Piccola, which is Italian for “small”, is a fitting name for the new Trickstuff hydraulic mountain bike disc brakes. Claimed weight is a mere 158g (front with 70cm hose), which they say makes them the lightest brakes in the world. That weight includes pads, but no adapters or rotor.
From the beginning of the project, they wanted it to be the lightest brake. So they looked for ways to reduce the size and form factor. The biggest reduction came by moving the master cyclinder close to the bar – it actually rests on the bar. That means there’s virtually no leverage forces on the chassis as you pull the lever, so they could use a minimalist clamp, and there’s no reinforcing structure required to hold the master cylinder in place. It’s all function, nothing extra.
Even their Dioettissima brake, which launched last year, rests the master cylinder’s chassis against the bar, the Piccola simply takes that concept a step further.
Both brakes use their Biotech hydraulic fluid that has a 290°C (554ºF) boiling point but is totally safe for the skin, no more damaging to you or the environment than cooking oil (their words). Low viscosity means there’s a light lever feel, nearly as thin as DOT5 fluid.
The reservoir is 2.2ml, which they say provides plenty of fluid for heat management and expansion. As light as it is, they still packed in four sealed cartridge bearings, two at each rotation point. Tooled reach adjust lets you set the lever distance.
The caliper houses 22mm pistons, and the pads are the same shape and size as Avid Elixir, so easily replaceable. They say a German magazine has tested it and claim it’s more powerful than Shimano XT. Not sure how that’s quantified, but it’s out there.
Retail is €345 per wheel, available in three months (November or December).
Their 6-bolt-on-Centerlock adapter gets a makeover, switching from the small lock ring (left) to the larger one (second from left). The original didn’t fully cover the 6-bolt rotor holster, which allowed the holster’s outer plate to flex and bend, which could then cause the rotor to vibrate or shimmy. The new one covers the entire holster and prevents flex.
The Matshi Mille joins their other two SRAM/Shimano combo mounts to bring i-Spec 2 compatibility. Now you can run a SRAM shifter snugged up against the latest Shimano brake levers using only the stock Shimano brake clamp.
The piece wedges into the space where other stock parts would be if you were using a complete Shimano group, stuck between the bar and the brake mount. Then, you just bolt your SRAM shifter into place and off you go.
