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SRAM levels out with new Flat Mount hydraulic disc brakes for RED, Force & Rival

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SRAM Rival Force and Red flat mount hydraulic disc brake calipers for road bikes

While Shimano introduced the flat mount standard for road bike disc brakes, it’s inevitable that SRAM would have to offer something once frame and fork manufacturers adopted it. And now they have, offering flat-mount options for all three of their hydraulic disc brake road groups.

Available for both 140mm and 160mm rotors thanks to a flip flop adapter, you’ll be able to pick from RED, Force or Rival setups come September. The front brake calipers are shown above, the rears, plus specs, weights and pricing, are below…

SRAM Rival Force and Red flat mount hydraulic disc brake calipers for road bikes

The calipers are the same front and rear, it’s just the adapters shown here that make the rears look like they sit lower. They’re shown here with the adapters in position for a 160mm rotor, which is SRAM’s recommended rotor size for road applications. Flip them around so the taller part is at the top and they’d be positioned for 140mm rotors.

Claimed weights are Rival 496g for Rival, 489g for Force and 459g for RED, the key differences being materials just like on the originals – bolt material goes from stainless to titanium for RED, but there are also brake lever material differences between the models that also contribute to the differences. All weights are for the front brake with 160mm rotor, 800mm hose, mounting bracket and hardware. Performance, bleed procedure and other technical details are the same as the standard mount versions.

Retail prices (VAT included for € and £) per wheel for the shift/brake lever and flat mount caliper are:

  • SRAM RED 22 HRD: $493/ €514/ £394
  • SRAM Force 22 HRD: $375/ €391/ £300
  • SRAM Force 1 HRD: $315/ €329/ £252
  • SRAM Rival 22 HRD: $355/ €370/ £284
  • SRAM Rival 1 HRD: $284/ €296/ £227

All three will have aftermarket retail availability in September 2015.

SRAM.com

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26 Comments
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Josh
Josh
8 years ago

I was really, REALLY hoping flat mount would quietly go away..

CHICKEN SANDWICH
CHICKEN SANDWICH
8 years ago

Why do I need these over the non flat mount brakes?

Heffe
Heffe
8 years ago

Is it more aerodynamic or whatever?

Derek
Derek
8 years ago

I don’t really get the advantage of flat mount. I don’t really see any disadvantages either. Why are people spending time on this?

Antipodean_G
8 years ago

Let’s be honest, there was zero wrong with IS tabs. Zero. Motos use the same set up but for some reason the bike industry ‘marketingineers’ (TM… 🙂 ) convinced their gullible audience that it was a flawed system and post mount was where it was at. Don’t get me wrong, I quite like post mount but it was a solution to an issue that didn’t exist.

So, in that vein, why not flat mount? I am sure the marketingineers have the numbers somewhere to prove it’s so much better….

Aaron
Aaron
8 years ago

This is a stiffer, lower-profile mount that’s optimized for smaller rotors. Not only will roadies like it because it’s clean, but it also reduces frame weight by not having to have posts or disc tabs on frames. Also, potentially more aero. And roadies like aero, integrated and “Stiffness”.

rico
rico
8 years ago

Makes sense to me, who needs the big knobs on the frame and fork to mount to? That’s enough reason to go this route.

dkrenik
dkrenik
8 years ago

This is not a “standard”. It irritates me when the cycling press talks about new “standards”. For bicycles there are very few standards – just lots of different “platforms”.

Mike Bechanic
Mike Bechanic
8 years ago

for those of you who get bent out of shape about the supposed improper use of the word “standard”, you should really look up the definition. It is very broadly defined, especially in a technical sense, and applies well to the the flat mount situation.

Greg
Greg
8 years ago

Despite the pushback, there is a driving factor besides marketing. With post mount brakes, the heat buildup on 140mm rotors could potentially be high enough to delaminate the frame, separating the bonded threaded aluminum inserts from the frame. The flat platform integrates the threaded section into the brake caliper.

You could go with the IS standard, but you are limited to using 140mm front/160mm rear rotor by default. So if you want 140/140, its not possible with IS.

There is merit to this the flat platform for road cycling.

Greg
Greg
8 years ago

*with IS you are limited to 160 front/140 rear by default

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

@Derek
It looks less ugly. It probably weighs less. Maybe. The only people complaining are people with sour grapes syndrome because they bought a premature road disc bike and will forever have that ugly disc brake bike with the posts.

How likely is it that you’re going to transfer your MTB brakes to your road frame? Not very. Even if you do, there’s an adapter for it, just like there are adapters for all other disc mounts.

@Antipodean_G
You’ve clearly been under a rock, many many many motorcycles, especially high end ones use post mount disc brakes. The fact they have suspension makes flat mount not really an option. There is no drawback to frames being flat mount compatible. You can put an adapter and have it look like every other bike with an ugly adapter. There are very few people being inconvenienced by switching standards, because there are very few people with road discs.

For most people, they’re not trying to sell you a new and improved disc brake and make you switch standards. They’re trying to sell people on their first road disc brake. Not being hideously ugly carry over technology helps a bit with that.

@Mike Bechanic
Agreed. Platforms are a type of pedal. Platform has a very specific usage as a substitute for standard in computers. It need not apply in every other industry where standard is the applicable word.

Darryn
Darryn
8 years ago

I wonder if it’s also to prevent the cross compatibility of MTB calipers given the slightly different heat management requirements of road ones.

OverIt
OverIt
8 years ago

Can anyone point us would be frame designers to the tech measurements? I’d like to incorporate this into my rear dropout.

Dave
Dave
8 years ago

All this BS because of carbon rims. Ugh.

Let the justifications begin…

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
8 years ago

It has nothing to do with CF rims, Dave, and everything to do with better brake modulation and better brake consistency, especially with variable weather conditions. You can relax, though, because no one is going to make you buy a road bike with disc brakes.

Derek
Derek
8 years ago

: There are still threaded inserts in the frame where the black plate mounts.

Champs
Champs
8 years ago

Darryn, please leave your conspiracy theories at home.

After a couple of years of road/CX/MTB converging on the same technology and standards, it’s just a coincidence that they’re coming apart with stuff like 1x, Boost, 27.5″, flat mount, etc. We probably NEED nanodrive again, too…

Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
8 years ago

The rage over this and road disc in general is glorious. You all are welcome to buy my rim caliper race bike this fall. All black Allez with black 5800, tubeless wheels. ~800 miles on it so far.

PBJoe
PBJoe
8 years ago

I’m sure someone, somewhere will be starting a kickstarter for a flat-mount to IS adapter. Then you can run 203s on your cyclocross bike, haha.

michael
michael
8 years ago

IDK what you’re talking about but I have 140/140 with IS mounts. (and they look better than this set up)

Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
8 years ago

Shimano already makes flat mount to IS adapters.

broseph
8 years ago

The arm chair engineers and the old folk “get off my lawn” crowd in full effect. This right here is your sign that disc brakes are coming full force on road bikes. The 2 problems with disc/road is the chain line/chain stay/q factor to compensate for the rotor (in which I bet the 142 rear end becomes the standard) and the brake mount. Shimano already released this news about 2 months ago and they are the benchmark for how disc brakes should work. With sram following suit, it should show everyone right there, that at least this mount will be the “standard” for a majority of the market. This is your sign you roadies that “can stop just fine with rim brakes”. Disc is about to take over the road world whether you like it or not.

Tinsloth
Tinsloth
8 years ago

Remember when Hayes and Gary Fisher basically did the same thing with 22mm brake mounts? Maybe I can retrofit some old hfx mags to work on a new road frame…

Rider X
Rider X
8 years ago

In 5 years after all the early adopters (err testers) have helped work out the bugs, I will be down with that as it will be about time to turn over a bike. Till then I am happy with what I have.

Bob
Bob
4 years ago
Reply to  Rider X

Its 2019 and all these complaints about flat mount are hilarious!

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