[Mr. IROC-Z]

Hi Guys,
I have IS mounts (front and rear) on my new build. It seems that none of the high-end brake manufactures produce an IS mount caliper (Formula R1, Magura SL, Avid Elixir, Hope...etc).
I'd like to purchase a light weight brake set without having to use an adapter.
Is there something I am missing? Why wouldn't these manufacturers not produce calipers for a direct IS mount?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Squash]

"Why wouldn't these manufacturers not produce calipers for a direct IS mount?"

Because in the last 2 or 3 years about every fork manufacturer out there has gone to a post mount system, and they are starting to appear on a few frames as well. With the big three, Rock Shox, Marzocchi and Fox, that's all you see anymore on new forks. There just isn't the demand there used to be. And so with lack of demand goes the product. It's more cost effective to only have to maintain tooling for one caliper design per brake model than it is two. And you actually have to produce three different calipers if you do post and IS mount brakes. The IS direct actually requires that two different calipers be manufactured, one for the front 160 and one for the 160 rear! That is if you don't want to use an adapter in the rear as well.

The bottom line is, the demand for direct IS mount calipers just isn't there anymore. Shimano XTRs are still available as front and rear specific IS direct mount, http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=15697&category=30 . But that's about the only "new" caliper I can think of that is. So if XTRs are out of the question for you, I'd say be prepared to settle for a PM caliper with an adapter.

Good Dirt

 

[rockyuphill]

And Shimano's new 980 series XTR IS>PM caliper adapters are lighter than Shimano's earlier offerings by about 5gms..

The other headache that you may experience when trying to use IS mount rear calipers on many new frames is a lack of clearance between the mounting tabs and the caliper body. I had some filing and grinding to do to the IS mounting tabs to get a Marta SL IS rear caliper on a new frame. The frame had lots of clearance for any PM mount caliper, but no allowance for an IS caliper.

 

[shiggy]

Hi Guys,
I have IS mounts (front and rear) on my new build. It seems that none of the high-end brake manufactures produce an IS mount caliper (Formula R1, Magura SL, Avid Elixir, Hope...etc).
I'd like to purchase a light weight brake set without having to use an adapter.
Is there something I am missing? Why wouldn't these manufacturers not produce calipers for a direct IS mount?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

Post mount calipers with mounting bracket (if needed):
Lower cost.
Easier to setup.
Universal fit.
Little or no weight penalty.