Foldable Bikes Party: SRAM gets slimmer stoppers with all-new Level brake

Tuesday, 23 February 2016

SRAM gets slimmer stoppers with all-new Level brake

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SRAM has completely revamped its twin-piston range of cross country and light trail brakes, replacing existing models from top-tier SRAM XX down to budget Avid DB1 offerings with a full range of new stoppers under the Level moniker.

SRAM has taken a number of design cues from its four-piston Guide series of brakes, with the Level lever using the same piston and bladder design in a slimmed down, lighter and smaller body. While SRAM's older Taperbore levers sometimes suffered from an inconsistent bite point, we've not struggled with these issues on the Guides, so hopefully this will translate well over the Level brake. The Bleeding Edge system for servicing fluid should also be a big improvement, as it was notoriously tricky to get all the air our of the older designs.

While many of the Guide's feature have transferred over, what you don't get on any Level model is contact point or tool-free reach adjustment, though there is a new detent design on the tooled adjuster to ease tweaking them to suit your preferences.

Level Ultimate

There are going to be five models in the range, with the top dog Ultimate getting a one-piece caliper with 21mm pistons to improve stiffness, consistency and heat management. You also get aluminium backed pads to help drop a few more grams, and there's a stainless steel heat shield like that seen on the Guide Ultimate to help reduce heat transfer from the rotor and pads to the caliper. The lever gets a carbon blade with pivot bearings and titanium hardware and uses the Matchmaker X clamp to ease integration with other SRAM family products.

With a claimed weight of 318g for the Ultimate, there's a slight weight penalty over the XX that it will replace of around 28g, though that's a price we're willing to pay for improved power and durability. Prices have been set as $297 / €324 / £249 / AU$TBC.

Level TLM

For those with slightly less deep pockets, the TLM gets the same one-piece calliper, but does away with the pivot bearing for a bushing and fancy carbon lever and titanium fasteners for alloy and steel respectively. SRAM claims it kicks out the same power as the Ultimate and there's only a 38g weight penalty. Prices are $190 / €207 / £159 / AU$TBC.