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EB16: Trickstuff Piccola’s tiny size makes it the lightest hydraulic MTB brake ever, more

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trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

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.

trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

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.

trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

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.

trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

trickstuff Piccola ultralight hydraulic mtb disc brake

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).

trickstuff-6-bolt-to-centerlock-brake-rotor-adapter01

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.

trickstuff-matshi-mille-sram-shifter-shimano-brake-lever-mount01

trickstuff-matshi-mille-sram-shifter-shimano-brake-lever-mount05

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.

trickstuff-matshi-mille-sram-shifter-shimano-brake-lever-mount04

 

 

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.

Trickstuff.de

 

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Pete
Pete
7 years ago

Have their Cleg2 brakes for XC, finally I can quit looking for something better.

me
me
7 years ago

Interesting. Minimal and just the necessary design on that lever, I want!

Lars Danner
7 years ago

What is the freezing point of their fluid?

Craig
Craig
7 years ago

That’s an impressive brake design.

igni
igni
7 years ago

“Both brakes use their Biotech hydraulic fluid that has a 290°C (554ºF)”

I cannot find this on the web. Any idea please ?

dagged
dagged
7 years ago
Reply to  igni

it is made by danico biotech

Evan
Evan
7 years ago

“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”

Just hope you don’t crash then :s

Boost Yo!
Boost Yo!
7 years ago
Reply to  Evan

almost any crash with a direct hit to your levers will rip anything off….. they’re actually designed to snap off

Håkon Johansen
Håkon Johansen
7 years ago

I’ve asked several carbon part manufacturers to make an XTR carbon cover like that, but with no luck. Would really like to get one of those!

Zsolt
Zsolt
7 years ago

According to the tests performed by German magazines like Bike Magazin (12/2016), Trickstuff’s Piccola brake is not only one of the lightest brake but also a top performer on the market currently. Heavy weight riders can also use it since the brake force that can be produced with this brake is higher than some of the 4-piston brakes out there. 🙂

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