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Formula Brakes
Disc Brake
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Submitted by
rod farquhar
a Cross Country Rider
from victoria b c canada
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | khs bicycle parts | | Strengths: | formula b4 dh are pretty that is about all the good i can say about them | | Weaknesses: | formula b 4 brakes did not work as well as i was told they would . i could see calipers expanding when appling pressure they squealed from day one and only stopped when warm or hot i found them under powered i contacted khs and they allowed me to return the set of brakes i promptly went out and purchased hfx mag hayes 8 inch and was never so happy after about 5 or 6 actuations i could perform one finger front wheel stands cold and no squeal and vast amounts of reserve power | | Similar Products Used: | hayey hfx mag 8 inch | | Bike Setup: | porsche fs bike race face xtr group all high end components | | Bottom Line: | please do not waste you're time or moner on formula brakes i wasted one month and over a hundred dollars on shipping | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rod farquhar
a Cross Country Rider
from victoria b c canada
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | khs bicycle parts | | Strengths: | formula b4 dh are pretty that is about all the good i can say about them | | Weaknesses: | formula b 4 brakes did not work as well as i was told they would . i could see calipers expanding when appling pressure they squealed from day one and only stopped when warm or hot i found them under powered i contacted khs and they allowed me to return the set of brakes i promptly went out and purchased hfx mag hayes 8 inch and was never so happy after about 5 or 6 actuations i could perform one finger front wheel stands cold and no squeal and vast amounts of reserve power | | Similar Products Used: | hayey hfx mag 8 inch | | Bike Setup: | porsche fs bike race face xtr group all high end components | | Bottom Line: | please do not waste you're time or moner on formula brakes i wasted one month and over a hundred dollars on shipping | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
YaMon
a Weekend Warrior
from Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Date Reviewed: November 7, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Blue Mountain Peak | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$180.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Light... | | Weaknesses: | No product support. Weak levers. | | Similar Products Used: | Magura | | Bike Setup: | Ellsworth Dare, Z1 MCR, Set up for light Freeriding. | | Bottom Line: | Stay the hell away from these if you do not have IS Standard Frame or you ride a Marzocchi Z1. Formula does not make a lot of adapters. make sure you have the adapter in your hand and KNOW for a fact it fits before you buy this. I still cannot imagine why they would make an adapter for the B4 and not the 4 Racing to fit the Zokes Z1 ?? I had to build my own rear adapter so that it fit my frame. Thank goodness I own a wrought iron furniture business and have the tools and materials at my disposal.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Weekend Warrior
from Bratislava, Slovakia
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Strengths: | Light, strength, modulation. | | Weaknesses: | Strenght lasts about 1 descent and than air gets inside the brake. They leak and leak and leak and leak. | | Similar Products Used: | Hope, Hayes, Magura, Grimeca, Shimano, XSIV. | | Bike Setup: | Scott G-Zero FX25, Marzocchi Z1 Freeride, Formula 4 Racing | | Bottom Line: | This is review for Formula 4 Racing. 4 pistons brake caliper. If you pull out air they brake like no other brakes on the market. But problem is that they work only 1 downhill. Then air gets inside... And they leak through reservoir. I have been trying to get them working for 5 months and it was just wasting time. Forget about Formula it is peace of crap. Save your money and buy something else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bman
a Weekend Warrior
from British Columbia Canada
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Ned's Atomic Dustbin | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | NONE! | | Weaknesses: | my god! to many to list! these breaks suck!!!! never get into them! take my advise, to not listen to any good reviews u see cuz i did, and i lost $220 on these breaks!!!! | | Bottom Line: | garbage is the only word to describe them! they need constant bleeding, im talking every 3 days, and they will blow out on u half way down a trail! they will NOT work under the following conditions: rain, cold, hot, warm, mild, wet, dry...etc. they hardly work at all! If u like to be flying down a trail and suddenly find out u have no breaks, and u love wasteing hundreds of dollars, then these are for you!!!! and ignore the flaming chili, cuz i would give it a -5 if it would let me. These breaks suck so much shoving my foot between the forks would be more effective.
****DO NOT GO NEAR ANY FORMULA DISC BREAK!**** | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vegboy
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | The back brake seems okay. | | Weaknesses: | The front brake sucks. | | Similar Products Used: | Avid SD5, Shimano LX\XT Vee's | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT XCR LE, Marzocchi Z1, Fox Float RC, XT\XTR | | Bottom Line: | Don't turn your bike upside down. The brake fluid will not only leak out but that stuff will eat through your foot when you walk over your Exxon like spill. I've had to bleed them twice in a month and the guy at the bike shop still shrugs and says he can't seal it up better. His opinion is to get rid of them and that's exactly what i'm doing. After the bleed job braking power still sucks. My girlfriend's cantilevers on her "Autobike" work better. And they don't squeal like running your fingernails down the chalkboard either. STAY AWAY! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
joseph zacharda
a Weekend Warrior
from berwyn,il.,usa
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | kettle,wisconsin | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | porsche usa | | Strengths: | great stopping in all conditions | | Weaknesses: | plastic cover over the reservuar has tendency to leak. | | Similar Products Used: | magura | | Bike Setup: | porsche fs | | Bottom Line: | i had nothing but good luck w/these brakes. i am still on the original pads. i had to add some brake fluid only ones. i would buy these brakes again. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tube
a Cross Country Rider
from Amsterdam
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bergen | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | www.rizzy.com | | Strengths: | Superior control, stopping power, looks, light!! | | Weaknesses: | None whatsoever | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, magura louise | | Bike Setup: | Yeti A.R.C., RS SID XC, SRAM 9.0, Race Face cranks, Mavic Cross MAX UST Disc etc. | | Bottom Line: | These Formula 4 Racings are Tha Bomb! very well thought design, cool stopping power(double pistons) and even a built in safety action when ya crash! Choice from 140 160 or 185 discs. Service is tops also, all stuff is in stock. Product is being develloped continuesly. No other brakes on my bike! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Luke Krawczyk
a Weekend Warrior
from Swindon, England
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Any UK Trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike | | Strengths: | Formula B4s came set up on the bike (GT Avalanche). Easy to adjust and maintain. Have had to bleed them once as managed to smash a lever due to a bike meets tree at high speed incident, fitting spare parts was a 10 minute job and easy. Stops the bike well for the kind of cross country/freeride type riding that i do. Never had any lever pump up or brake fade at all that used to occur with my Hopes. | | Weaknesses: | Levers could be a bit tougher but i guess they are meant to be light weight.
Pads seem to have worn down really quickly in the 3 months that i've had them but that could be due to they large ammount of mud we have to deal with here. | | Similar Products Used: | Hope XC4's and Hayes Mechanical | | Bike Setup: | Hardtail set up for Cross Country/freeride. | | Bottom Line: | All round a good XC/Freeride brake system, probably wouldn't use for prolonged downhill use. Some parts could be a little stronger. If you want an easy to maintain lightweight system the Formula is a good choice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
sean
a Weekend Warrior
from calgary,alberta,canada
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Strengths: | great, stop fast and are extremly realiable. | | Weaknesses: | I have encountered none, and most likly will never encounter any problems ever. | | Similar Products Used: | hayes, avid, magua | | Bike Setup: | 2001 vps launch | | Bottom Line: | Great, I think that they beat hayes with no problem. If you have a chance to buy these, but them!! They are great for all round bike setups, full suspension to hardtail. I am going buy another set for my hardtail today! Did I meantion that these are great brakes? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
allen abriel
a Weekend Warrior
from nashua,NH,USA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | FOMBA Manchester NH | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | No Fade, Great feel | | Weaknesses: | Lack of owners manual on product supplied with bike. Pad availibility | | Similar Products Used: | V-brake XT | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT XCR 1500 | | Bottom Line: | No mechanical problems at all yet. Ride at temperatures from 30F to 90F without any adjustments needed. Noise minimal when dirty. Just cleaning rotors stops squeal.Can't speak for reliability, except no problems at all for six months. When trouble develops will probably just replace with a more widely known name, for parts and repairs. Concept of disc brakes is great. Hopefully won't have to worry about replacement of expensive wheels due to rim wear, like with conventional V pads. Also stopping ability much better than prior V's used. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a Weekend Warrior
from truckee
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | mckenzie river trail | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | porsche cars of north america | | Strengths: | this is a follow up review. after replacing the calipers with the newer version these brakes rock! absolutley no complaints with these babies. Thorsten@khsbicycleparts.com was very helpful in contacting me via this site, now I can ride with confidence again! | | Weaknesses: | the disks can loosen over time, and develop a rattle. thor sells a repair kit, but it does not work. | | Similar Products Used: | magura | | Bike Setup: | Porsche FS | | Bottom Line: | now that there is someone out there that can provide product support I think these brakes are an excellent choice | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Global Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | ThorUSA | | Strengths: | Thorsten at Formula USA. Thorsten at ThorUSA.com
Lightness. The new committment of Formula. | | Weaknesses: | Mmmm, ahhh, uhhh, if I had to find any fault it would be with the tiny o-rings that you must watch for if you remove lines or bleed the brakes. They might easily get lost. | | Similar Products Used: | All Magura's XC brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This is a follow up to my review on 5/15/01. I've now had a full season on these B4's.
These brakes work and work well. There have been no problems for the whole season. They are light (as light as advertized!), quiet, powerful, good modulation, have great feeling levers, nice beefy lines and connectors.
They are of course XC brakes and come standard with a 160 front rotor and a tiny 140 rear so don't let's hear anyone b!tching about running out of brakes while trying to stop their 230lbs down a ten mile hill. If you're an average XC'er or racer these brakes are for you. This is the lightest disc brake on the market.
For the heavy people there are optional front 185 rotors and 160 or 185 rears. Call Thorsten for his opinion on this - formula@khsbicycleparts.com
There is also the 4-Racing 4-piston version for heavier applications. I used a front 4-R for about four months with great results.
Nice brakes! Formula and Thorsten - take a bow. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | Came standard on GT i-drive. My last GT came with the Formula MD-1 cable disc - front-runner for worst bike component of all time. Maybe that design team died of shame, because B4s seem to be living up to their reviews. They work well, have a nice lever shape, modulation and feedback, good power that is getting better each ride (the pads seem slow wearing so it makes sense that they’re slow to bed in), and are mostly silent - some nose when wet - unlike Formula’s dentist-drill cable discs. The design appears to be good if a bit fragile in some areas as a result of efforts to save weight. So far the discs themselves seem relatively robust in crashes but can be tweaked back into alignment if necessary. Reasonably straight-forward to bleed with the bleed kit - contact Thorsten or Erika Schaette at ThorUSA (Thorsten@thorusa.com) for really excellent and prompt service, advice and spare parts - even to the other side of the world. My bleed screws are a sloppy fit when not locked down which allows air to get into the bleed process, but thread tape cured that. I had to make up shims to get the caliper centered over the disc for drag-free running but once done there’s no further adjustment. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | Came standard on GT i-drive. My last GT came with the Formula MD-1 cable disc - front-runner for worst bike component of all time. Maybe that design team died of shame, because B4s seem to be living up to their reviews. They work well, have a nice lever shape, modulation and feedback, good power that is getting better each ride (the pads seem slow wearing so it makes sense that they’re slow to bed in), and are mostly silent - some nose when wet - unlike Formula’s dentist-drill cable discs. The design appears to be good if a bit fragile in some areas as a result of efforts to save weight. So far the discs themselves seem relatively robust in crashes but can be tweaked back into alignment if necessary. Reasonably straight-forward to bleed with the bleed kit - contact Thorsten or Erika Schaette at ThorUSA (Thorsten@thorusa.com) for really excellent and prompt service, advice and spare parts - even to the other side of the world. My bleed screws are a sloppy fit when not locked down which allows air to get into the bleed process, but thread tape cured that. I had to make up shims to get the caliper centered over the disc for drag-free running but once done there’s no further adjustment. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Bottom Line: | Came standard on GT i-drive. My last GT came with the Formula MD-1 cable disc - front-runner for worst bike component of all time. Maybe that design team died of shame, because B4s seem to be living up to their reviews. They work well, have a nice lever shape, modulation and feedback, good power that is getting better each ride (the pads seem slow wearing so it makes sense that they’re slow to bed in), and are mostly silent - some nose when wet - unlike Formula’s dentist-drill cable discs. The design appears to be good if a bit fragile in some areas as a result of efforts to save weight. So far the discs themselves seem relatively robust in crashes but can be tweaked back into alignment if necessary. Reasonably straight-forward to bleed with the bleed kit - contact Thorsten or Erika Schaette at ThorUSA (Thorsten@thorusa.com) for really excellent and prompt service, advice and spare parts - even to the other side of the world. My bleed screws are a sloppy fit when not locked down which allows air to get into the bleed process, but thread tape cured that. I had to make up shims to get the caliper centered over the disc for drag-free running but once done there’s no further adjustment. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Weekend Warrior
from Streamwood, IL, US
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came with the bike | | Strengths: | Powerful Braking...if you can actually pick up enough speed to require braking. | | Weaknesses: | 1) Design does not allow for the dissipation of heat.
2) Rotors overheat and warp easily.
3) DOT 4 fluid system does not work well with the poor heat distribution.
4) Free-running drag is out of control.
5) Brake lock-up is eminent on 20-plus mile bike rides.
6) High maintenance.
7) Bleeding the brake system is a pain without the Formula Bleeding Kit.
| | Similar Products Used: | First experience with hydraulic disk brakes | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT Zaskar - Marzocchi, LX/XTR, Mavic, Syncros, Formula EVO's | | Bottom Line: | I've had my GT Zaskar for 16 months. The bike is great, but the Formula EVO's have taken the joy out of riding. The brakes have been bled, re-bled and bled again. How many times do I have to bleed these brakes before I get them to work properly???
These brakes are probably great race brakes...race, repair, test then race again, but they are not practical for daily/weekend use. There is just too much maintenance involved.
The brakes overheat very easily causing the DOT 4 brake fliud to expand, which eventually causes the disk brakes to lockup. This overheating can also cause the rotor to warp. If you have EVO disk brakes and you feel an increase in free-running drag, stop riding immediately!!! If you hear a squeaking/squealing/screeching noise that was not there when you started on your bike ride...too late, chances are your brakes have overheated to the point where you have just caused damage to your rotor.$$
I learned this the hard way.
The solution: If you don't ride in conditions which require extreme stopping power(downhill, mud or wet trail conditions) stick to v-brakes. You will be better off from the maintenance, monetary and overall bike riding experience perspectives.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mat
a
from Tavistock England
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | tavy woodlands | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Batchelors | | Strengths: | B4 Very light weight, ease of set up looks and performance. | | Weaknesses: | slightly flimsy at the lever | | Similar Products Used: | hope 2,4,and minis. Grimeca 2 pots. | | Bike Setup: | Heckler, bomber z1, middleburn, hope, sun, formula b4 | | Bottom Line: | On a recent holday to Morzine and Les Gets in france i was a little concerned that my diddy little brakes would not be able to withstand the punishing that they would receive. But lo and behold they performed beyond my needs and really excelled themselves. They do get very hot and that makes the fluid expand but being an open system it doesn't matter. My discs are now permanently blued from the heat but it doesn't affect performance any. If you are going to buy them i would go for the larger disc versions just for that little bit more power because then they would be truly phenomenal.sexy looks and lighter than any v brake on the market make these a must buy in my book. Ignore those plonkers who say they are hard to bleed, they come bled and should not need touching for several years. If you do have to bleed them use the proper syringe as this is what it was designed for.five flaming turds from me! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pual Pirotta
a Cross Country Rider
from Boddington
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | anywhere | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | came with bike | | Strengths: | Light, good modulation, cheap | | Weaknesses: | Plastic push-on resevoir cap, with tricky to bleed bladder. | | Similar Products Used: | Not owned but tried XT and Hayes | | Bike Setup: | 2001 GT Avalanch 00, sids, XT, XTR | | Bottom Line: | B4's-Having never set up discs before, it was easy to set the units up straight in relation to the discs using shims. But it took me a few goes to bleed that resevoir bladder. Just press it in with your finger whilst adding fluid. The units bleed easy however, and I pulled it all apart for fun, and managed to put it back together perfectly. It looks well made inside too. They give a great breaking feel and should be fine. I just wish the resevoir was better designed, but it hasnt really been a problem. Once bled and set up right they are excellent value, have a go. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rick Wheat
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, OR
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | OEM | | Strengths: | They work well for the brief periods where they don't require maintenance. | | Weaknesses: | High maintenance, poor manufacturing quality, prone to failure, generally unreliable, non-existent support at the bike shop level, mediocre support at the manufacture level | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | Light wieght free ride | | Bottom Line: | This is one of the worst products I have tried in fifteen years of riding. They require constant bleeding and are prone to failure. I could no go on a road trip without a bleed kit. I gave up after several attempts to get functioning warranty parts from the manufacture and purchased a set of Hayes. Stay away.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John G
a Weekend Warrior
from Mission Viejo
Date Reviewed: August 1, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All of them | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Not many......when they are set-up right they are fair. I broke the master cyclinder after 11 months and Formula and the local shop said too bad. I contacted ThorUSA.com and ordered the parts. 100 bucks later, down to the shop to have them installed. Thor was helpful, had faith in the product, shiped on time and was good with tips. | | Weaknesses: | It's been a week on the new break cyclinder and they are not right. Poor design, too much modulation in the lever, too hard to adjust and very hard to get " FORMULA" support. On long climbs you loose hydraulic pressure and on long down-hills the pads rub the disk. Everyone has tips on bleeding and tweeking them, but my old XTR V breaks were bullet proof. I spent too much money on this bike to be worrying about my breaks. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes/ Avid/ XT disc/ XTR V's | | Bike Setup: | GT STS 1000/ Stock with mostly XTR, Sid, Syncros and Formula EVO's | | Bottom Line: | Every year it's some new product that will improve our bikes. I think most of them are good and others like disc breaks are too much hype, too over engineered and too many manufactures are willing to jump on board and spec bikes with junk. I am pulling them off and installing XTR V- breaks and will ride my two times and week and learn to love my bike again. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bikefreak
a Racer
from Klosterneuburg, Austria
Date Reviewed: July 12, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | national championship courses | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$140.00 | | Purchased At: | bikepalast.com | | Strengths: | -lightweight: 340g!!!!
-great modulation
-great stopping power: less
-exciting design
-no mainstream-product
-self-adjusting pads
-pads wear out very slowly | | Weaknesses: | -shortening the pipes is a pain
-a small number of srews are made of plastic--> might be damaged (just be careful and it won´t be a problem)
-might squeal a bit, depending on the number of spacers and the frame. but all disc brakes squeal if it´s wet.... | | Similar Products Used: | deore v-brake/sram 7.0 levers (tip: extremely lightweight; lighter than the xtr´s!!!!); magura hs 33; magura louise 2000 | | Bike Setup: | hitec xcr 2000 frame,sid xc, crossroc disc, ritchey-parts, michelin comp s, sram 9.0 (rear deraillieur [x-cuse me if it´s spelled wrong]), xtr (front), time pedals and last but not least my formula b 4´s | | Bottom Line: | ATTENTION!!! i´m talkig about the formula b 4, not ´bout the evo or another formula disc brake. a lot of people reviewed the evo which doesn´t seem to be as good as the b 4, so the average rating is worse.
the b 4 really kicks a$$! when i first saw it in a mag, i knew this brake would be the only one being mounted on my bike. i have always been against discbrakes: too heavy, don´t work well, but this brake changed my opinion. it´s light, very light, and worx well under all conditions. when it´s wet, the b 4 brakes as good as under dry conditions.
but let your bike-mechanic shorten the pipes and bleed them. no matter how skilled you are, you´ll cock it up. furthermore, it´s cheaper than trying it on your own, because otherwise you´ll spend your money on spareparts that you destroyed and finally you will still have to let your mechanic doing the work.
in spite of the installation-difficulties, this is the best brake ever used. compared with other disc-brakes, it is much lighter (xt: 460g, louise:420g). if you are a xc and ma racer, buy the b 4 and you´ll downhill like a king, especially in muddy conditions.
BUY THIS BRAKE!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Cordle
a
from Muskegon, MI
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Right Loop, Tsali | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Freewheeler Grand Rapids MI | | Strengths: | Formula Evoluzione: Easier to set up than I feared after reading the posts here.
Personally, I had great product support, both from Mr. Thorsten @ Thor.com 800-222-8356, who is the US,
Tech support who I learned of from this site, Thanks! And also from Formula itself. It should be noted that Formula's
response emails are generally next day due to the time difference. | | Weaknesses: | I'm not really fond of the riveted rotors, and I also had some fit troubles when switching from the Marzocchi to
the Rock Shox SID XC. This problem was remedied by Mr. Thorsten by sending me the proper Torx T-25 screws
(free of charge no less), to replace the socket head cap screws GT chose to install.
I haven't had to bleed the brakes so I can't respond to the troubles some of you have had. | | Similar Products Used: | None, only V's. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT Zaskar, SID XC, Mavic X317's with XT hubs | | Bottom Line: | Perhaps, thanks to this site and our postings, Formula has made changes to improve both it's products and support.
I cannot really complain about this product or the support I recieved.
I will use these brakes until there's nothing left of them, if they go to hell before I feel it's time,
I will again test the customer support waters and report back to you all.
Happy Trails! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graham
a Cross Country Rider
from Ellensburg
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all trails | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Re-Cycle Bicycle shop | | Strengths: | The have great stoping power, they feel good and the levers are great. | | Weaknesses: | The are heavy. No way to adjust pads | | Similar Products Used: | Avid arch rivals | | Bike Setup: | GT 2000 12" Zascar with bomber z2 x fly | | Bottom Line: | The work great well worth the money. Sure beat the Avid arch rivals. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Simeon Bateman
a Racer
from Denver CO
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Mt Falcon | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | These Brakes have no strengths whatsoever!!!!! | | Weaknesses: | These brakes still squel after a year of heavy riding. They are constantly in need of adjustment. They are also not very powerful - especially when they get wet!!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Avid | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are awful.linear pull brakes work better than these brakes. There is nothing good about them. They are not worth all the trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Global Bob
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 15, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All of em. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | The product support - Thorsten at ThorUSA.com
Beautiful levers. No squeal. All new brake models for 2001! | | Weaknesses: | Haven't found any yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Magura discs. | | Bottom Line: | I have the 4-Racing front brake (185mm rotor) and the B4 rear brake (with the optional 160mm rotor). These brakes rock - great power, excellent modulation and feel. Gone are the Formula brakes of the past and gone is the non-exsistant N.American service. Now these brakes are imported and distributed by Thorsten of the fabled Magura service of the past. The models for 2001 are all new - totally.
ThorUSA stocks all the spare parts and he will give you instant product support.
I've used these brakes for a while and they do a fine job - powerful, quiet, easy to install and adjust. The levers are the best I have seen - nice reach adjustment and feel. The self adjusting feature places the blade right where it should be for me.
The lines are easily shortened and they and the connectors look very beefy.
The B4 comes standard with 160 front/140 rear rotors but they are upgradeable to 160/185 (yes even on the rear) with adaptors available from Thor.
Go to ThorUSA.com to see the brakes and the new FOG - Formula Owners Group.
Bob. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NIck S.
a Cross Country Rider
from Brentwood, TN
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ho Chi MIn Trail, Whistler BC | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Came with bike | | Strengths: | Its OK at best, it stop pretty well when it is working right | | Weaknesses: | SQUEAL!!!!!!!!SQUEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! And sometimes the braking get pretty bad. | | Bike Setup: | GT Zaskar 2000, Marz Z2 X-fly and these Formula pieces of junk | | Bottom Line: | Hmmmm............ Its okk if you don't like the good companies like Hope or Hayes. I've had it shake loose due to the wrong bolt in the package and also it was stripped. Hmmmmmmm, the parts are almost impossible to get, sounds like a bust. :'-( | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Truckee
Date Reviewed: April 2, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | the hole in the ground | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | porsche | | Strengths: | excellent modulation,& stopping power. won't fade when wet | | Weaknesses: | absolutey no product support in the US. does anyone out there know where to get parts? | | Similar Products Used: | Magura hydraulic rim brakes | | Bike Setup: | 1998 Porsche FS | | Bottom Line: | THESE BRAKES ARE AWSOME! just don't "brake" them!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Onion creek , castle vally moab | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Disc brakes are good | | Weaknesses: | very noisy from the beginning, constanly need to be worked on,cost over $100 to be fixed when the bike was brand new! difficult to bleed,no service dept., only a sales dept. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | 99 BDR X-10 | | Bottom Line: | I can't find a replacement caliper of another brand that will fit my frame. Formula is unwilling to honor any warranty they claim to provide with their products,they probably sell insurance too!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve roderick
a Cross Country Rider
from truckee , ca usa
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | hole in the ground | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Porsche cars of north America | | Strengths: | excellent modulation, very light touch. | | Weaknesses: | can be difficult to work on, especially without the proper tools. impossible to find parts. they have virtually no customer support network in the US. | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | 1998 Porsche FS | | Bottom Line: | I would highly suggest choosing a different hydraulic disc brake. when they work, they're fantastic, but god help you if anything brakes!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Port Perry, Ontario
Date Reviewed: March 26, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Whats with the guy "GS from Calgary" padding the reviews with the five stars? Does he work for Formula or what? Hes in this list at least 6 times! | | Bottom Line: | I just put this in to draw attention to this. It's wrong and missleading to try and bump up the ratings! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rich
a Weekend Warrior
from shelton,ct.
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | the ledge in trumbull ,ct. | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | came stock on my bike,unfortunately | | Strengths: | none at all. they only work when the weather is nice out,get em wet and they don't work at all and squeal really bad.(hmmm get em wet and they don't work,isn't that supposed to be the strength of disc brakes?) | | Weaknesses: | everything,do not buy these brakes,i promise you if you buy these brakes you WILL be disappointed,unless you live in the desert where it never rains. | | Similar Products Used: | one rather large pile of dog crap would not only be similar it would be exactly the same......honest | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT XCR-LE now with hayes hydraulic disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | bottom line is these brakes are garbage,don't buy them.buy anything but formula hydraulic disc brakes.i can't tell you how many times i carried my bike over streams didn't ride when it's raining or when some snow is on the ground just because if these brakes get wet they just plain do not work till i park my bike in the house and let em dry overnight,then they will work till the next time they get wet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GS
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Clean design. Great power and modulation. Lots of adjustability. Quick release fitting on the brake-lines for easy removal from levers. Italian engineering!! | | Weaknesses: | They don't have a split mount lever design like the Hayes. Product isn't always available at your local bike shop. Parts are hard to find. | | Similar Products Used: | Coda Hayes Magura | | Bike Setup: | I have a Titus Loco Moto and a Steel cross country hardtail both setup with these brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I see most people find it a hassell bleeding these brakes. I have created a step by step bleeding manual that you can request. Just email me and I'll send one to you.
**** WORK ON YOUR BRAKES AT YOUR OWN RISK! **** | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
cam
a Weekend Warrior
from madiison,wiscosin
Date Reviewed: March 7, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | sun city | | Strengths: | great stopping power, hassle free use. nice and thick rotors. | | Weaknesses: | modulation(none) on or off thats it, but when you need them they are there, if and I mean IF you need to blead them its is kinda a pain in the ass. | | Similar Products Used: | shimano XT,s | | Bike Setup: | 2000 G.T. avelanche, lx/xt, mavic rims,judy race,XT discs F@R. | | Bottom Line: | I see and here a lot of complaints about these brakes rubbing and such, If they are set up by a good mechanic they work absilutly great. The only reasone the rotors should warp is if they where not tightened the right way during set up. If you are worried about week rotors DO NOT get the XT'S. Mine bent within 5 mins.I wish i would have stuck with the Formula discs... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Lee
a Weekend Warrior
from Seattle, WA USA
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | All | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Strengths: | Great stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | Failed to release brake pads properly. Defective after about a dozen rides. Major rubbing between rotor and brake pads. | | Bike Setup: | GT Avalanche 1999 | | Bottom Line: | I wouldn't recommend putting these hydrolic disc brakes on any bike. The stopping power was excellent until it broke on me. The constant rubbing was a real hinderance on riding. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
GS
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | all of them | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Bow Cycle Calgary | | Strengths: | Clean design. Great power and modulation. Lots of adjustability. Quick release fitting on the brake-lines for easy removal from levers. Italian engineering!! | | Weaknesses: | They don't have a split mount lever design like the Hayes. Product isn't always available at your local bike shop. Parts are hard to find. | | Similar Products Used: | Magura, Hayes, Coda. | | Bike Setup: | Oryx Equipe 4500 Gold True Temper Gold Hard tail. Zocchi Atom 80 Z2. XTR 8spd. Coda 2x crank set. Formula Evoluzione Disc. Mavic cross max wheels | | Bottom Line: | Things are only improving with the Formula Evo. They still have the nice feel at the lever and the braking power only gets better as they age. These brakes have been fault free for a complete year of riding.
The new Evoluzione 9.5 is even better. Recently released for 2001, the Evo 9.5 boasts a larger piston diameter in the lever..(7.5mm to 9.5mm). This should improve the overall stopping power for the free-ride and downhill freaks out there.
These brakes are already powerful and have fantastic modulation, now you can compare the stopping power with Hayes. Finally a brake with instant stopping power and the beautiful feel of Formula modulation. Sound like a winner to me.
Formula brakes are great and only getting better! Scary.
P.S. If you like these brakes ..you should try their B4 cross country brake.....one word ... KILLER ! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alfonso G
a Racer
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | ones that don't have much climbing | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | off a friend | | Strengths: | -good braking power
-look O.K
| | Weaknesses: | -bolts loosen
-has small leak on the lever | | Similar Products Used: | hayes,formula cable(suk!), all avid brakes(except the cable &hydro disks) | | Bike Setup: | '99 DBR X-6(W/custum intense link)99 J.r T, all XT panaracer fire DHtire(2.6) | | Bottom Line: | The brakes work good by the way these are formula evoluzone, not the cable acuted kind they suk I've also tried them. I'm only 15 so I can't pay $400 for new brakes so I got them used, they work better than my friend's hayes('99 S-works W/monsterT). Haven't bled them yet, but they don't show signs of any fade! Also I don't have a problem W/climbing, I won the sagebrush safari(team big bear) X-country race in my age cadegory, my other bike is a 23 pound '00 Mt Tam | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Masa Hayakawa
a Weekend Warrior
from Japan
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Sangane san mountain | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | Sold from muy freined | | Strengths: | I can get fluid at any where.
The system is very similar to motorcycle's brake system.
Japanese distributor has a lot of repair parts for user.
| | Weaknesses: | As every one is telling,lever is too weak. | | Similar Products Used: | Motor cycle. | | Bike Setup: | Azonic DS-1 | | Bottom Line: | In Japan,everybody wants to buy Hayes and Shimano.
There is a reason for that the Shimano and distributor of Hayed are very cooperative with bicycle medias.
So,every medias and magazines wrote that Shimano and Hayes are good brake.
However I know that Formular is almost first fluid controlled disc beake in the world.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vince
a Weekend Warrior
from oak creek, WI USA
Date Reviewed: January 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | john muir | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | patio bike | | Strengths: | real good power, pretty quiet. looks good on bike. | | Weaknesses: | well, the brakes are pertty good really, but, the rotor bent after i got the bike like a week later. i dunno y, but make sure when u get these, put the wheel on straight, the rotor is self centering, so, theres no need. and i haven't even tried to start to bleed these things, i'll just bum it to the shop and get it done for 20 bones. | | Similar Products Used: | first discs | | Bike Setup: | gt avalanche stock brakes | | Bottom Line: | great brakes for the money, but if i had a choice, and wasn't broke, i'd get some hayes or something, easier to figure out. so it gets 4 fired leprachans | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
black bullet
a Weekend Warrior
from australia brisvegas
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Strengths: | fitting EBC brake pads | | Weaknesses: | rotor riverts
bleeding
poor quality metals used on all components
like all Itaty product don't bother | | Similar Products Used: |
yet to try other products | | Bike Setup: | giant ATX DH2 1999 | | Bottom Line: | formula fail do not waste your time and cash | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rodney Smart
a Weekend Warrior
from Pretiria, South Africa
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$115.00 | | Purchased At: | Hatfield Cycles | | Strengths: | Fair price for full hydraulic system. The supplied manual is detailed (see bleeding below). | | Weaknesses: | Bleeding the system (I had to shorten the front hose) is a nuisance with DOT4 fluid. No manual for the B4 system on Formula's Web site. | | Bike Setup: | Diamondback Vectra, Marzocchi Z5, LX/XT drive train, Mavic X222 rims, RST(Formula) disc hub. | | Bottom Line: | Still breaking them in, but the installation was straight foward. I'll update after a few rides. This is for the new B4 brake, not the older system. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
christos skriapas
a Cross Country Rider
from larissa greece
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | kissavos | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$35.00 | | Purchased At: | greece authorised dealer | | Strengths: | I'm talking for the new B4 model, wich is very good looking
and light..
| | Weaknesses: | no manuals provided from the dealer, also in formula site there is not manuals for the new B4 version | | Similar Products Used: | shimano V-brake XT | | Bike Setup: | pakka dual suspention bike,full XT components,truvativ crank,santur fork,dnm,sram hubs, ritchey rims.... | | Bottom Line: | from my point of view it looks very nice.I'd like to ride XC and I think these brakes are ideal for me.I use SRAM 90 SL hubs with 6 holes and I have problem with the caliper and the disk.Is anybody knows how I can fill the reservoir and how Ican adjust the lever and the pads because the brakes are very weak. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patrick Roscoe
a Downhiller
from Valley Forge PA USA
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Whoop de doo | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | mail order | | Strengths: | Good design
Good modulation
Great Power
Nice lever | | Weaknesses: | Dot 4 mess
Setup | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Magura Rim, Avid, XTR, MD-1 Mech. | | Bike Setup: | Kona Stinky, Z3 QR20, XTR, Syncros, Kore, Azonic, SDG. | | Bottom Line: | Becareful reading these reviews for the 99 evolutions. All the negative ratings come from people who dont know how to read, not to insult anyone. These people are not patient enough to learn the RIGHT way to set them up and use them. They also rely on bike shops, where most of the mechanics are not familiar with the Formula system. If you follow the directions these brakes CAN be the best disc brakes you can buy. The directions are a little vague but if you call them they are the best people to work with. I live about 15 min from their US headquarters and if you call them, they WILL help. They even sent their rep to our local shop to show all of someone else to CORRECT way to set them up.
First off, Dont mess with cylinder adjustment screw! Dont drill anything! (As in some previous reviews) If the hood cover needed a hole in it Formula would have put one there. The adjustment screw for the cylinder is only needed to be adjusted ONCE, when you first set up the brakes. You can also make minor adjustments during bleeding. Dial it in the first time for the feeling you want and ONLY use the lever reach screw for future on the fly adjustments. People having problems with temp changes etc. have messed with that adjustment screw and turned an open system into a closed system. That resivoir on the lever is their for a reason, to take care of expansion. Temp changes cause expansion but when you close of the resivoir, where is the fluid going to go. If you setup these brakes right they will work, great.
Next, bleeding them is a little more difficult, But if done right can be somewhat harmless. The fitting for bleeding (the one that goes into the lever) is hard to find and bleed kits are hard to get and a little pricy. Just for your information Magura fittings work with formula systems(both rim and disc) and their cheaper. DOT 4 fluid can be very dangerous to your bike. TRY not to get it on and plastic or paint anywhere. It is very corrosive and if you do Windex/rudding alcohol/ or simple green will take care of it.
They are qiute pricy but shop around and find deals, their out there, and if you work for a shop, pro-deal makes them somewhat affordable. Parts on the other hand are really expensive. But if you take your time with the brakes, dont over tighting, and set them up right, you wont need any parts. Just centering the rotor in the pads will make the life of the pads increase. The people that had problems with the pads wearing to quickly probably had rubbing problems and calipers that werent completely centered.
All in all, if you do it right they will out perform most braking systems out there. For all hayes lovers, forget that touchy lever and lockup. These brakes Modulate better than the many I've tried. If you read and do no geuss work they will perform. Dont make guess when setting them up, just make a simple phone call for a good explanation to you question. The people whose should buy these should have enough expierence with basic bike maintenence and not rely on unknown bike shop mechanics. And for all you haters out there, give them a chance. If you hook them up right they will work better than anything out there right now. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
monkey coutts
a Downhiller
from kidderminster
Date Reviewed: December 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | up kilva | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | windwave | | Strengths: | erm this is hard one well ok when it does work its good nice proggressive | | Weaknesses: | 1)it leaks at the lever
2)once its bled again it has a super wooden feel not nice
3) then it leaks again just when it starts to feel nice
4)it squeaks when it working (no need for a bell then) | | Similar Products Used: | XT V-brake (just as good unless its wet)
LX V brake (as above just cheaper ) | | Bike Setup: | Planet X jack flash with judy 2000 sl (100mm of travel) X-lite stem d321 back d521 front tioga stripe saddle irc tyres trail stuff | | Bottom Line: | if formula give a lever that doesn't leak all the time then maybe I could put up with the squeaks ! I'm getting a Hope when I've got the money I don't how much there cost in the US but over here they about £30 more (I've spent that on bleeding the setup) than the formula .So the bottom line is buy something that works buy a hope and its british | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgay Alberta
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Too many to choose | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Bow Cycle Calgary | | Strengths: | Clean design. Great power and modulation. Lots of adjustability. Quick release fitting on the brake-lines for easy removal from levers. Italian engineering!! | | Weaknesses: | They don't have a split mount lever design like the Hayes. This would improve the ease of mounting the levers....but no big deal ! They maybe a little porky! (heavy) | | Similar Products Used: | Magura, Hayes, Coda. | | Bike Setup: | Oryx Equipe 4500 Gold True Temper Gold Hard tail. Zocchi Atom 80 Z2. XTR 8spd. Coda 2x crank set. Formula Evoluzione Disc. Mavic wheels | | Bottom Line: | It's been 7 months of continous use on these brakes. They have been nothing but great ! I have not experianced any of the negative results posted here.
Most of the guys I ride with have Hayes brakes. These brakes have performed just as well as Hayes and make very little noise at all...no more than Hayes anyway. The dirtier they get the better they work. If they work well ...don't screw with them...don't clean them...ride them.
As for these brakes packing up and the brake fluid expanding during use ???? I have never felt anything of the sort...I don't know what these guys are refering to.....and I 've riden in all conditions, hot cold rain snow ?? I really believe their brake levers are not setup properly. Make sure your lever is not pushing on the piston while in the resting position. This will assure proper expansion of the fluid back into the reservoir.
I give Formula Evoluzione Hydro brakes 5 out of 5 and would highly recommend them .... that's my final answer ! Ride for life and respect the Earth.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
William Keith
a Cross Country Rider
from Somerset West, South Africa
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Grabouw Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Maverick | | Strengths: | Braking power is okay - when they're working
Modulation is also pretty good | | Weaknesses: | Plenty - temperamental as all hell! Have a nasty habit of giving up the ghost just when you need them most. | | Similar Products Used: | Formula Mechanicals | | Bike Setup: | Giant XC DS2, Manitou SX, Sid Rear, LX components | | Bottom Line: | Had endless troubles with the mechanicals - store fitted 3 sets before I told them to upgrade to hydraulics. The cheap price was due to the trade in on the mechanicals that didn't work. At first the Formula hydraulics did work well, a little finicky to set up right, but once that was done they worked okay. Then I started doing some serious long distance stuff in all kinds of weather and at all altitudes from 1400m to 3400m on a single ride. These brakes do not like big temperature changes either (below 10degC in the morning to above 30degC by lunch)the oil expands and then grips hold of the disc to the point of virtual lockout. Not a total train smash on a casual ride, but I'm loathe to stop and adjust my brakes during a race. On a bike costing R10,000 or more you'd think the manufacturer could at least supply brakes that work. I bought a set of Codas, but they don't fit the bike so now I'm having to shell out more than some people in SA earn in a month for a set of Hayes! I'll never touch Formulas again - their temperament has cost me too many places in races. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ranger Jay
a Cross Country Rider
from Orange County, CA
Date Reviewed: October 14, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Came on GT XCR-1500 | | Strengths: | Excellent power and modulation. | | Weaknesses: | Parts hard to find. MUST BE ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO SERVICE BULLETIN.
Difficult to bleed. | | Bottom Line: | I had a lot of problems with these brakes at first. They would lock up when hot. Then I learned there was a service bulletin from the bike maker (GT) about adjusting them. You can't just turn the thumb screw to adjust reach. You need to remove the cover on the lever and use a flat blade screwdriver to move the screw. There must be a tiny bit of freeplay before the lever starts to push in the piston. Otherwise, the fluid cannot reach the master cylinder and expands only inside the cable when it heats up, which then pushes the pads against the rotor. For those having severe problems with lock-up, figure this out and you'll probably be very happy. I was ready to trash these brakes until I learned this and now I love them.
Also, if you get junk (like brake fluid) on the pads, you'll have to break them in all over again after cleaning. If anyone knows a good source for replacement pads, let me know. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
J-C
a Racer
from Lake Louise, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 7, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Hmmm...strength is a word that those brake made me forget.
-Good lever design (made cheap but good design) | | Weaknesses: | -Formula customer service is the worst in the industry
-Brake pad are falling apart. Second set of brake pads in less than a year (I ride 6 months a year)
-Rotor warped really easily
-4 hole system is the only one of is kind
-Caliper made of cheap aluminum, easy to strip.
And I could go on I on | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, coda, Shimano | | Bike Setup: | Giant xcx1, Bomber Z1 cr, Race face crank, headset, bottom bracket and seat post, Mavic 321, Fire DH pro, XTR & XT | | Bottom Line: | If you don't like to ride and always try to find a excuse not to go when your riding buddy's call you, this is the perfect brake system for you. Need bleeding weekly, new brake pads every 4 months and leaking is their specialty. If you love paying a lot of money for replacement part and be without brake for month because their service dept. still didn't figure out how to make their own system work. e-mail me and I will be happy to give you a extremely good deal to get rid of them.
For your information my brake have now been gone for 5 weeks (for warranty work...again) and Formula just informed my bike shop that it would cost me 125us $ for repair(5 weeks later). I'm getting a set of Shimano disk brake and don't want to ear about Formula and their product again.
They made some important staff change and told me that has soon as they received by brake system, they would be fix in 24hrs to 48hrs (5 weeks - 1 week for shipping = 4 weeks = 672 hours), a little difference. Anyway, if you want to buy Formula brake go for it but I garantee that you learn all kind of new swear word while working on them
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
steve
a Weekend Warrior
from San Francisco, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Downeyville | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Ocean Cyclery, San Francisco | | Strengths: | This product stops your bike but have much more problems than benefits. | | Weaknesses: | 1. Brake levers are cheap! I have owned the bike for 4 months and have already broke the clamp which secures the lever to the handlebar. The levers have lots of play from the fully extended position to where the levers engage the brake.
2. Brake engages without pressing the lever. Road vibration causes the lever setting to change which causes the levers to engage the brake. I find myself adjusting the brakes everytime I ride singletrack.
3. The brakes squeak bad. I clean the brake disc and the problem returns after a 30 minute ride. | | Bike Setup: | Zaskar X stock | | Bottom Line: | I bought a GT Zaskar X which came equipped with Formula Evoluzione hydraulic brakes. If I would have known that the Formula disc brakes were so bad, I would have never bought the bike.
DO NOT BUY ANYTHING MADE BY FORMULA!!!
I have only had my bike for 5 months and the Formula disc are giving me nothing but problems. Besides the weaknesses I have listed above, their customer service is the absolute worst.
My bike has been in the shop since 9/2/00 because Formula has not replaced a defective brake lever. Today is 9/29/00 and I still have not received a replacement. I have been trying to contact them through email and telephone and the only response that I have received from them came from their Italy office. Their response...they would forward the message to their U.S. Office. It has been two weeks since my initial contact with them and I am still waiting for a solution to this problem. I have emailed them 5 times, faxed them a letter, and called their office line twice. Their voice mail system doesn't even work. I have yet to get a response.
They're customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. I am asking them to send me a refund for the total value of the brakes so that I could purchase a set of Shimano XT or Hayes disc.
If you scroll through these reviews, I am sure you must wonder why so many people have given this product such bad reviews. Take my word for it!!!! You would be much better off to spend a little more money for a set of Hayes or Shimano.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bill Gillis
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lynn Woods, Vietnam | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Included w/ GT XCR-LE | | Strengths: | Very smooth and linear braking. Great control and feedback at the levers. Powerful, work well in all conditions. | | Weaknesses: | Requires a bit of tweaking and set-up time. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Hope | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT XCR-Le | | Bottom Line: | These brakes work great !! The phenomenal stopping power, the smooth linear braking performance, excellent control feedback make for a killer set-up. I've used these brakes in dry, heavy rain, extreme mud and they don't quit. I did have to spend sometime tweaking to get them dialed in properly. My rear inner(frame side) pad kept dragging on the disk. Multiple bleedings failed to resolve the problem. I thought of filing down caliper mounting stanchions, but was relectant as these are semi-preceision parts. I read the review from Andy Orr, who encountered the same problem. I followed Andy's advice and carefully and slowly filed the mounts down. After doing this, the caliper no longer rubbed the disk. The breaks are now dialed in and work like magic. If the rating was based on perfornace alone, I'd give them a 5, but because of the set-up issues, I felt I had to drop the overall rating doen wo a four.
As a former motorcycle road racer, I know the importance of a solid braking system with good cockpit feedback. The formulas are the closest thing I've riden that mimic's that experiance.
Remember, disk brake technology is new to cycling. It's going to take a while to get the kinks worked out of all the designs. If your looking for a bolt-on no hassle system, I don't think hydraulic disk brakes, of any kind, are for you. If performance is your bottom line, and you don't mind reading the manual and doing some tweaking, then these brakes may be for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick Morozov
a Weekend Warrior
from Moscow Russia
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocket | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$220.00 | | Strengths: | In russian conditions it works well, it's cheap, it's powerfull. | | Weaknesses: | Some formula hubs have four holes witch feet only formula disks. | | Similar Products Used: | From cross country to DH | | Bike Setup: | GT LTS, RS judy XLC, xt/xtr/sram9.0. | | Bottom Line: | If you have a small budget on hydraulic disk breaks, formula will be the best choise. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn Stante
a Racer
from Calgary Alberta
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Clean design. Great power and modulation. Quick release fitting on the brake-lines for easy removal from levers. Italian engineering!! | | Weaknesses: | They don't have a split mount lever design like the Hayes. This would improve the ease of mounting the levers....but no big deal ! They maybe a little porky! (heavy) | | Similar Products Used: | Magura, Hayes, Coda. | | Bike Setup: | Oryx true temper Gold Hard tail. Atom 80 Z2. XTR 8spd. Coda Expert 2x crank set. Formula Evoluzione Disc. Mavic wheels | | Bottom Line: | I would like to respond to Andy Orrs review. It is very important that the adjustment screw mounted in the lever not be used to adjust the brake pad positioning.
As you turn the screw inwards the piston is moved past a hole which allows brake fluid to flow into the expansion reservoir. By altering the resting position of the piston in the lever you create a closed system. It is critical that the fluid be able to expand back into the reservoir via this hole or it may cause the braking system to pack-up during use.
Adjust the reach of your lever first then adjust the screw in the lever so it doesn't apply any pressure on the piston.
Before anyone plays with a braking system, it is very important that you first down load a manual from the companys website . Keep in mind these are engineered systems meant to operate a specific way. Guess work is not recomended, for your own safety.
I've been using my brakes for under two month with no problems what so ever. These are great brakes that I would highly recommend.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Orr
a
from Fort Collins, CO
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The next one | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Stock on GT STS 1000 | | Strengths: | Adjustability, feel, stopping power | | Weaknesses: | Disc brakes have a learning curve... | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Magura | | Bike Setup: | These were stock on my GT STS 1000 | | Bottom Line: | I have already posted a favorable review of this product. For other current owners and those of you considering this brake system, here are a couple of tips that that I have learned through my experience with these brakes.
1. Get the rotor perfectly centered in between the pads. If your rotor is hanging one way or the other performance will be greatly affected. Either use spacers or - yes, I did it and it worked - file the brake caliper. If you resort to filing, keep the file level and count the number of rubs for each bolt hole. If you file a little too far, use spacers to get back to where you need to be. BE CAREFUL! Try 5 or 10 swipes with the file and then remount to check the fit. KEEP THE FILE AND THE CALIPER LEVEL!
2. Carefully drill a hole large enough to insert a small, flat head screw driver (the small one on the Alien tool works) in the plastic hood that covers the modulation screw on the lever. Center the hole over the screw so you can make on the fly adjustments without removing the hood. In order not to crack the plastic hood, I started with a small drill bit and made a starter hole and progressively bored out the size I needed. (Credit for this idea goes to GT's Greg Thornton).
Since I spent the time to center my calipers the only problem I have had with a squeaky brake was when they got real hot (four hours of constant up and down on a hot, Colorado day). I was able to make a quick adjustment to the mod screw without removing the cover and the brakes backed off a bit. No more noise and a regained feel.
I have these brakes so dialed in.
One final note to the manufacturers. Why not require the use of spacers with all frames and all disc brake calipers? I ran in to another guy today who was having the same problem with his Hayes -- too close of a tolerance and they needed filed. If the caliper bolt-hole mounts were reduced a little then you could guarantee a perfect fit for every frame by building it back up with different size spacers.
My apologies for the multiple reviews.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn Stante
a Cross Country Rider
from Calgary Ab. Canada
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$440.00 | | Strengths: | Clean design. Great power and modulation. Lots of adjustability. Quick release fitting on the brake-lines for easy removal from levers. Italian engineering!! | | Weaknesses: | They don't have a split mount lever design like the Hayes. This would improve the ease of mounting the levers....but no big deal ! They maybe a little porky! (heavy) | | Similar Products Used: | Magura, Hayes, Coda. | | Bike Setup: | Oryx true temper Gold Hard tail. Atom 80 Z2. XTR 8spd. Coda 2x crank set. Formula Evoluzione Disc. Mavic wheels | | Bottom Line: |
These brakes eat it up ! They truly have all the power with a nice touch of modulation. The levers have the nicest feel and design of all the brakes I've tried. The levers are fully adjustable for reach and piston position.
I think the rotor is where all the magic happens . The over-sized rotor disipates heat very well and the two piece rotor/hub design isolates any resonance that might build up in the rotor reducing any brake noise (resonance = noise). These brakes do not have a noise problem ! They even use a smaller rotor for the rear where less braking is required...a nice touch.
The calipers work well and keep the pads adjusted and centered at all times. The brake line is flexing making mounting nice and clean. My LBS mounted my brakes without any problems...they did'nt even need to use spacers !
It's only been over month of riding on these brakes , so I'll keep posting updates in the future.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Derek Pietz
a Downhiller
from Fresno, CA
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | 007 @ Bass Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Steven's Bicycles | | Strengths: | These brakes stop well in all conditions. They have an excellent feel and are easy to adjust. | | Weaknesses: | The fact that they are easy to adjust is a plus because the do require some adjusting. The make alot of noise but so does every disc I have ever used. If you buy them after market they are a bit pricy. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, amp, rockshock. | | Bike Setup: | DBR X-10, z-1 bam. | | Bottom Line: | I really do like these brakes. I think that they are well made, perform great, and are very stylish. I am a little concerned with aspect of oneday needing replacemnt parts, especially hubs. They are a 4-bolt pattern that no one else uses. So I will love these brakes for ever....until the day I need to fix something in which case I will probably want to piss on them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Gorder
a Cross Country Rider
from AZ
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Gaden Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Very little adjustment needed, 1 finger stoping. Easy to make needed adjustments. | | Weaknesses: | Poor manuel | | Similar Products Used: | AMP Cable disks, Hayes disks. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT XCR-LE, Z.1 CR 5" Travel, 2000 Formula Evoluzione | | Bottom Line: | I think many of the negative reviews are for a different model than the 2000 Formula Evoluzione. I also noticed many of the negative reviews are from people on Giant bikes. Maybe Giant purchased a cheap model and not the Evoluzione. Would like to know if this accurate or not.
The brakes perform great for me. As good as anything I have ever used. I have used them in many different enviroments. After riding in the desert I wipe off the pads to stop any squealing from the dust build up.
I think the 2000 Formula Evoluzione would be a good brake for anyone with basic maintinance skills, but cannot comment on any other Formula brakes other than the 2000 Evoluzione brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andy Orr
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Collins, Colorado
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | The Next One | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Great feel, incredible stopping power, adjustable modulation, incredibly easy to service after you have endured the learning curve. | | Weaknesses: | Not a whole lot of service options - There was not a shop in either Moab or Winter Park that were familiar with Formula's 2000 Evoluzione set-up. The mod screw should be a little easier to get at -- you have to remove the plastic cover to make any adjustments. Disc brakes require frequent tweaking. DOT brake fluid is more caustic than acid. | | Similar Products Used: | Magura Clara, Hayes | | Bike Setup: | GT STS-1000 carbon fiber, full XTR, Marzocchi Bomber Z.1 X.Fly, Formula Evoluzione | | Bottom Line: | When these brakes are set-up, cleaned and working like they are suppose to they are the best disc set available. BIKE magazine recently concurred that opinion. So I will not spend a lot of time on the power, feel, setup or modulation of this system. Again, I think it is equal or superior to anything else out there.
The problem with any disc brake set, whether open or closed, when ridden in varying conditions is that they need frequent tweaking. I say this more from user experience than any kind of engineering or physics standpoint. Disc brakes have pretty tight tolerances and are affected greatly by outside temperature and altitude. As the seasons change, as your riding venues change and as the weather changes day-to-day -- even morning to afternoon, you may need to make certain adjustments to your brake system in order for them to feel like they did on your last ride.
That said, the 2000 Formula Evoluzione has an adjusting screw located on each lever that allows you to alter the amount of brake fluid in the circuit - thereby altering the modulation and stopping power of the brakeset. For instance, on early morning rides the brakes may feel perfect but as the temperature climbs from 55 degrees to 95 degrees you will lose any kind of modulation and the slightest pressure on the lever will cause your wheel to skid. If this happens, simply turn the adjuster screw 1/4 or 1/2 turn to the left. This should put you back to where you started. This note may come in handy when first setting up your Formula disk brake set. It only took me about a month to figure it out... I am glad to pass it along. BTW, the reverse applies as you go from hot to cold.
Disc brakes squeak. Get em dirty or hot and they will squeak. I have found the best solution to a squeaky set of brakes - providing they are set up right - is to spray the pads with brake cleaner and rub each pad a couple of times with some 100 grit sandpaper (I keep a small square as part of my tool kit in my pack). If that doesn't work, try the adjustment screw. If that doesn't work and your system is newer - you may just need a little more break-in time. The first time I changed pads it took about 40 miles of riding before the brakes felt right and quit squeaking. The same advice applies for slight rubs.
So, those of you considering this system may think I'm crazy to ride a brakeset that needs constant maintenance. The trade-off is in performance. Again, vee-brakes cannot touch these things when they are working right and after you get used to your system - they will work right.
When I was completely frustrated and ready to install a set of Avid vee-brakes I had laying around, the people at Formula's office in PA were quite helpful and even called back to make sure I got it fixed.
Five chilies cuz they're a good product.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marko
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Kinglake | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | As hard as I try I just can't think of one. They felt good in the shop, that's about the best I can say.
| | Weaknesses: | Weaknesses are a specialty of these brakes.
Seized bleed nipple (had to drill it out), constant need for adjustment to get a decent feel at the lever(wind the pads in, wind the pads out, wind the left pad in a bit, wind the right pad out a bit...), leaky calipers (had to replace caps with new thicker ones which cost a small fortune), poor stopping power (yes even after you bleed them properly), 4 bolt hubs not compatible with international standard discs. | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Hope. | | Bike Setup: | Giant MCM Team, Race Face, SRAM esp9.0, Mavics, Hutchison Pythons. I notice Giant no longer spec this bike with Formula brakes....there's a good reason for that. | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are a dog. In fact they are a dog with fleas and only three legs and no redeeming features.
If you are thinking about buying a bike with these brakes in the specifications then do your self a favour and allow some budget for a set of Hayes or Hope.
If you're the type of person who doesn't mind running out of brakes on almost every ride, enjoys constantly tinkering with things and loves the smell of DOT4 then these babies are for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shaun Orr
a Downhiller
from Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything in Southern Utah except Slickrock (too crowded) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | - Good stopping power.
- Easy to Adjust and Tune.
- Good product literature online (http://www.formula-brake.it) | | Weaknesses: | - Require Adjustments frequently.
- Rotors seem to have warping issues.
- Tend to be noisy. | | Bike Setup: | Giant MCM SE
XT around (except for brakes)
Judy shocks | | Bottom Line: | After using up my 'free' tunes from the shop I purchased the bike from, I quickly found information in .pdf format on Formula's web site that allowed me to quickly and easily tune my braking system to like new condition. I ride at least every other day for 3 to 4 hours and I find that I need to make adjustments to the brakes about once every 2 weeks. The stopping power is fantastic in my opinion and I have taken my bike on some serious downhills. I do not have any other experience with disc brake systems, but these rate well vs. v-brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Burger
a Cross Country Rider
from NB , Canada
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Work well when setup for sure. (Evoluzione 2000) | | Weaknesses: | Rotor is hard to get/keep centered
Got the pads dirty and cant get the brakes to run smoothly now ? | | Bottom Line: | If anyone knew where to get some blody tech info on the buggers they'd be great , and from the other post I gather that most agree with that as far as the Evoluzione model goes , the MD-1's sound like junk though. Even through problems with the pads and a consistently uncentered rotor, the brakes work . A new manual with more availability for tech tips and I think your set . Another nice thing about these brakes is that there are enough people convinced that they are junk so there's quite a few cheap ad's kicking around , Ive seen at least 3 in half an hour of trying to find info on them so not a bad way to go if your looking to give disc a try . | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FRANK ZELIC
a Cross Country Rider
from SYDNEY NSW AUSTRALIA
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | CLAYMORE HOUSING ESTATE | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | NONE, NONE, AND NONE.
ZILCH, NADA, NONE. | | Weaknesses: | EVERY BOLT, CLAMP, SPRING, CABLE EVERYTHING HAS A WEAKNESS.
OH, DID I FORGET THE PADS? YEP THEM TOO. | | Similar Products Used: | NOTHING THAT F*CKED UP HAS ANYTHING SIMILAR. | | Bike Setup: | GIANT ATX 840 | | Bottom Line: | THESE DISC BRAKES HAVE CERTAINLY EARNED THEMSELVES A PLACE IN THE "HALL OF SHAME".
I WOULD RATHER USE A SET OF CALIPERS THAT CAME WITH MY OLDER SISTER'S "ROAD KING DRAGSTER" FROM THE EARLY 70'S.
OR ON THE OTHER HAND, MY FOOT WEDGED BETWEEN THE FRONT FORK AND TYRE FOR BRAKING ASSISTANCE.
NOTE - DO NOT TAKE THE RATING BELOW AS AN INDICATION, I WOULD NOT EVEN GIVE THESE BRAKES 1 FLAMIN CHILLI.
ANYBODY THAT WOULD NEEDS THEIR HEAD READ. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
STEVE H
a Cross Country Rider
from Simi Valley, CA
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Guadalasco | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Great stopping power and modulation, compared to XTR V-brakes. Easy to adjust levers. | | Weaknesses: | Had small leak on front resevior. Formula sent new cap and gasket. | | Similar Products Used: | None. First bike with disc brakes. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT STS-1000, SID SL, SID rear, XTR components, ATAC pedals, CK headset | | Bottom Line: | This is my first experience with disc brakes, so I have nothing to compare it to. Never thought I would get discs, but they came with the bike. I have enjoyed them from the first ride. 1 finger braking down the steepest So.Cal singletracks. No squeeling, no scratched rims from V-brake pads. Great customer service from Formula. They have answered all my questions and are very helpful in setting up the brakes. The instruction manual isn't the greatest. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
a Weekend Warrior
from Canada
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | people tell you your brakes "look cool" | | Weaknesses: | everything...
they dont even stop good (my cheap lx Vee's work way better)
expensive
they leak
they squeal
rotors come loose all the time
rotor actually fall apart at the rivits
pain in the @ss to blead
4 bolt pattern on the hubs... what the %$#@ is that ?
i could go on forever | | Similar Products Used: | hayes
magura
lx | | Bike Setup: | Giant ATX Team DH | | Bottom Line: | These are by far the WORST brakes I have ever used... seriously those cheap brakes you find on wal-mart bikes work better.... I will never ever buy a formula product again.
And if you are thinking about getting these... and reading these reveiws saying to your self "well most people like them" or "they cant be too bad" well beleive me they suck! because I made the mistake of looking at the reviews and thinking that the people saying they sucked were full of it... well there not !
i would give these brakes a minus rating if i could | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan Pratt
a Cross Country Rider
from West Brookfield
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | MM | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | When they work, they work.... If you can get them to work..... | | Weaknesses: | I had a problem with one of the caliper mounting bolts stripping out, reason being the bolt wasn't long enough. Then I had another problem with a pad sticking in the caliper, reducing braking power. It was as if the bore for the piston was drilled in the wrong spot, so the pad binded. They seem to have a mind of there own, working sometime and not others. The manual is useless. It's as if they left out the section on how to make them work properly. It is a pain to get parts. | | Similar Products Used: | First time with discs...so just V's.. | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT Zaskar, with a Marzocchi Z2 X-Fly QR20 Fork | | Bottom Line: | If you like to ride more than you work on your bike, these aren't the brakes for you... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian
a
from East Hartford, CT. USA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Case Mountian | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Great Feel. Easy maintenance. Stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | None Yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Magura | | Bike Setup: | Stock '00 GT XCR-LE. WTB Momentum front hub, XT rear. | | Bottom Line: | Haven't found anything to complain about with these. After reading some of these posts, I was a little apprehensive about having them on the bike I was buying. I have encountered zero problems discussed here. They do squeal a little but that's only if you gone on a few muddy/wet rides without cleaning them. Clean them off and there's no more squeal. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a Weekend Warrior
from Malden, MA
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Bow Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | They are powerfull. (When you can get em' to work properly) | | Weaknesses: | These things are horrible. I keep having problems with the pads. The keep getting closer to the rotor. After about a week the wheel is locked up. The bolts also strip and seeze. Steel bolts in Aluminum Parts? That's just asking for trouble | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes | | Bike Setup: | 2000 GT Zaskar | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy them. If you got them on a new bike than they are okay. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Llew
a Weekend Warrior
from Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Urban Trails/Assault/Freeride | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | After setting up, Formula Open System seems to work well.
Bleeding is a snap, even without bleed kit. | | Weaknesses: | Have had problems with leaking during set-up.
Stripped adjustment screws.
Crack in casting on handlebar mount.
Rotor/Caliper centering | | Similar Products Used: | First time disk user.
Exclusively used 1998 and 1999 Shimano XT. | | Bike Setup: | Rocky Mountain 2XS (very rare carbon fibre version of the Pipeline). Bike came stock with the following:
XTR everything (except brakes and hubs).
1998 Marzocchi Z1.
Roox Stem and Bar (replaced bar with Easton 50 Monkey Bar).
Formula Hubs.
Sun Rims.
Raceface Seatpost.
Raceface Headset.
1998 Fox Vanilla TC Rear Shock. | | Bottom Line: | Quick Summary:
GOOD:
A good brake when set-up.
Good for the do-it-yourselfer for troubleshooting/tinkering.
Easy to bleed.
BAD:
Mysterious "leaks".
Warped rotors "standard".
Uses Formula 4 bolt pattern, Hayes/Hope/Shimano/Avid use 6.
Although the bike is a 1998, I bought brand new in Feb 00 (it's a long story, but it was new, regardless). I was not too keen on discs, especially since it has only been the last year or so that any disc brake maker, other than ProStop (Mountain Cycle) has been making discs exclusively for mountain bikes, that I would consider them. I would have prefered XTR V's to discs.
Anyway, the rear caliper was installed incorrectly, partly because the old Pipeline swingwarm needed a custom made aluminum plate to hold the caliper, and this was not made correctly. The caliper sat offset to the rotor, resulting in the adjusting screws needing to be adjusted way out of wack. I stripped one when trying to adjust a rubbing pad. The alignment was so bad that the rotor and pads where rubbing, causing the fluid to heat-up, making the brake expand, etc. I corrected this by placing a shim on each caliper bolt between the mounting plate and the caliper. This corrected the alignment problem. The front rotor has a slight warp in it, but I can live with it. There is a minor fluid "sweat" from one of the front pad adjusting screws, but again, I can live with it. On a recent ride, I noticed that the front resevoir leaked slightly - don't know why it did that. Front caliper mounts to directly to the Z1 without any adapters or additional stuff. I have also recently noticed a slight crack in the rear lever mounting casting.
I wanted to replace the rear caliper but finding individual Formula parts is nearly impossible. Cambria Outfitters (CBO) does carry entire Formula systems, but their line of individual parts is geared mostly towards Hayes and ProStop (wonder why...). In order to get enough spare parts, I ordered one complete rear system, including hub, rotor, caliper, and lever. It's on sale now at CBO (www.weride.com).
On some good notes (!), the brakes are working well. I've replaced the striped caliper and managed to repair the old one. Also, when replacing the rear caliper, bleeding the system was easy, even without the bleed kit. There are lots of adjustments on the brake lever, too. As a note, replace the cheap speed nut on the bottom of the lever with a 5mm stainless nut.
I will replace the pads as required, and I will start to use up my spare parts, but if I have anymore quality problems or catastrophic failures, I will probably replace it with a complete XTR V Brake/Lever system. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay
a Downhiller
from Durham, NC
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Schoolhouse | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | NONE! | | Weaknesses: | Reliability is nowhere to be found. My brakes have leaked and pumped up since day one. In the year that I have used these brakes I have had two rear hubs shatter under normal braking conditions. The rotors ripped off of the hub and left me with no brakes twice. While it was easy to contact Formula, they dragged their feet and I was without any brakes for a total of thee months. They tried to blame this problem on other parties instead of taking responsibility for their inferior product. | | Similar Products Used: | Hope, Hayes, Magura | | Bike Setup: | 1999 Giant ATX-DH | | Bottom Line: | The brakes I have used for the past year have been garbage. I have zero confidence in the Formula hydraulic disc brake system. Because of these brakes and Formula I was not able to ride my bike for three months. If you are looking for quality disc brakes, look elsewhere. Hope, Hayes, and Magura will serve you well. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
herman jan
a Weekend Warrior
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Street | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | good adjustable. | | Weaknesses: | less power then Magura discs. leaking, soft feeling. looks cheap | | Similar Products Used: | Magura discs, Sachs discs, Magura rims (the best) | | Bike Setup: | Nicolai Trombone, Z1, XT, slicks and bad brakes | | Bottom Line: | Wait for Shimano and Hope four-piston discs!!! They supposed to be much better. Ok, discs looks awesome but be aware for bad products. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Thomas Curcio
a Weekend Warrior
from TX
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | crooked spoke | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Never have to screw with them(2000 evoluzione)great modulation,adjustable levers,easy to bleed. | | Weaknesses: | have to clean disk once in a while to stop squil but which disc brake doesnt make noise. | | Similar Products Used: | MD 1 and they suck | | Bike Setup: | GIANT XTC SE1 | | Bottom Line: | I just had to put up this review after reading all the other negative reviews.I dont know which brakes you are slaming but i have the 2000 evoluziones and these brakes kick ass.....and for you guys that have the MD-1s you can send them back to formula and get the hydros for @ 175.00 a wheel.......its nice to have brakes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Herbert
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington New Zealand
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Leaping Lizzard | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Great modulation, very adjustable, all weather brake. | | Weaknesses: | Must be set up correctly or they are next to useless. | | Similar Products Used: | 99 XT V brakes, Dia Compe V brakes | | Bike Setup: | Diamond Back X2, XT Disc Hubs, mavic 321 rims, WTB saddle the rest is stock. | | Bottom Line: | Setup, setup, setup. I cant stress that enough. I got great support from the NZ agents and a return Email from Formula on how to mount them on my Z3 forks.(Old style mount) I have been riding with them for a while now amd they just plain work! My friend got some 99 Evoluzione models and they are top notch. (Mine are the 98 model with the adjustable pads). I have had none of the problems that others have mentioned so I have to conclude that the late model stuff has all the bugs worked out of it. I am 230lbs and these things stop wet or dry.If they are spongey get them bled by an EXPERT mechanic or buy a bleed kit and learn. I did and it is not hard if you follow the instructions to the LETTER. I believe this is the root of all Formula problems.Why 5 chillies because it just plain works! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam Schwantes
a
from G.B.
Date Reviewed: March 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Bairds creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Modulation that the ohters don't have
They upgraded for 120$from the cable model | | Weaknesses: | Lever adjustment a bit tough | | Similar Products Used: | Tested Hayes And Hope | | Bike Setup: | Giant McM TEAM Frame set xt Bontrager crow bars
Judy sl Michelin lite s Mavic 223 | | Bottom Line: | Formula upgraded cheap 220 front and back,great modulation unlike hayes that lock up as soon as you grab a little lever.
Formulas has helped call 1-877-468-5287
They plain work! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neale
a Weekend Warrior
from Vancouver B.C.
Date Reviewed: February 18, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | the color scheme is neat, but the plastic parts are poorly mounted and get torn off. | | Weaknesses: | Where should I start, Better to avoid this product. Problems from day one. Difficulty bleeding system, (No I'm not a tard, I've been working on bikes for 8 years) Steel bleed valve will seize in the aluminum housing very quickly, causing it to sheer when attempted to bleed. Very weak, cannot lock up front wheel, even on gravel. Poor product support. Also ingests air into system if bike turned upside down, (to work on, wipe out etc.) | | Similar Products Used: | Hayes, Magura, Hope. | | Bike Setup: | Norco VPS-1 w/ White bros. ud150dh now w/ a HAYES DISC | | Bottom Line: | Don't buy this disc, I swapped back to my lx v-brakes instead, which i don't like working on aswell. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott Williams
a Cross-Country Rider
from Chandler, AZ
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: |
Long loop @ Mcdowell Mtn | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Good modulation
Good overall stopping power | | Weaknesses: |
1.Edco hub freewheel ( nuked it in days) took 2weeks to get a new one (they make a better hub that is not an edco. They sent me the better one.
2.Faulty hydrualic line connector ( at rear caliper)
3. Leaky reservior at lever
4. No local parts availability | | Similar Products Used: |
None | | Bike Setup: |
Wheeler 7000, Z1, strata helix coilover, 517 rims, etc. | | Bottom Line: | Great brake when it works, but don't expect it to work but one day a month | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Downhiller
from Stockholm
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: |
Haga | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Bottom Line: | They work great for me I had some problems seting them up in the begining but now they work finehere are the formula hompage they got manual in many languages there if you need one
http://www.formula-brake.it/ | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dumphiller
a Cross-Country Rider
from boca flatorida
Date Reviewed: November 29, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
dyer/markem | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
they stop the bike...most of the times | | Weaknesses: |
levelers | | Bike Setup: |
Porsche FS | | Bottom Line: | I was pleased with them for a year.Then they started acting up. NO PRODUCT SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!
STAY AWAY | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
nicholas mcintosh
a Downhiller
from cardiff
Date Reviewed: November 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
malverns | | Duration Product Used: |
more than 3 years | | Strengths: |
well made | | Weaknesses: |
rivets on the disk can come loose | | Bottom Line: | very good brake | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chan Chung Leong
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: September 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Great modulation
No more grinding brakes in wet weather
Pure stopping power
Little to no pad drag
Excellent lever feel | | Weaknesses: |
Heavy adapters
Squealing
Unclear bleeding instructions | | Similar Products Used: |
Hayes hydraulic discs
RST cable discs
LX, XT, XTR V-brakes | | Bike Setup: |
Judy XC 65mm travel
16.5 inch Rocky Mountain Element Race, Cane Creek AD8
XT/XTR mix componentry, Edco-Formula hubs laced to Bontrager Mustang ASYM. | | Bottom Line: | Not the lightest setup, because my bike didn't have any disc mounts front or rear. I used the included adaptors which fit my Judy XC and modified the rear mount slightly to fit my swingarm. Squeal develops when the pads glaze over. If it gets to you, sand them down a bit. My XC-setup bike looks a bit funny with the cartoon sized 7 1/2 inch DH size disc up front. Modulation is excellent, and despite excellent braking power, there is little tendency to endo, I attribute this to the lower leverage exerted by the braking point nearer to the hub than further away. In my opinion, disc brakes are a better setup for wet weather than any V-brake/pad/rim combination. Even in the dry, the slight weight penalty is fine with me. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Gabriel
a Downhiller
from Hilton, NY
Date Reviewed: September 1, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Luv 'em all! | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Were great until the first LONG Downhill, then they would lock on at the bottom. | | Weaknesses: |
Expansion? I think so.
The adjusters are also stripped, and now the bleeder valve broke too.
The rotors loosen, and pads wear kinda quick....I'm quickly losing faith in them; with a big DH race next month...I'm not happy. | | Similar Products Used: |
Only vee-brakes. | | Bike Setup: |
1999 Giant ATX-DS | | Bottom Line: | Surely there are better systems out there...right? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Troll
a Weekend Warrior
from Louisiana
Date Reviewed: August 28, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
anytrail anytime anywhere | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Very little wear, and little mantence. They will stop you like a stick in the spokes, yet they have great modulation. | | Weaknesses: |
They can be a pain to set up if you have not read the manual. DON'T try to bleed them with out the kit from Formula!!! | | Similar Products Used: |
canti's
vee-brakes
Hayes | | Bike Setup: |
1999 DBR X10
Z1 BAM
fox rc
crosslink discs
XT/XTR | | Bottom Line: | I have had these brakes ,99 pro issue, for almost a year now. I have not had to replace the pads yet! I have not had any leaks, or air in the system. I have not had any of the problems listed below. I don't know why every one is having problems. I donot baby my bike, I ride hard, I will jump over or off any thing in my path; these brakes have not let me down yet. All brands have problems right now(mtb discs are still new) I like my Formulas I think they work well
Look at their stats they have more World Cup championships and wins than any other brands.
I think the problem is people are not getting their brakes set-up right. Read the manual!! do it right the first time. Dont let some bike shop monkey work on them unless you are sure they know their sh#t. After 10mos of hard use I still give em a 5. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Letson
a Downhiller
from Silver Creek, GA
Date Reviewed: August 26, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Tsali | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Nice levers and good design | | Weaknesses: |
No one can help you at formula if you have a problem with them. Mine have blown out locked up and are the biggest pieces of S*!t I have ever bought | | Similar Products Used: |
Hayes, | | Bike Setup: |
Foes, Fox | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are not worth the money and the pain to keep them running. My advice is find anything else. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin Röhm
a Cross-Country Rider
from Stuttgart, Germany
Date Reviewed: August 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
deep dark forrest | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Good looks from far away! | | Weaknesses: |
The whole product is weak. I talk about the 98´ full hydrolic Formula disc brake.
1. After 2 months the steel rotor was floating so much that you could hear my bike long before you could see it
2. The system was leaking, and if you turned the bike upside down the system was filled with air, so that the feeling was mushier and mushier and at the end there was a total loss of brake power. After that you had to refill the system to get the air out of it.
3. You also have to refill the brake if you screw the pad adjuster too far clockwise to equal the pad wear becaus the oil is bleeding out
4. The hoses were so weak that there was no possibility get a firm brake feeling at the rear brake. | | Similar Products Used: |
I´m now proud and satisfied owner of a pair of Hope Pro´s. They aren´t cheap but they are worth the money compared to the formulas! | | Bike Setup: |
My bike is a Votec C9 (one pivot swing arm like Cannondale) with JUDY SL longtravel | | Bottom Line: | Never ever try the formulas!!!!
By the way: to get in contact with formula try: www.formula-brake.it | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phil Ball
a Downhiller
from Shrewsbury (UK)
Date Reviewed: August 24, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Eastridge woods | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Excellent braking | | Weaknesses: |
a bit of squeel
(big deal) | | Similar Products Used: |
Most Cable discs
V brakes | | Bike Setup: |
Stock scott octane FX1 (99) | | Bottom Line: | These brakes are great, but im talking about the '99 brakes, open hydraulic system.
If formula had quality problems in the past with casting quality, then they must have fixed them because mine are great. Align perfectly (better than rim brakes when you have hit big and put them slightly out of true!) no problems with expansion because of the compensation res. No leaking, no pads falling out when wheel is removed (i tried to do it by deliberatly squeezing the lever, better i thought to try at home, not on the trail!) the bike has done many miles, wet, muddy etc... and the pads and discs have not worn at all, no adjustment needed at all. So far they have been fit and forget, with bags of power, even when wet.
Perhaps if the compound was a little softer, they would brake even better, and squeel a little less, i dont mind if they wear quickly, cos at the moment theyll last longer than the tyres, chain, etc...
Forget the old '98 reviews, these brakes are up there with the best, they work great, and need little or no maintanence. I used to run V-brakes, which would overheat, and pick up grit, score rims, and turn into rubber crumbs, the adjustment was fiddly, and they sucked in the wet. Cable discs are a half baked solution, you still get stretch in your cables and loads of friction, and you add all the weight penalty, so dont bother get open hydraulics! I havnt tried other brands, but then i dont need too! I know these work great!
only 4 star because they need to make more effort to market these great brakes, and make the parts (different compound pads for different conditions) available. Work great but company must work harder to raise profile, they are being swamped by other brands, like hope and haynes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dominic
a Downhiller
from Maine
Date Reviewed: July 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
none, these brakes SUCK | | Weaknesses: |
everything.....impossable to contact formula, i waited a month and a half just for new pads. i hate formula....get hayes or magura | | Similar Products Used: |
Hayes | | Bike Setup: |
Wheeler DH | | Bottom Line: | these brakes suck sooooo bad, they leak, the pads suck, not powerful, mushy as hell, tons of drag.....dont get these brakes./ | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lloyd
a Downhiller
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: June 19, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
SearchMount Sault St. Marie | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
Very powerful brakes. Great allen key adjustment for pads. | | Weaknesses: |
Works great if not tampered with. Oil in lever leaks. Heats up too quickly. No www address. Rotors are not built well. | | Similar Products Used: |
Hayes Disc brakes | | Bike Setup: |
I have a Giant ATX DH 1which came stock with these brakes. It was mounted on a ROCK SHOCK BOXXER. | | Bottom Line: | Not a bad brake system. They're a pain to get dialed in. Where the hell could one find the reps. Need a lot of work on the seals on the levers. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Laurie
a Weekend Warrior
from Auckland N Z
Date Reviewed: June 13, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
craters of moon | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
good solid feel | | Weaknesses: |
these things suck in the wet. | | Similar Products Used: |
cable disc | | Bike Setup: |
scott f1 rock shocks xlc | | Bottom Line: | I have had nothing but trouble with these hydrolic
brakes, heating up in dry, failing totally in the
wet!!,basically they suck!!If Formula value there
customers they would have a web site where we could contact them direct!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dan shaw
a Cross-Country Rider
from Oshawa Canada
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Three ROCKS | | Duration Product Used: |
3 months | | Strengths: |
allen screw adjustment at caliper,for pad to disc clearence | | Weaknesses: |
Both front and rear rotors badly warped.After hard braking ,fluid expanded causing brake drag | | Similar Products Used: |
Hayes | | Bike Setup: |
Wheeler 7000dzx,Rock shit tripple | | Bottom Line: | Based on my experence,not the best setup out there | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Batko
a Racer
from Ljubljana Slovenija
Date Reviewed: April 9, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
6 months | | Strengths: |
Extremely good braking power in bad conditions. | | Weaknesses: |
Cannot contact the maufacturer!
THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY!
I had my rear brakes fixed in 2 months twice.( When i brake the brake doesn`t want to stop braking for about a second) | | Similar Products Used: |
Only the usually LX V brake | | Bike Setup: |
corratec teambow
with judy SL | | Bottom Line: | CAN ANYBODY SEND ME A WWW OR MAIL ADRESS OF THE MANUFACTURER. (phone or post...)
my mail is:matjaz.batic@fmf.uni-lj.si | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard
a Cross-Country Rider
from Lachine
Date Reviewed: April 5, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Very strong and good hubs. | | Weaknesses: |
Nothing. | | Similar Products Used: |
I never tried other disc brakes. | | Bike Setup: |
Bike 1999, Oryx HTA500, Judy XC, Sun rim Sub IV, DT spokes, Race Face (cranks, gears, handle bar, headset), formula (disc brakes),
full LX except XTR rear derailleur and some pieces kore. | | Bottom Line: | My Formula work very well. These brakes, brake fast and I think this brake are the best. These are not very noisy. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Liam
a Cross-Country Rider
from Penticton,B.C.
Date Reviewed: April 3, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
anything at Apex Mtn. | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Very strong, even for an old, 200 lb. guy like me. | | Weaknesses: |
I just got them with my new Rocky Instinct so I haven't become too accustomed to them yet. | | Bike Setup: |
Bomber Z-2. | | Bottom Line: | For all the prissies whining, just shut up and ride your bloody bikes. The Formula cable-actuated brakes are simple, efficient, and powerful. What else do you want? I give them cinqo habeneros, you whiners go to bed after your diaper changes. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Junkboy
a Weekend Warrior
from Junk City, USA
Date Reviewed: March 25, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Junkyard | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
Great paper wieghts
Disc works well for frisbee(hehe) | | Weaknesses: |
Everything | | Similar Products Used: |
Hope Pro Series | | Bike Setup: |
Something that doesn't deserve Formula | | Bottom Line: | These things simply do not work. Try to bleed them yourself, ha!!!!! Good luck. You might as well sell them now and buy some Hope's because these keep getting worse. They will fall apart and then the brakes make a sqealing sound, and then it's time to call Hope. These make great paper weights when used properly! Hope is the real deal here. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Schnozz
a racer
from NS, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 7, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
This section should be split in two. There are a lot of bad reviews out there for the Formula hydraulic disc brakes. My review is for the mechanicaly (cable) actuated disc brakes that came on the 99 Rocky Mountain instinct. The brakes stop you very well. You don't have all the power that the hydraulics would give you, but then again you don't have all the weight and all the hastle of bleading them.
One question...when I used to race motorbikes you used to have different brake pad compounds like street, sport or race. The race ones would wear out about five times faster thant the street ones but the would grab the brakes like mountain bikers after free power bars. Does anyone know if Formula brakes are planning on coming out with them? | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Mitchell
a cross-country rider
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: March 5, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
If you had asked me 3 weeks ago I'd have said that these brakes are fine, now however - nope. In the past 2 weeks I have spent $150 on getting these things fixed, BTW still not working. Took the bike to Japan and found that the thing had leaked in transit - cost $90 (daylight robbery but what do you expect in Tokyo). The guy got it working to an acceptable standard. Next thing I know on a long downhill the rear locks up due to overheating (we were riding in snow). Had to cool it down with water. Then went to Oz, straight out of the box, not working again and rear locked up again! This time $60 and the Formula rep spent 4 hours on it! Back to Tokyo - out of the box front has leaked again. Too much trouble and cost especially if you are on the road...I'm going to dump them for the Magura Louise. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Mckeage
a racer
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: February 4, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
My 99 Giant MCM team bike came stock with the Formula open disc brakes. They are mounted on a Mavic 223 wheel set. They work great and I have no complaints.
Well..maybe just one. In order to benefit from the best braking system know to MTB'N (Disc Brakes), you have to endure the small but ever present weight gain. It is not a lot of weight but for a guy like me, I can afford to lose a few.
So, if interested do the right thing. $1500.00 or B.O. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve Scholey
a cross-country rider
from France
Date Reviewed: January 25, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
Whats ya think, Are the 99 Formulas better than these. Are the levers realy going to break. Do I go for Hope. I like this review page. 5 chilli's for the page. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
troll
a weekend warrior
from USA
Date Reviewed: January 11, 1999 | | Bottom Line: |
I have had the 99 Formula pro's for 2 1/2 mos. now. I think they are great!!! I have read the reviews here and I have not had the problems listed here. Mabey Formula fixed most of those problems, I don't know. I do know I can't get them to fade. I did change the fluid that came in them to the same fluid I have used in my race car (much higher boiling point) so I have not had a problem with fluid expansion. Besides it is a open system so expansion should not be a problem. Now the system must be set up properly or it will feel like crap! I had to replace the rear caliper,due to the dumb ass at my shop breaking a adjustment screw off. He did not read the directions before setting up the system. Formula sent us a new caliper and a bleed kit, FREE! I got it in 3 days!! I put it on bleed the system as per the instructions,they worked better than ever! Like Carl from Norway said stops like a Porsche. I have used them in mud,rain,and wet sand with no problems. Yea they do squeel, but wipe them off and no noise! I realy like these brakes! Not as good as XTR v-brakes? Where the hell did you get your v-brake pads NASA? Lets get real!! There is no v-brake out there that can compare to the worst disc brake!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a downhiller
from Vienna/Austria
Date Reviewed: December 20, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
First I rode the closed system. Enough power for extremest downhills. Unfortunately it heated up too fast (on trails with many curves). So I converted to open system. Now it's perfect. i really love this brake. But I have to admit that it is not really optimal for CC (the tire slows down too fast, cause you can't adjust the pad well without losing power). | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ray Cheng
a cross-country rider
from Ottawa, Ontario
Date Reviewed: November 28, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
Just to follow up on my broken lever. I got a warranty replacement, took a good look at it and said forget it. The thing was crap. The clamp already had chips in it, so for sure it would break again. The body of the lever is cast , i think and it was full of pits and holes. Definately not quality workmanship. There is definately a problem with this company if thay cant even send a good replacement part. Stay away from Formula!!! | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Billett
a racer
from Trollhattan Sweden
Date Reviewed: October 27, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
I'm using 185mm front and 160mm rear open '98 systems.
With a floating front disc and a fixed rear disc.
I race cross country and raids, the raids I race in are typically 60-120km in length, this was why I chose the disc brakes.
The front caliper did not fit directly onto the fork as I had been led to believe..I needed to use shims to centralise the caliper to the disc..
I am dissappionted that the brakes are so fiddly to set up. Let me explain...
1. The discs do not run true, they have about 1mm of side deflection, both front and rear. This makes it difficult to set the pads close enough to the disc without them rubbing , but close enough to get the right feel at the lever.
2. The brake pad retention is not strong enough, the pads rattle all of the time when I am riding.
3. The quality control of the pad tolerances are not good enough, my replacement pads that I fitted, did not have a good enough ridge on them to hold them into the spring clip in the piston, the pad came loose under usage, cracked a bit off the pad, cracked the spring clip, and jammed the rear brake on.!!
3a. The brake pads fall out when the wheel is removed to repair a puncture! Very embarrising...!
4. The last race that I did was very wet and muddy. The brakes were adjusted to full before I started, so that they were only just clear of the disc when the wheel was spun around. After 18km of racing , the rear brake had stopped working and the front brake would not have lasted 5km more, until that too was worn out. For the record, I used up HALF of the material on the rear pads during this 18km race. NOT acceptable.
5. There is no sensible way to adjust the brakes for wear on the trail during a race without stopping, getting out a tool kit and winding in the pads on the calliper or winding in the adjuster screws on the levers, therefore closing the return vale and affectivly making the open system a sealed system.....!!**??
I am very dissappionted.
MY SUGGESTION:
Make a lever with an adjusting screw that can be reached and adjusted easily whilst riding the bike with gloves on. Maybe a system like the one on hopes brake levers.
Or, some type of self adjustment to keep the pads close to the disc but not too close to rub..
Question. Will Hope levers fit onto formula brake hoses, and what is the difference, if any, in the size of the master cylinder?
Regards, Mike Hammer Billett | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ted
a downhiller
from california
Date Reviewed: October 8, 1998 | | Bottom Line: |
these brakes drage fade and expand, thay are awful. They are imposible to bleed and don't work close to as well as the XTr vees. while bleedin them they fell apart and there is no costomer service this side of the atlantic. I am very disapointed over all and wish I did not own these porly desined hard to work on pile of a braking system. | | Overall Rating: |
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