[stu8975]

Just came across them.....not sure how long they've been available. Anyone tried them out yet? Thoughts?

https://clee-cycles.co.uk/cc/catalo...cts_id/1474?osCsid=earlhpilmbherlckkattq1b427

"An ultralight hydraulic disc brake from KCNC featuring a remote radial master cylinder lever, kevlar reinforced hoses and callipers with cooling fins. The brakeset combines to give a race ready system at 250g front and 263g rear including 160mm disc and calliper bolts.
Hydraulic system rated to 8000psi
Reinforced kevlar fibre internal mesh braided hose
Ceramic / metallic compound alloy backed brake pads
Reversible lever for left or right fit
160mm stainless steel Razor rotors
Weight : Front lever, hose and post mount calliper 169g
Weight : Rear lever, hose and post mount calliper 185g
Weight : 160mm rotor 73g
Total front : 249g (inc. 2x Ti calliper bolts + lever, calliper & rotor)
Total rear: 263g (inc. 2x Ti calliper bolts + lever, calliper & rotor)

Total set : 512g (all weighed on our scales) "

 

[Phil335]

I think those have been out for a bit. I'm pretty sure Fairwheel Bikes used a set on their Titus Di2 build.

Those are nice but I'll keep my R1's

 

[stu8975]

They appear to have just been released in the UK then or new for 2011. These are the 'Pro' version, not sure what differs from the non pro version, if such a brake exists. Nothing on the KCNC webby about them.

 

[seppk]

I just bought a pair of x7's in black and they look great and light in person. They are for my new santa cruz blur xc carbon build which is still in progress so I will have verified weights/basic ride report in a few weeks with a more in depth ride report after about a month. Really exited to try these out.

 

[cru_jones]

I just bought a pair of x7's in black and they look great and light in person. They are for my new santa cruz blur xc carbon build which is still in progress so I will have verified weights/basic ride report in a few weeks with a more in depth ride report after about a month. Really exited to try these out.

Any updates?

 

[mackdhagen]

used 'em

I used those for a bit and found 'em to be not that great..yep their light and look great but all of that KCMC stuff is built by guys in asia that weigh 120 lbs and ride..yes the finish is great and ya get a lot of comments from the bro's but the the sht is too light unless you are a light weight your self. I used to be a big fan of that company but have broken brakes, seatposts and a collar and now have some skewers which i examine every couple of weeks.. that being said i road with a guy that had their road brakes and was easily a 200lb ++ and he said they stoped him just fine. If your looking for light weight try those hopes..they squeek a bit but their bomber and light:nono:

 

[sdcerreta]

I can shed some more light on these as well.

I own the X7 brakes and have had some issues with power. They lack it and the handles are spongy. There is a lot of flex in the levers. They do make an optional part which I purchased. Instead of having the cut out in the brake lever, this piece is solid alloy. It adds about 5g per lever. No big deal considering the improved performance.

My biggest complaint has been the lack of stopping power, however, I did notice some leaking and discovered that the pads were wet. I replaced them with some organic pads and that too seemed to make a huge difference.

As a final step to improve performance I upgraded the front rotor to a KCNC Razor 180mm. Weight on that rotor is 94g. The power difference is remarkable. I now how the perfect balance of power and lightweight. I run a 160mm in the rear and the 180mm in the front.

On another note, the guys at Fairwheel are running the Ashima Pan Cake Brakes (PCB) on their rigs.

I just bought these, and while they are cheaper than KCNC, about $200msrp each set (ebay new for $130/set) they do not have the same build quality. They use a plastic resavoir on the handlebar and a very small piston compared to the KCNC. The weight out of the box is heavier than KCNC, but you can quickly tune them to get them at equal or less weight than KCNC. I should note they feel as spongy as the KCNC. I think they would be much stronger if they used a larger piston in the lever.

The PCB brakes come with slightly heavier rotors out of the box, about 10g each heavier. They also come with heavy pads at 22g each set vs the Swissstop organics at 10g each set. The cables were too long for my bike and needed trimming. So, after making these three mods, for about $70 you can be at equal or lower weight than KCNC.


This is the point (did not cut the lines) where I stopped install the PCB. I decided to keep the KCNC since they are precut and done. Cutting lines and bleeding brakes are a PITA and I did not notice a performance improvement between the two brakes when I installed and tested just the front brake. I am keeping the KCNC.

If I were starting from scratch, I would definitely recommend the PCB over the KCNC based on price alone! Even after tuning the PCB, you can get them for about $150-$200 less.

One more irritating thing about the PCB. The hose that comes out the bottom of the lever is in a fixed position. It is horrible. It will not allow you to position the lever right on top of the shifter. It leaves about a 1/2" gap and that makes a huge difference if you are picky on what position you place the levers.


Hope this is helpful.

 

[skyfire1202]

Is there an alloy-backed, organic- pads for use with Scrub rotors that are compatible with these brakes?

 

[Ole]

They [PCB] use a plastic resavoir on the handlebar and a very small piston compared to the KCNC. [snip] I think they would be much stronger if they used a larger piston in the lever.

They would possibly be less spongy if they had a larger diameter piston in the lever, but they would also have less braking power. A smaller piston would give more power and more spongyness.