The RX is a brand new offering for 2010 from Formula featuring a radial master cylinder combined with a 1 pcs caliper which houses 22mm diameter pistons.ThisTranslates into lots of power and modulation while keepingThe weight at a category leading 351g.The RX isThe perfect brake for any XC or AM/Enduro application. Radial master cylinder (M/C) Patent-pending high capacity, integrated reservoir Removable handlebar clamp Flip-flop master cylinder assembly Laser etched logos
i ride these on my XC fully - 180fr/160rr. they have tons of power and feel great. i haven't noticed any modulation issues but can see why some describe them as a touch grabby.
so far, these brakes are perfect. only thing left to see is long term reliability and how they deal with really long west coast downhills (20-30mins).
bottom line is these can't be beat for performance and value and i don't give out that rating easily
Strengths: Great stopping power, relatively light, durable, problem free
Weaknesses: A bit of an on/off feel, there isn't tons of modulation
Bottom Line:
Initially, I was not impressed with the brakes, but I soon found that the extremely lightweight rotors were the culprit in the vibration while stopping. When I changed out the rotors for something that was also lightweight but tried and true performers, the problems went away.
These brakes have always been very grabby, even with the installed organic brakes pads. I have grown used to the little modulation that I have to work with, and favor their consistency on the trail. I get really good braking power all the time and never notice any fade. I have had these brakes for just over a year now and they have not needed a bleed or even felt like the stopping power has deteriorated.
Strengths: Great set of brakes for the price. Stop on a dime, easy to install, and great modulation. I bought a set of these for about 200 bucks. Very good value for the buck. Formula CS has been awesome too.
Weaknesses: Rotors squeal when wet and my front one squeals when applying light brake pressure. Might be user error but nontheless annoying.
Bottom Line:
Most definitely would buy these again. You wont go wrong with formula brakes. Love the looks and the feel.
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Submitted by
The Mounty
a Cross Country Rider
from Hartbeespoort, South Africa
Date Reviewed: March 15, 2012
Strengths: Its light, brakes well whether you're slamming them or just want to slow down - great control. They look awesome!
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I have had quite a number of different brake sets and changed radically when I did in an attempt to find the perfect set. And then I found these....Won't be changing soon again.
Similar Products Used: Tried all Avid version and these are far more superior at a great price.
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Submitted by
surlychad
a All Mountain Rider
from Auburn, WA USA
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2012
Strengths: Great power, great lever feel, modulation.
Weaknesses: A little noisy in the break-in period.
Bottom Line:
Outstanding brakes at a great price. Easily as nice as my Saint brakes, and better than any of the other brakes that I have tried out. Four chilis only because I would like to spend more time on them to see what the longevity is on the pads and the durability of the small parts.
Similar Products Used: Hayes mags, Hayes HFX, Shimano XT, Shimano Saint.
Bike Setup: Ellsworth Epiphany, Loaded custom hand built wheels, e.Thirteen cranks,
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Submitted by
jeffw-13
a Weekend Warrior
from Beaver Falls, PA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2012
Strengths: Great feel & modulation. Very powerful
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
I bought these to replace ORO K24's, which I liked. These are even better. Great feel, very powerful, clean design. They use the same pad as The One brake, which is larger than the Oro pad. Im a 200 lb guy on a 30 lb 29er. Not one issue with these brakes and Im still on the original pads after more than 6 months of 2-3 times a week riding hilly terrain. Haven't tried a bleed yet. Haven't needed to. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these brakes. Very pleased
Weaknesses: Get noisy riding during cooler temps using sintered pads.
Bottom Line:
I use these bikes for my trail riding on my bikes here in CO front range for one season. For the price, they are an excellent value. They have worked well from day one out of the box. They seemed to hold up very well for the steep fast descents that are common here in CO. Modulation has been excellent so far. I didn't experience any issues aligning them when installing. I think they are a great break for typical trail moutain biking for those on a budget.
Similar Products Used: Avid Juicy 7's and Elixers and Shimano XT and XTR
Bike Setup: Yeti 575 and Kona Four Supreme
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Submitted by
tyrebyter
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque, NM, USA
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2011
Strengths: Power, feel, consistency
Weaknesses: Noise
Bottom Line:
Profound power, too much for the 180mm rotor in the back so I switched to a 160mm and that helped a lot with modulating. Rock solid feel probably attributable to the monobloc calipers. Completely consistent from ride to ride. Just an extraordinary performance level at this price. Also have a Scott Spark with Avid Juicy 3.5 which makes me wish I'd never felt the Formulas because now I'm going to have to buy another set. Some complain about noise. There are several solutions including a very careful setup/alignment, semi-metallic pads, ear plugs or my personal choice, ignore the noise and enjoy these magnificent brakes.
Bike Setup: Lenz Behemoth 29r formula rx, hammerschmitd, flow/hadley, saint derailleur, fox rp23, rock shox 120mm air ti
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Submitted by
Sablotny
a Cross Country Rider
from Sonoma County, California
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2011
Strengths: Good looks, solid construction - well shaped magnesium levers, steel lever pivots (unlike Magura's Delrin), no need to bleed after a year. Light weight for their moderate price compared to the competition.
Weaknesses: Noisy. One master cylinder buzzes like an angry bee. While braking I seem to get it all - squealing, honking, chattering, vibration. Kool Stop replacement pads helped a little. Both rotors slightly warped after only ~400 miles
Bottom Line:
My Martas delivered 4,000 miles of smooth, silent XC use, but when the delrin bits fell apart I couldn't repair them, and nobody else (Magura USA included) wanted the job either. Formulas are built with more metal and less plastic, but they've been noisy from day one. I mountain bike to escape metallic screaching, not listen to it for hours. Doesn't make many friends on the trail either. A+ for looks and apparent build quality, if they were silent I'd give them an A overall - especially given their mid-market price.
Similar Products Used: Avid BB7, old skool Shimano Deore hydraulic, Magura Martas
Bike Setup: Titus Racer X, XT + XTR
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Submitted by
IndianaXC
a Racer
from Milford, Indiana. U.S.
Date Reviewed: October 15, 2011
Strengths: Great power, awesome modulation, Mostly silent, fairly comfortable blade, pimpin looks, and fairly light weight if you factor in their power and cost. Also very easy to shorten hoses, formula customer service is great.
Weaknesses: On mine i had to pull the lever way to far to make contact. I jb welded a paper thin piece of metal to the back of one pad, re centered the caliper and its perfect.
Bottom Line:
Awesome brakes, there are lighter ones out there, but they will never have the power and modulation of these. No noise which is great coming from a howling honking set of avids.
Favorite Trail: fort custer state park in michigan
Duration Product Used: 3 months
Price Paid:
$250.00
Purchased At: Nappanee Bicycle
Similar Products Used: Many avids, elixer 5, BB7, BB5, Juicy 3, juicy 5, juicy 3.5, magura louise etc...
Bike Setup: Giant anthem X 29er 3 with karmas and these brakes.
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Submitted by
Vuco
a Weekend Warrior
from Zagreb, Croatia
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2011
Strengths: Light, powerfull, problem free so far, cheap
Weaknesses: Pads are very close to the rotor, so you need to take your time while setting the brakes
Original Swisstop pads were't that good in terms of power and life - they were gone after 700km (every other brake I used, the pads lasted longer than 1000-1200km).
Bottom Line:
My typical ride is 35km with 8-12km of strict descents (not DH trails, but not your average XC trail difficulty). I always judge a brake by the power when used as a front brake.
First of all - power. Stronger then the older SLX and XT (M665 and M775), Magura Louise. Weaker then Elixir's (when working right) and Code 5 brakes. I ride the RX with 160mm AVID G2 rotor (not sure why I didn't buy a bigger one). I'm a one finger stopper and Formulas are on the edge for this type of brakeing. Multiple stoppies can't be done with 1 finger (with the smallest rotor).
Modulation - I would say excellent, better than all the brakes I mentioned before. You can really slow down, yet go over the bars if I press the lever really hard.
Fade over longer descents - Since I use 160mm rotor and organic pads, on longer descents when you need to hold your brake for a long time, these can overheat. I've done it only once on a very steep 9km descent. When overheated, I lost some power so I had to use 2 fingers to the front brake but the brake didn't fail or stopped braking (like some Avids do). Every other brake except the Code 5 didn't overheat here.
Pads - Original green (organic) Swisstop pads lasted only 700km. Every other brake/pad lasted more than 1000-1200km at least. I've replaced the Swisstops with some semi-metallic pads from discobrakes (4x cheaper). Discobrake pads are noticeable stronger than the originals and will last longer (I did 400km with them and they aren't near 50%).
Setup - you have to take your time when installing the caliper. The pads are very close to the rotor which must be 100% true. If you don't put the caliper into center, you won't get the best performance (power). When I hurried up with the setup, I could feel the brakes not having the power I knew they could.
Everything else - great - not noisy (except when overheated), pistons don't get stuck, no need for bleeding after changing the pads, the brake feels the same during the whole time (not like some Avids that the point of engagement on the lever is changing all the time). These remind me of my Shimanos which had 0 problems - just ride and change the pads when they wear.
You must understand these aren't DH brakes. They will stop you 2-3 times from 40mph, but next time they'll overheat/fade. Use Saints or the Ones for that. But they are great XC or AM brakes.
Now I got myself a Fox 36 Float with 20mm axle so I'll put a 203mm rotor for sure now to deal with the worst descents and retire my 160mm rotor :)
Similar Products Used: Juicy 3 and 7, Magura Louise, Code 5, Shimano SLX (M665)and XT (M775), Elixir
Bike Setup: Focus Thunder 130mm FS bike
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Submitted by
epijunkie
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Fe, New Mexico, US
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2011
Strengths: Great Modulation, Stops on a dime (easily can put into an endo if you're into that), and easy one finger no fatigue braking.
Weaknesses: The sintered pads can be noisy when with a cold ambient temperature, around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with little braking. These can also be noisy when using the brakes heavily with higher ambient temperature, about 80+ degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously this is a problem with the pads and rotor selection not the brake calipers or levers.
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a set of brakes that stop you quickly with one finger while flying downhill over some loose gravel these will do it and without fatiguing your forearms.
The brake noise is quieter than the BB5 these replaced, and is generated strictly from the pads engaging. Switching the rotors (more heat capacity) or pads (pad material/friction range) would fix this issue.
Favorite Trail: Flying through Camino De Los Montoyas Trails
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$269.00
Purchased At: eBay - New
Similar Products Used: A set of Avid BB5 mechanical disc which these replaced.
And also a set of Avid Elixirs.
Bike Setup: Cannondale F7, added these brakes, and a set of Crank Bro's 5050x. It's a wicked fun hardtail now.
I bought this brake set from a Chinese eBay seller. The package came with a 203mm front rotor, 180mm rear rotor, 160mm PM to 203mm PM adapter, 160mm PM to 180mm rear PM adapter, a caliper and lever set attached with a pre-bled 1650mm line, another caliper and lever set attached with a pre-bled 750mm line, and the appropriate mounting hardware. Great deal to say the least.
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Submitted by
madsedan
a Weekend Warrior
from Rockwall, TX
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2011
Strengths: Weight, power, modulation, looks.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
Granted I got a nice deal on a set of like new with 50 miles on them from a fellow member that took them off his new bike but these are great brakes for the money.
Bike Setup: 2011 Hardrock 29er with everything upgraded.
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Submitted by
fuscopd
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 14, 2011
Strengths: UM, they look cool
Weaknesses: Weak, noise, very little feel. They fade really bad on long DH. Compared to Elixir, there really is not a comparison.
Bottom Line:
Selling, hate, weak, no good, much better options for the money. I am getting a pair of 2011 Code R for same price and more power and believe it or not, less weight.
