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Formula Brakes Oro Puro Disc Brake System

4.97/5 (31 Reviews)

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Weight : 346 grams MSRP : $369.00


Product Description

ll the hype and all the performance, the Oro Puro sets the bar for power to weight ratio for MTB Disc Brakes. Weighing in at 346g, the Puro is spec'd with titanium and ergal fasteners, carbon fiber lever blade, and a Kevlar braided hose.


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Reviews 1 - 15 (31 Reviews Total) | Next 15

User Reviews

Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Matt Judge a Weekend Warrior

Date Reviewed: May 28, 2012

Strengths:    Looks, weight, modulation, stopping power

Weaknesses:    None

Bottom Line:   
I have two sets of these, the one set I bought new in 2005 and the other set is from 2007, which I bought new from Formula's website last year to replace a set of Hope Mini Pro's. Compared to the Hope Mini Pro, these are about 20g heavier when used with titanium mounting bolts and the Formula lightweight rotors. The Formula's also stop a damn site better than the Mini Pro's and are easier to maintain. Modulation is excellent. I have used these for XC and road and I have never experienced any fade - even on the steepest descents.

Expand full review >>

Price Paid:    $200.00

Purchased At:   Formula Website

Similar Products Used:   Hope M4, Hope Mini Pro, Hope C2, (various V-Brake systems)

Bike Setup:   Dean Baja & Surly Troll
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Matt J a Weekend Warrior from Bracknell

Date Reviewed: June 15, 2011

Strengths:    Great stopping power - actually, phenomenal stopping power for their size.

Weaknesses:    None that I have discovered.

Bottom Line:   
I am 6'3" and 17 stone and these brakes have never let me down.

If the rotors were as light as the Hope Mono Mini Pro 160mm rotor, 64g, then these would be lighter than the Mini Pros. Unlike the Mini Pro, these stop you on a dime and never let you down.

I like my first set so much, I ditched my Pro's and bought a second set.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

Price Paid:    $350.00

Purchased At:   CRC

Similar Products Used:   Hope Mono Mini Pro, Hope M4, Hope C2

Bike Setup:   All sorts
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by tefloncat a Racer from Portland,Or

Date Reviewed: February 12, 2011

Strengths:    Strong,good,modulation,light

Weaknesses:    A few "cheap" plastic parts for a brake of this petigree

Bottom Line:   
The smoothest modulating, strongest stopping brakes I've owned or tried Amen-Easy to rebuild if you need to (check out Universal Cycles) after 5 yrs they perform as well as day 1, you say that about to many products.In 5 yrs bled once changed pads twice and I ride 2-3 day/week MTB and 2-3 day/week road. One of those iconic parts like Chris King hubs/headset, XTR cassette, Thompson Seatpost.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Browns Camp or 3 Corner Rock

Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

Purchased At:   CyclePath

Similar Products Used:   Hayes,Avid,Hope,XTR

Bike Setup:   Racer-x,Reba U-turn, Fox rp3 (both Pushed) grip Shift XO 3x9,XTR cassette,choice of I9 + Olympic Stan Rims or King + Stan Olympic rims, Masterpiece Post, 4Ti pedals various tires depending on conditions
Overall Rating:4
Value Rating:1
Submitted by crux a Weekend Warrior from ABQ NM

Date Reviewed: April 25, 2010

Strengths:    Worked well on initial install and for a few seasons.

Weaknesses:    Longevity and price

Bottom Line:   
If you are after a lightweight set of brakes then these will fit the bill. They will work well assuming that all the internals and components are new.

Long term durability is not up to par with the price point. The MC seals will wear out over time and the brake pad retaining bolt is made out of light weight alloy that will wither snap or gail upon removal. Finding a replacement is a costly proposal. Ended up fabricating a replacement pin out of stainless that is more secure than original.

If your are buying these brakes brand new cheap then you will do alright. One pointer I would give is on applying some anti seize on the brake pad retaining bolt prior to use.

My yardstick is that any component must last 5 years with out failure (assuming standard maintenance is done). These required significant attention after 3 years.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   More than 3 years

Similar Products Used:   Magura, Hope, Hayes, Shimano

Bike Setup:   Single speed
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by dr a Downhiller from tustin

Date Reviewed: August 23, 2009

Strengths:    Theyre ultra light for the power they have. The feel is solid with a good bleed.

Weaknesses:    They dont have the best modulation. They arent green.

Bottom Line:   
expensive as and as good as cocaine, but if you like heroin, get "the ones" for downhill.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   diablo (corona

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   path

Similar Products Used:   avid juicy

Bike Setup:   07 IH 6.8 Lyrik dt sram
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Surfas a Weekend Warrior from Portugal

Date Reviewed: June 11, 2009

Strengths:    power
modulation
never tire
service and parts
weight

Weaknesses:    Only the master cylinder piston, I had to change from both lever, but nothing more.

Bottom Line:   
I have these brakes since January 2007 and the only problem that I had was changing the master cylinder piston from both levers, and I perform the procedure at home.
But so far they are the the best brakes, and I'm considering trading for R1 but I'm thinking if I do well changing.

Expand full review >>

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $450.00

Purchased At:   Ebay

Similar Products Used:   Shimano XTR and old Deore

Bike Setup:   Santacruz BLT2, XTR/Sram X=, Crossmax, Thomson ...
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by TwoWheelMan a Racer from upper right coast

Date Reviewed: May 26, 2009

Strengths:    light and work great

Weaknesses:    service and parts availability

Bottom Line:   
I bought these second hand on mtbr. I had to bleed and replace a line, and all has been great since. Good deal. I'm running 160mm rotors front and rear.

Function is superb. The modulation and stopping power of the Oro's are great. No squeal provided proper alignment and installation, at least on my frame and fox fork. I've run both sintered and organic pads.

The only downside I can see is the availability of parts and in cases lacklustre bike shop service. In Canada and Australia, at least, you won't find parts in stock (pads etc) and many shops have never seen, let alone sold, Formulas. This bit me in the ass once on a trip, when needing service and parts after a crash. Avid and Shimano are plentiful, not so Formula. So, bring your own bits and do your own service!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   stromlo,kamloops,albion...

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $350.00

Purchased At:   mtbr classified

Similar Products Used:   Hayes, Avid

Bike Setup:   Giant Anthem, Olympics,XT
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by arrowem a Cross Country Rider from Duluth,MN,USA

Date Reviewed: June 17, 2008

Strengths:    Works Perfect. Easy setup, Just bolt and go. No fade even on big down hills and one finger effort.

Weaknesses:    tough to find. Price but you pay for quality.

Bottom Line:   
If you can afford them then you will never complain about not being able to stop easily

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   dirt

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $700.00

Similar Products Used:   XTR v brakes

Bike Setup:   08 S Works FSR Stumpy set up with goodies
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Spiros a Cross Country Rider from Thessaloniki, Greece

Date Reviewed: April 22, 2008

Strengths:    power adjustability modulation

Weaknesses:    not floating rotors in small diameters

Bottom Line:   
No drag, super modulation after steep downhills and i weigh 200 lbs great adjustability and quite light with my set up with the hope floating rotors.

Far far the best disc brake not comparable with martas.

A little bit overpricey

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Xortiatis

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   e-bay

Similar Products Used:   shimano XTR marta SL

Bike Setup:   Cannondale scalpel team wih Lefty SL XO rear XTR front and fomulas with 160/140mm hope red floating rotors.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Beau Vallee a Cross Country Rider from Lake Charles,LA,US

Date Reviewed: March 28, 2008

Strengths:    Great stopping power. I have not noticed any difference when wet or dirty. Very reliable. When first used almost went over end. Had to get use to the superior stopping ability. Hard to ride other bike with Hayes brakes.

Weaknesses:    Squeak at times

Bottom Line:   
Great product. excellent for downhill, a little strong for my use as a xc rider.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   anywhere there's dirt

Duration Product Used:   6 months

Price Paid:    $425.00

Purchased At:   Ebay

Similar Products Used:   Avid, Hayes

Bike Setup:   Trek 6000, Wtb saddle, Sram X-0 dr, X-0 shifters,Rohloff chain
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by fern a Cross Country Rider from Corte Madera CA

Date Reviewed: March 26, 2008

Strengths:    Weight, Power, Modulation, Technical support from the guys at formula in petaluma is the best. Carbon levers have survived two big crashes. They look good after 2 years.

Weaknesses:    Price I guess, but I'm gonna say none.

Bottom Line:   
I've had these over two years, and I just had to rebuild the rear levers plunger and ring. $14.00 in parts from formula and it took me 30min, all new again. These brakes are designed to be completely rebuildable, they thought of everything. We all know they work great, but they last also. 2 huge crashes and 200 rides later and I just replaced a $14.00 part. These brakes are awsome, cant wait to buy "The One" from these guys. I work in shop, I ride all the brakes. I think Marta Sl feel as good but they havent proven the test of time. Just Buy Em already!!!!!!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   rock springs

Duration Product Used:   2 Years

Price Paid:    $400.00

Similar Products Used:   avid juicy 3,5,7 Marta sl,

Bike Setup:   05 Blur Classic, fox rlc 100, formula, xtr, x.o, dt swiss,wtb.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Rich a Weekend Warrior from Inland Empire

Date Reviewed: February 3, 2008

Strengths:    Excellent heat dissipation; Lightweight; Bling looking

Weaknesses:    Price at first

Bottom Line:   
I made this buy out of the good feedback I read as well. I was already down quite a few bucks, so I jumped for the puros and wanted to compare these against my current Juicy 7 setup. The quality is quite better in terms of noise, weight, simplicity of setup. Once you see the titanium bolts, calipers, and lever body you will be impressed at the workmanship. On the forums it is noted that there is substantial weight savings compared to the Juicys. I am so far very satisfied and once I save up I will get another set, the k24, for my other ride. You wont regret these!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Seven Bridges

Duration Product Used:   Less than 1 month

Price Paid:    $500.00

Similar Products Used:   Avid Juicy 7

Bike Setup:   Ibis Mojo FSA cranks, handlebar, stem, 07 Talas RLC, I-9 Wheels
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Whitney Jones a Racer from Wooster, Ohio, USA

Date Reviewed: December 30, 2007

Strengths:    Light, Powerful, Reliable, Easy setup, Great customer service.

Weaknesses:    Cost, you get what you pay for.

Bottom Line:   
At first power was less than I hoped, turns out I most likely contaminated the pads. I bought a pair of sintered pads and bed them in on the biggest hill around. The power is extreme and they offer great modulation. I put the Goodridge lines on for extra toughness and for extra bling factor, they offered no performance upgrade over the stock lines. Very happy with these brakes. Great buy!

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Vultures Knob

Duration Product Used:   1 Year

Price Paid:    $450.00

Purchased At:   LBS

Similar Products Used:   Avid BB7, Juicy 7, Hope Mono Mini

Bike Setup:   Fisher 29er, race bike, 22.01 lbs, Formula Oro Puros with Goodridge lines 160mm rotors. Reba fork, Stans 355 laced to Hope Pro II hubs with supercomp spokes.
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Pete a Weekend Warrior from Sydney Australia

Date Reviewed: December 8, 2007

Strengths:    Light, powerful, ease of setup, looks, great feel, lots of adjustment.

Weaknesses:    had some trouble on one finger setup with xtr shifters

Bottom Line:   
These brakes are sick. FR and RR (7" rotors) lockup with one finger and still have great feel. They are so light but feel strong, and they look wicked. Used them for 3 months and i love them. If you have the money and are serious about your biking, get them, you will not be disappointed. Had a small issue with getting everything in a position i liked due to the large clamp but was all sorted, not even worth a minus chilly. These brakes are worth every cent.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Dirt ones

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   ebay

Similar Products Used:   Hayes 9's, diatech cable, avid juicy 5

Bike Setup:   norco fluid, full xtr driveline, aclass cervino wheelset, marzocchi all mountain sl fork
Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:4
Submitted by Bob Maso a Weekend Warrior from Toronto Ontario Canada

Date Reviewed: October 20, 2007

Strengths:    Beautifully Engineered
Easy Installation
No Noise!!

Weaknesses:    Oh my God, the cost!

Bottom Line:   
This is an early review of these brakes. I will post another when I have put more miles on them.
I depend on this website for accurate info on products and over the years have learned to spot the bogus reviews. When I saw that the Formula Oro Puro's had a perfect 5.0 overall score I had my doubts. But one thing I knew for sure was that I had to get rid of my Hayes Comp's. I have had them on my Heckler for over 4 years. My 1999 Gary Fisher X-Caliber also came with Hayes Discs so they are really the only hydraulic disc brakes that I have any experience with.
The Heckler was getting on my nerves with the constant rotor dragging and squealing. I swapped rotors, pads, wiped the rotors with alcohol, and adjusted them every way I could. In defense of Hayes, I will say that these are the lowest priced hydraulics that they sell. I wanted to try something new. After reviewing and demo riding some Avid Juicy 5 and 7's I was ready to buy. I had my eye on the Juicy Ultimate system when I hapened to read a review of the Formulas.
I do like function, but bling also is nice to have and the Formulas seemed to have both. The price was a bit shocking, but I rationalized that if they performed as well as the reviews, then they were worth it.(sound familiar?) I closed my eyes and hit the "Order" button.
Mounting the Formulas on my Heckler was a breeze. The instruction manual is spot on. The hardware is all Titanium but I'm not sure if that really matters. I had to trim the rear hose length which was the part that I feared. The brakes come with all the fittings you need for shortening the hoses. I followed the instructions step for step and to my delight it worked. Order the bleed kit when you buy because you will need it if you have to trim the hoses.
Bleeding the brakes was no big deal but it does involve removing the pump/lever assembly from the handlebars. The lever seemed to have good action when I was done so I headed outside for a test run on some heighborhood streets.
I could not believe the way these brakes worked. They are absolutely silent and stop the bike seemingly without effort. I immediately got over the pangs of guilt I had for spending so much money. The quality of this system is far more that it's beautiful looks. The fact that they are so beautiful is just icing on the cake. I was out on some city singletrack trails today and I can't tell you how nice it is to hear nothing but the Fall leaves rustling when you squeeze the carbon levers. Gone is the high pitched squeal, replaced by silence.
I know that a few short weeks of riding does not make for a true test of a products durability and worth, but I can tell you that these Oro Puro's have saved me the cost of buying a new bike. I was seriously considering trading in my trusty old Heckler for a new ride. All she really needed was a new pair of Italian shoes! In 6 months I will post a new review and let you know if the honeymoon is still going on. For now I will tell you that this is one sweet brake system.
For this review I will deduct one value Chili only because I feel that the Rotors should be included in the price instead of being an extra cost.

Expand full review >>

Favorite Trail:   Albion Hills

Duration Product Used:   3 months

Price Paid:    $625.00

Purchased At:   Universal Cycles

Similar Products Used:   Hayes HFX

Bike Setup:   Santa Cruz Heckler
Reviews 1 - 15 (31 Reviews Total) | Next 15

Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

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