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SOC15: Hands on with New Rever Dual Piston MCX1 Mechanical Disc Brake Plus Actual Weights

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Rever mechanical road cross brake (6)

After introducing the newest mechanical disc brake for road and cross just before Sea Otter, Rever (pronounced like revere) was on hand in California for us to get a closer look. Clearly, one of the biggest calling cards of the new MCX1 is the fact that both brake pads are actuated by the lever arm. That makes this one of the very few on the market that offer true dual piston braking in a mechanical package.

Above and beyond the actuation, Rever has built in at least one extra feature that should leave rider happy when it comes time to replace the pads. More details and actual weights, next…

Rever mechanical road cross brake (5)

Due to the location of the brake cable and the geometry of the caliper bore, the MCX1 allows users to remove the brake pads without needing to remove the wheel. The design also allows for increased air flow around the pads and the rotor for improved cooling. On a bike, the Rever MCX1 instantly feels different than any mechanical disc brake you’ve tried before. What it lacks in initial bite it makes up with in a huge amound of modulation. Riders who find most other disc brakes too “grabby” on the road may find these to be just right. We’ll have to get some real road miles in to tell for sure, but the MCX1s are very intriguing.

Rever mechanical road cross brake (2)

Rever mechanical road cross brake (4) Rever mechanical road cross brake (3)

 

On the scale, a caliper with pads but without hardware checked in at 165g. The 160mm rotor weighed in at 133g. As originally reported the brake will be sold with all necessary hardware, rotor, adapter, and high quality compressionless housing and a stainless brake cable for $149.99 each.

 

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Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen
9 years ago

What benefit is removing pads without removing the wheel? If you replace pads, you need to be replacing the rotor anyway.

Disc brake mechanic
Disc brake mechanic
9 years ago

Lacking in initial bite… Huge amount of modulation…

So it has no power and is squishy!

When did low power start meaning modulation? People know how to use there fingers to push a lever more or less as required.

Heffe
Heffe
9 years ago

These look really cool. I’d like to see a head-to-head comparison against the TRP Spyre SLC brakes, which they somewhat resemble.

pdxfixed
pdxfixed
9 years ago

@Eric Hansen… wait, what? Rotors last a lot longer than pads do. As long as they’re still within manufacturer spec for thickness, just rough the surface up with 60 grit and call it good.

Cowtown Cyclist
Cowtown Cyclist
9 years ago

@Disc brake mechanic Agreed, when it comes to power vs modulation I’ll take power every time. I can feather any brake but being able to clamp down when a car pulls out in front of you is a necessity for most people who actually ride.

thesteve4761
thesteve4761
9 years ago

@Eric-It is not uncommon for muddy CX races to go through a set of pads in a couple laps without killing the rotor. Fast pad swaps mean you can do so and still keep a bike usable, in half a lap, assuming the rider has 2 bikes.

Roy
Roy
9 years ago

With the reasonable cost of these it makes it even more likely someone would have a pit bike that on a muddy race could need pads. I am no pro cx mechanic, but I have worked the pit in a couple muddy races and know full well it would be very nice to be able to change pads with the wheels on. I am curious though, how do mechanical disc calipers deal with the aftermath of pressure washers? Anyone have experience with post CX race maintenance? Does the water and grit get blown deep in the mechanics of the caliper? It’s obvious CX is going the way of discs, and not everyone will have the $ or the desire to live with hydro…. Canti’s are easy, remove 1 bolt and lift arm, clean, grease and tighten it up.

meh
meh
9 years ago

2 pieces of Shimano BR-395L cost around 60 euros. With disks. And usually can hold ~10k km w/o problems (minus the pads). So … what’s so special in these mechanical brakes?

pile-on
pile-on
9 years ago

@Eric Hansen–I think you may have been mislead by a nefarious rotor dealer.

pile-on
pile-on
9 years ago

uhhh ‘misled’…

Mac
Mac
9 years ago

Maybe eric hansen is a service advisor at a car dealership, where every brake job “needs” new rotors.

Bobby
Bobby
9 years ago

@Roy – Avid BB7s are really easily stripped down and serviced. I’ve never really had any problems hosing them down at the end of the race. Most people will never tear the caliper down to the bearings to grease everything but it’s easy enough once you see how simple they are. I went two seasons of CX without greasing mine and there was still factory grease on the bearings in the caliper.

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
9 years ago

@disc brake mechanic: Lack of initial bite does not mean a lack of power. Likewise modulation is not the same as being squishy.

Ripnshread
Ripnshread
9 years ago

Zach, you need an editor bro. Read the first sentence of the second paragraph out loud to yourself…or better yet have someone else do that. *built *riders

I never comment on this kind of stuff…but that stopped me in my tracks…don’t know why but it did.

Sweet brakes. Are they made domestically? Not that it matters that much really….

I often post and wish I had an editor…but I hold you to a higher standard. lol

pete
pete
9 years ago

sure looks like a TRP Spyre caliper

dodo
dodo
9 years ago

“We’ll have to get some real road miles in to tell for sure, but the MCX1s are very intriguing.”

Really, why do you publish this stuff if you have not even tried?

Drunkatwork
Drunkatwork
9 years ago

Damn, almost twice the cost of the TRP Spyres, and no lighter. Being able to pull the pads from the top is cool, but don’t see that worth an extra $120 for a set.

keville
keville
9 years ago

@dodo Pretty sure the URL of this page is bikerumor.com, not bikestuffwetriedalready.com

Tim
Tim
9 years ago

Wonder if you can use Shimano rotors with these. I tried to ask on Rever’s site, but the page where you send messages to the company from doesn’t work.

Will
Will
9 years ago

TRP spyre has a spoke ping issue because of the dual calipers. they ride too close to the spokes and the clearance is almost nothing in the front when using 180 rotor. i suppose you could re-dish your wheels, but most people aren’t going to do that. i just bought shimano brakes and they work great.

Mike Bechanic
Mike Bechanic
9 years ago

I’m still trying to understand why having both pistons move is an advantage for a cable actuated disc. Single pistons a la BB7 don’t seem to sacrifice anything and actually seem better (lighter, more compact, mechanically simpler, etc). Can anyone shed some light?

don
don
9 years ago

@Will, I found that also, although worse on smaller rotors. A larger rotor move the caliper farther from the spokes, at least on my cx bikes.

I took a grinder to my spyre’s to make them work with 140’s.

@Roy my experience is the same as Eric’s. 2 seasons on Spyres, 50+ cx races in tons of mud. Work like new. With the Spyre I did not experienc pad wear that I had on the Avids due to the two side mechanism and the larger gaps provided.

I’m sticking with the spyres over hydros for at least another season. They work that well. Always looking for improvement, but with higher cost, same weight, no reason to switch.

don

CornerCanyonRider
CornerCanyonRider
9 years ago

@Mike Bechanic, much better “feel” having both pistons move. That, and you’re not flexing the rotor as you are when only one piston is moving. Been using the TRP Spyres for awhile now and I’d never go back to the old BB7 style calipers.

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