SRAM Maven Disc Brake — Best Mountain Bike Disc Brakes 2024

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It's big, it's frighteningly powerful, and it's the brake we need.

The Takeaway: SRAM’s new Maven is an all-new brake and the company’s most powerful yet. The Maven uses new technologies, new philosophies, and even a switch of brake fluids. The big story here is the huge increase in power—it reflects the needs of an evolving sport and the rise of heavier e-bikes. The Maven brake is heavy and frighteningly powerful but beautifully controllable.

With 50 percent more power than the Code, the new Maven is SRAM’s most powerful disc brake. SRAM says the Maven represents a “new power class” and classifies it as an “extreme duty” brake. The Code is a “heavy duty” brake, and the Level is considered “light duty.”

While SRAM doesn’t explicitly say why it developed a new, more powerful brake, I have a few ideas. Mountain bikes are more capable, so we’re riding not only faster but we are also tackling steeper terrain. And we are also experiencing the rise of e-bikes (which often weigh over 50 pounds).

Consequently, we’re seeing a shift in the benchmarks for acceptable power. Brakes that once felt powerful are starting to feel underwhelming.

As I wrote in my Yeti SB 160-E review from September 2021, “SRAM’s Code four-piston brakes with a 220mm front rotor and a 200mm rotor in the rear are surely enough, right? I’d call them barely enough for the 160-E: I wished for more power, and I noted a bit of fade and some discoloration of the rotors.”

SRAM’s Code—a brake used to win top-level downhill and enduro races—now sees use on 120mm bikes like Evil’s Following, and the four-piston SRAM G2/Level was considered a trail brake but is now used on XC-race bikes.

As a sport evolves, so should the equipment. The Maven is SRAM’s attempt to address modern riders’ braking needs.

What stands out about the Maven is its massive hunk of a caliper. Its massive size is for a purpose: To retain heat.

Historically, we’ve been led to believe that heat is the enemy of a bicycle’s brakes: The goal was to keep them cool and design them to dispense with heat as quickly as possible.

But with the Maven, SRAM’s goal is “maintaining optimal operating temperatures for longer durations.” It explains, “For a brake to be powerful and consistent, it must retain enough heat in the system but avoid quick fluctuations between hot and cold.” The large Maven caliper, it says, provides more thermal mass. This prevents those sudden temperature swings and helps keep the brake in its optimal operating zone longer.

While the chunky caliper is a highlight of the Maven’s design, there are a few other details to note.

One is the four stainless steel cross bolts that hold the two caliper halves together. This design, SRAM claims, makes the caliper stiffer. And the stiffer caliper provides a better lever feel.

An interesting footnote on the levers: No Mavens use a carbon lever. A SRAM representative explained that aluminum levers are stiffer and provide a better-feeling brake.

Because of the four cross bolts, the brake pads are bottom load only—meaning pad replacement requires removing the wheel.

SRAM disc brakes have almost exclusively used DOT fluid since the beginning, even before they were SRAM-labeled (SRAM’s disc brake program took off when it bought Avid in 2004; the Avid Juicy disc brake debuted in 2003 and used DOT fluid).

The lone exception was SRAM’s least expensive hydraulic disc brake, the DB8. But not anymore, since the Maven uses mineral oil—(very) specifically, it uses Maxima’s Mineral Brake Oil.

This represents a continuation of the partnership between SRAM and Maxima. SRAM specifies Maxima fluid in its suspension products and recommends Maxima products for service and maintenance.

It’s impossible to say if the Maven using mineral oil foreshadows what’s coming in future updates to the Level and Code brake platforms. However, at the very least, the Maven is in good company.

Other brands that use mineral oil in their brakes include Shimano, Campagnolo, Magura, TRP/Tektro, Clarks, and Formula. And even some boutique disc brakes—like those from Trickstuff, Intend, and Radic—use mineral oil. (Note: The Radic Kaha is a clever brake that can be configured with seals compatible with either DOT or mineral oil.)

As for brands using DOT fluid, the list includes most SRAM brakes, Braking/Sunstar, Hope, and Hayes.

Mineral oil versus DOT fluid is a long-standing debate in mountain biking. From my chair, both work well. But always, always be absolutely certain you don’t fill a DOT brake with mineral oil or vice versa. The seals inside the brake are compatible with one or the other, not both.

DOT’s biggest advantage is that it is a regulated product. So, you can grab any DOT fluid (DOT 5.1, for example) and know it will work with your brake. DOT 4 and 5.1 are also interchangeable and easy to find in any auto parts shop. Caution‼️: DOT 5 is a different fluid and not interchangeable with 4/5.1.

But mineral oil seems to be the ascendant choice, and it has a few advantages over DOT fluid. Mineral oil’s upside is that it doesn’t absorb water, while DOT 4/5.1 is hygroscopic (meaning it absorbs water from the air).

DOT 4/5.1’s hygroscopic nature means its properties change over time, and it has a dry (higher) and wet (lower) boiling point. (Wet refers to the fluid after it has absorbed some water.) This is why you should regularly flush your DOT brakes for best performance and why an opened container of DOT fluid has a shelf life of about a year. Mineral oil is also less caustic and toxic than DOT.

The big disadvantage of mineral oil brake fluid is its composition and properties are not controlled. Each one is a bit different and, potentially, not a good match for a specific brake.

That’s why SRAM very specifically (and only) recommends the Maxima Mineral Brake Oil in the Maven. SRAM tested the bejeezus out of this fluid, is confident in its properties and performance, and only had this oil in mind when it designed the Maven.

That’s not to say the Maven will not work with another mineral oil brake fluid. It means SRAM hasn’t tested the Maven with any other fluid, so it doesn’t know how it might perform. But I’m sure that soon after Maven brakes get out in the wild, there will be no shortage of influencers telling you that a hack for the Maven is to switch to Trickstuff Bionol, Bleedkit.com Gold, Putoline 2.5, or another one of several other mineral oils out there.

And one or all of those fluids could improve the Maven’s performance. Then again, bad things could happen. Or neither. Or both. I guess it all depends on how much you want to FAFO. While I’m usually good for a good FAFO session—it’s sort of my job—when it comes to my disc brakes, I usually play it very safe.

So, why is SRAM switching to mineral oil after more than 20 years of using DOT fluid in its highest-performance brakes? Here’s what SRAM says:

“Each brake option we offer has been designed to use the fluid and seals that will give it maximum performance. With Maven, this option turned out to be mineral oil. […] Through testing it was determined that mineral oil offered the best performance (outperforming DOT versions) while also offering desired lower maintenance qualities.”

And since mineral oil doesn’t absorb water, its recommended fluid service interval is two years, twice as long as SRAM’s DOT brakes.

While the fluid is different, the Maven carries over many features and parts from SRAM’s DOT brakes.

On the feature list, the Maven uses SRAM’s trusty Matchmaker X lever clamp system for integrated shifter and dropper remote mounting. Also carried over from other SRAM brakes is the contact-point (dead throw) adjustment—only the highest-end brakes get this feature, it is absent in the least expensive Maven Bronze—and tool-free reach adjust.

All levels of Maven use a Swinglink cam to control the master cylinder piston’s travel. According to SRAM, Swinglink reduces, “deadband while increasing progressive power throughout the lever pull.” I’ve embedded a GIF below that demonstrates how it works (Swinglink components in black).

While the Maven does employ a new pad shape, the two pad compounds—organic and sintered—are the same as the Code’s pad compounds. SRAM recommends using its two-millimeter-thick HS2 rotor with the Maven.

Regarding rotors, I found some interesting advice in the Maven press packet that I wanted to pass along.

According to SRAM, paying attention to the color of the spokes on your rotors can be a tell of how your rotors are performing. Browned or bronzed discoloring means the size is optimal. Purple or rainbow discoloring means your rotors are running too hot and sizing up would be suggested. No distinct discoloring would suggest they aren’t getting hot enough and sizing down would lead to optimal performance.

Maven uses the same hoses, hose barbs, compression ferrules, and olives as SRAM’s DOT brakes. This is great news for shops and home mechanics. However, remember, do not use any parts previously exposed to DOT fluid with mineral oil brakes.

The Maven levers utilize the “Stealth” arrangement that angles the hoses towards the handlebar for cleaner routing with some new-school internally routed frames.

The Maven also employs the same general bleed procedure as a Code or Level brake and SRAM’s click-in Bleeding Edge fitting at the caliper. Note that the Maven (and DB8) use a 5mm Bleeding Edge fitting instead of the 4mm fitting on the DOT brakes to prevent using the wrong tools and cross-contaminating fluids.

When one of the Maven’s primary features is “Thermal Mass,” it should be no surprise that it’s a heavy brake. On my scale the front brake (950mm hose) weighed 376 grams, and the rear (2,000mm hose) 397 grams. That’s a lever with a handlebar mounting clamp and caliper with pads but without rotor, rotor hardware, or caliper-mounting hardware and adapter.

By my scale, it’s 65 grams heavier per wheel than a Code with a similar length hose. Based on claimed weights, that should make it about 135 grams per wheel heavier than a Level four-piston brake.

There are three levels of Maven brake.

Maven Bronze sells for $185 (per wheel, rotor not included). It ships with stainless steel hardware. This brake does not have contact point adjustment, and it also has a bushing lever pivot (the other models feature a bearing pivot). Claimed weight is 369 grams.

Maven Silver sells for $265 (per wheel, rotor not included). It ships with stainless steel hardware. This brake has contact point adjustment and a ball-bearing lever pivot. Claimed weight is 371 grams.

Maven Ultimate sells for $300 (per wheel, rotor not included). It ships with titanium hardware. This brake has a ball-bearing lever pivot and contact point adjustment. Claimed weight is 362 grams.

All of the above info is for the rear version (2,000mm hose length) and ships with a Bleeding Edge caliper fitting.

SRAM also announced a limited edition (2,000 available worldwide) Maven Ultimate Expert Kit ($600). This package includes two Maven Ultimate brakes in a special colorway (red splash anodized calipers), a full suite of rotors (one 220mm, two 200mm, one 180mm), two mounting brackets, rotor bolts, a full bleed kit, organic and sintered pads, and a handful of extra goodies.

The limited edition is the one to get if you can. It sells for the same as a pair of Maven Ultimate brakes but includes rotors, hardware, pads, and a full bleed kit.

Installation of the Maven is no different than any other SRAM disc brake, or really any current disc brake. The hoses, fittings, and hardware—Everything is the same as SRAM’s other current disc brakes.

However, SRAM states that “Maven requires the use of the new 20P-1 or 20P-2 brackets when a 20mm adapter is needed to accommodate a change to a larger rotor size.” And SRAM specifically cautions that the Maven is not compatible with its “20P” post-mount adapter.

A nice thing about the new adapters is they streamline the mounting bolts. The adapter mounts to the frame or fork with an 18mm bolt, and then the caliper mounts to the adapter (or directly to the frame or fork) with an 18mm bolt. One bolt size no matter what combination you use.

I did notice that pad retraction is rather underwhelming and you must ensure your rotors are very true to prevent incidental contact. And I suspect the smallest bit of water and grit will cause plenty of scraping noises.

The bleed process is mostly the same as SRAM’s other brakes (save the mineral oil, of course). But it seemed like it is more difficult to get all the air out of the system with the Maven than most disc brakes (and I’ve bled A LOT of brakes from a large number of companies, and many, many SRAM mountain bike disc brakes).

Or perhaps I was overconfident in my abilities, worked too fast, or made careless mistakes.

Whatever the reasons, although the brake felt fine on test rides up and down my street after I cut the hoses for installation and bled the brakes, things quickly took a turn on the first real ride.

However, as soon as I started down the Captain Ahab descent in Moab, the rear brake lever went to the bar. I temporarily build pressure by pumping the lever six or eight times. But for the most part, I did the whole of Ahab with only a front brake.

As an upside, I did learn that the Maven, though extremely powerful, modulates brilliantly.

After getting home and following SRAM’s bleed instructions to the letter—including the recommended “piston massage” step (advancing the pistons out of the caliper, then pressing them back in a handful of times)—the rear brake began to behave properly.

The Maven unquestionably has significantly more ultimate power than the Code. And for an equal power as a Code, the Maven requires a much lighter pull on the lever (32 percent lighter, says SRAM). It is a brake that, after only a couple of rides, feels too powerful to me.

But that’s a good thing.

It takes a while to reset your brain and adapt to the new limits when equipment takes a significant step forward. After my first rides on the original Hayes hydraulic disc brake when it debuted in 1997, I thought, “OMFG, this brake is too powerful! I’ll never need this much power!”

Following a few weeks of test-riding the Hayes disc, I got back on my bike with rim brakes—and I thought I was going to die. My brain was retrained to the performance of the disc brake, and the rim brakes felt like they didn’t work in comparison.

I’m still calibrated to the performance of a Code and other brakes with similar power, so when I first start riding my Maven-equipped bike, I pull the brakes too hard and too quickly and scare myself. But I recalibrate after a few minutes of riding and can use them smoothly.

Because of winter conditions in my area, I don’t have enough time—especially on extended steep downhills—to comment on the Maven’s consistency. And consistency is one of the most important performance parameters of a brake designed for “extreme” duty.

I do know that the Maven is very definitely, unquestionably, and positively a significantly more powerful brake than Code. The Mavens also modulate very well—especially considering how powerful they are.

Many mountain bikes and riders evolved beyond the limits of Codes, Levels, and the like years ago. Mountain biking needed this brake for a long time, and I’m happy the Maven is finally here.

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling, Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race.

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