where I never get to find their limit.
You wanted more stopping power than Code RSC’s😳😳😳 Have you thought about an anchor?😂 or maybe some bigger discs if you’re running smaller than 200mm...
Running 203mm rotors with Maxxis Minions for grip. Join me for a ride in the FoD and I will happily show you some descents that will have you considering a boat anchor 🙂
I have tried the other Trickstuff brakes (Directissima?) which did feel very nice, but ultimately didn’t seem to offer any more power, or modulation over that of the G2 Ultimate/Code combo I have been running.
Also have a set of ‘full’ Codes which are a step up in power again, yet still maintain a nice amount of modulation, they are my favourite of all so far. I can’t imagine boiling them though - especially at FOD? As a regular there where are you riding to cook them? I struggled to cook mine on a 20 minute EWS stage, they are remarkably resilient to fade & boiling IME.
I can’t fathom spending a grand on a set of brakes, and I’m not scared of spending money on bike stuff 😆
Especially when you can pick up an as new set of Code RSC’s on eBay for around the £250 mark.
where are you riding to cook them?
Maybe he weighs a few lbs more than you?
I managed to boil a set of Saints
Seriously? Bloody hell, you must have been going at a fair old lick! I ran saints for a bit, and TBH they were a bit overkill, literally; I'd like to stop "here" and you would...Cant imagine boiling them
Something’s not right if Saints aren’t powerful enough for you. A friend of mine is a giant, weighs 120kg and doesn’t hang around, but he’s never found his Saints to be lacking. Ditto all the World Cup DH riders who are much faster than any of us.
JP
I've not boiled the SRAM RSC Codes in the FoD, there is nothing long enough. But have done some descents where they were just slowing the rate of acceleration rather than stopping all 83kg of me 🙂
Some of the steep stuff at Mallards can get exciting if you go into it too fast. I think that's the issue, too fast in, not so much the steepness. It's not that the brakes I've got are no good, it's just that I want a shorter stopping distance for those moments when it all goes a bit wrong. 95% of the time the brakes are great, it's just those Oh-s4it moments I need help on. Also I equate greater braking performance with greater control.
It was the Saints I boiled in the Alps. On one of those 45 degree, 45 minute descent.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t there two main parameters which describe brake performance:
1. Retarding torque on the wheel, which is a result of the mechanical advantage of the system multiplying the force applied by your braking finger. And that’s a result of the lever lengths and pivots, master piston and caliper piston areas and rotor radius.
2. Ability to absorb and release thermal energy without overheating. That’s mostly down to the rotor dimensions.
I don’t know if I have freakishly strong fingers but my V4 brakes on 203mm rotors seem to have loads of power - tyre grip always seems to be the limiting factor.
Ditto all the World Cup DH riders who are much faster than any of us.
Yeah, but they don’t brake as much
Can't imagine needing more power than code rsc, they're awesome, have never found them lacking anywhere and certainly not on anything in the UK.
I can only imagine they're equivalent to my aftermarket Brembo master mated to a monoblock calliper
If so they'll be a lot different from any other mtb brakes in feel and controlled power per mm of lever pull
Gotta say they look bonkers at the price but in a lovely manner but holy shiate like mentioned 9 months wait!!!???
I'm glad I took a punt on TRPs offerings as they are rocking on both my bikes now
If I had cough (might get again) DH bike with buckets loaded up with gold coins, I might be tempted
Nothing beats confidence riding on some of the best stoppers
Especially in the motorcycle world obvs
Ditto all the World Cup DH riders who are much faster than any of us.
Many of whom are moving to 220mm and larger rotors because they can't get enough stopping power.
I can understand people thinking owners of these brakes have more more money than riding ability. Especially when the owners post pictures of the unused brakes on a kitchen table and their ‘bike of the day’ weapon.
I’d rather see a clip of them being dragged down some painful alpine descent or an opinion on how they held up being abused over a dh race season. But its nice to see them on tables and unused bikes..Do you really use these brakes to full potential if codes for example subjectively offer 90 percent of the performance?
Dyno tests put the Trickstuff brakes at well over 50 percent more power than Codes, not 10 percent. So even if you aren't Marlk Marcuez on the brakes, that's still roughly 50 percent less hand force for the equivalent stopping power that you are using during an all day ride in the Alps - and thus lower fatigue. Biomechanical tests on pro downhillers show that their braking strength falls off rapidly during a descent.
People who diss increasingly powerful brakes are the same ones that were saying 2/4/8/16mb of RAM was enough.
braking power is one of the few areas, like decent suspension that can genuinely make a huge difference to your overall comfort on a big mountain ride.
I can't justify their price though - but the extra power would be great.
In the interests of science I shall go and do a brake test with my Code RSC's then (some time later) do a test with the Maxima's - should I get them.
The UK most certainly is not the Alps, but being able to stop shorter or quicker or eaiser or with less effort is most certainly a good thing.
Sure, some of the time my Code RSC's can overcome tyre grip, but not always. I have my suspension sorted, my tyres sorted, so its now brakes for me. (he said, trying to justify a grands worth of shiny new bits)
Hi guys, please remove if not allowed but got a set of Maximas for sale on my classified page if anyone is still curious! Cheers
I rode a pair of these recently, amazing brakes!