Source: pinkbike
Trickstuff’s Directissima brakes already had a reputation for being incredibly powerful (and expensive), but the German company decided to take things even further. The Maxima is the result, which they claim has more power than any other brake on the market. It’s also likely the most expensive brake on the market, with a price tag of 1100 Euro for the set.
Power is great, but it doesn’t mean anything without modulation – skidding’s fun and all, but not every single time you breathe on the brake lever. According to Trickstuff, “The Maxima doesn’t help you by being able to lock up a wheel even stronger. It helps you by needing way less finger power to get there.”
Can brakes be beautiful? The Maximas present a very strong case – they’re fully CNC machined from 7075 aluminum, and it’s hard to not want to take a moment to sit and stare at them every once in a while. There are weight-saving cutouts on the lever blade, below the reservoir, and even on the backside of the lever body.
The lever blade pivots on a total of four sealed cartridge bearings – two at the main pivot point, and then two more where the lever pushes the piston into the master cylinder. The caliper is also machined from 7075 T6 aluminum, and houses four stainless steel pistons.
Hydraulic disc brakes typically use either mineral oil or DOT fluid, but the Maxima brakes are filled with something a little different – sunflower oil, or Bionol to be more specific. Created by Danico, the initial boiling point of Bionol is said to be 300-degrees Celcius, which is higher than mineral oil and DOT 5.1. It’s not only for Trickstuff brakes, though; Bionol will also work in any mineral-oil operated brake.
Trickstuff equip the Maxima brakes with Goodridge’s braided stainless steel line, which is designed to remain expansion-free even under hard braking, creating a more solid feel at the lever. The line diameter is 6mm, which means it may not be compatible with frames that use internal cable routing, but if that’s the case, the brakes can be purchased with lines that don’t have the outer plastic sheath, reducing the diameter to the typical 5mm.
The remainder of the product review can be read by clicking on this sentence.
