Sram Maven: The Breakdown

Sram just dropped the Maven brakes today, and they're....huge. Designed for "extreme duty," the Mavens offer more power, better heat management, and more fine-tuning than other brakes. So today, we're going to break down what makes these brakes unique.
Read the full written review here - bebikes.com/the-hub/sram-maven/
0:00 Intro
0:38 More power
1:34 Heat management
2:41 Mineral oil?
4:31 Tuning

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

Man, you guys absolutely kill your reviews and this was easily the best overview that came out today. Most underrated channel on YT!

[@bikersedge]

Love to hear it. Thanks for the kind words!

[@manningthomson7918]

I came straight here!

[@406OutdoorsMT]

Came here to see a brake review and ended up getting a fantastic overview of how brakes work! Keep up the great work!

[@bikersedge]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@SuperCaryG]

Bought the Ultimate Expert Kit (excellent value) today and installed ! Stoked to see the performance gains. Excellent review as per usual.

[@bikersedge]

Stoked!

[@ovtj]

Wow, fantastic video. I wasn’t even really interested in the brakes at first but found the video entertaining and helpful!

[@bikersedge]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@BigSharkFreak]

Best YT video I’ve watched in a long time. Bravo.

[@bikersedge]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@MTBCoop]

Damn Conner! Great video detailing brakes in general. Very informative and love your delivery! Keep kicking out videos!

[@bikersedge]

Hey thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@keosoutdooradventures]

Most informative video on this new brake system on yt!

[@bikersedge]

Hey thanks!

[@primozr5411]

Amazing overview of new brakes 👌👌

[@bikersedge]

Thanks. Glad you liked it!

[@federicomarmolejo1952]

Your reviews are fantastic, loved your F1 explanation. You should have so much more subscriber, solid job again!!!

[@bikersedge]

Much appreciated! Glad you liked it.

[@PaulCoull]

Great review, well explained 🔥

[@bikersedge]

Get thanks!

[@shawnstradwick5637]

Awesome review. Thank you.

[@bikersedge]

Glad you liked it!

[@starhead100]

Amazing video like always. I’d love to see a back to back to back comparison video between all three levels of SRAM brakes on the same bike to see just how much performance you gain.

[@bikersedge]

We could probably do something like that.

[@pickelbyte]

That would be hard to swap them every time…

[@Jcool721]

Thanks, the best brake info ever! It looks like I need to change the DOT fluid :-)

[@bikersedge]

Hey thanks. If it’s been more than a season it’s probably time.

[@andresdavila4500]

Love the review!! As usual the best reviews in YT! Thank you! I ride codes with MTX race pads, enough power, however the trails I ride are not too long enough to cause braking issues, wonder if these might be too strong?

[@bikersedge]

Hey thanks. I do think these could be too strong if you don’t size down on your rotors.

[@NickelEye.]

Sick beard my guy! The Brakes are cool also I guess

[@bikersedge]

That’s my winter hobby. I turn into a facial hair farmer because I can’t ride my bike.

[@William.N]

High end SRAM mineral oil brakes is quite the development. Makes sense with the DB8s releasing a couple years ago. Fingers crossed for dry weather!

[@bikersedge]

Hoping we can ride soon. Snowed today though....

[@kennethcampingdiary1976]

i miss my hope mono 6 ti 6 piston for DH break lol and this maven remind me of it perfect for cargo ebike😂😂

[@siriosstar4789]

@ken agreed . these brakes would be perfect for a fully loaded cargo bike . most people will never need such a powerful brake . these are for pro and or Kamakazi downhillers . If you are just cruising off road in a leisurely manner , Mavens would be overkill.

[@AARON818818]

I hope they're gonna make a ceramic brake pads an disc. Are the heat F1 Analogy doesn't really make sense!

[@bikersedge]

It was to illustrate a point that brakes are about managing heat at both ends. Not just keeping things from getting too hot.

[@cliffsangelsphotography]

I'm now curious as to how they perform against Shimano Saint, Magura MT7 Pro, and TRP DH-R EVO

[@bikersedge]

Same here. Hoping for a chance to ride them on some real trails here soon.

[@lazylearner967]

I prefer the that a Shimano brake gives me over traditional Sram as that is what I "grew up" using after the BB7's. But I haven't really run Sram for too long. Had the G2's on a Ripley for 500 miles before I swapped. And I had some Avid Juicy Carbons more than a decade ago. That is what sort of soured me on Avid/Sram stuff for years. The G2's were not as bad as I imagined. But I do prefer a grabby, Shimano.

[@bikersedge]

To each their own but I really like the ramp up of a Stam brake. TRP is a nice middle ground.

[@lazylearner967]

@@bikersedge my son has 4 pot TRP Slates They are really nice brakes for sure. He only weighs 110 all kitted up so most brakes would stop him fine.

[@mikeboynton7550]

I gotta smash that like for the pancake comment😂

[@bikersedge]

I may or may not eat pancakes every day. #racefuel

[@tinman8888]

So they are lime the scram version of the cascades. They look the goods for us over 200lb ers👌🏼

[@bikersedge]

But like on steroids.

[@travelthenarrowtrail8660]

SRAM EDDIE VAN MAVEN brakes, cool...

[@bikersedge]

Van maven!! Love it.

[@michaelgunawan2319]

This doesn't really apply to the Mavens specifically, but I wanted to clear something up. Different mineral oils can have very different boiling points: For example, TRP's mineral oil is actually slightly higher than DOT 5.1. However absolutely nobody is boiling oil anyways. If F1 cars aren't boiling oil, I can guarantee that MTBers aren't boiling either. My point is that boiling point isn't really a strong selling point.

[@bikersedge]

Right - that's why I said most mineral oils. I'd be curious to see some actual stats on how hot brake components get during riding. Loam Wolf did an interesting video measuring the temperature of a caliper on the outside surface. They were getting readings nearing 300°. I'd imagine rotors, pistons, and fluid could get hotter than the outside surface of a caliper. Could be getting close to boiling points, especially on some brake fluids.

[@michaelgunawan2319]

​@@bikersedgeAll the information in your video is correct 😂 I just know that some other people have a perception that all mineral oils are inferior to DOT which is not true.

[@bikersedge]

Agreed. I think they each have some pros and cons for sure.

[@ajpratt3954]

They got rid of G2s?

[@bikersedge]

Still on their site but they haven’t been updated to the stealth design. I’d imagine they get phased out.

[@daved2023]

Cost?

[@Charliezfabrykiczekolady]

Huge :)

[@daved2023]

@@Charliezfabrykiczekolady $300 per wheel! Just ordered a front and rear set with extra pads. Now about that new bleed kit...

[@bikersedge]

190-300 depending on the level.

[@kevinmanzo862]

I asked my local Shop to put these on me bike and they didn’t recommend it. They had it in stock too I don’t get it. I have a Levo SL. 🤷

[@bikersedge]

Yeah that's a little weird. Certainly don't think they're inappropriate for an ebike.

[@kevinmanzo862]

@@bikersedge better than the RS brakes ya?

[@timtaylor9590]

No picture of them on the bike

[@bikersedge]

?

[@ethanrevitch]

You forgot to mention the G2.

[@bikersedge]

It looks like moving forward those might not be around. They haven't updated them with the stealth routing and Sram hasn't included them in any press content. Thats why I left them off the list.

[@ethanrevitch]

The G2 is SRAMs newest non stealth performance brake so that could be a reason they haven’t been getting any press. I also found out that they’re updating all the stealth (Level & Code) brakes to be angled more outwards like the Mavens. Maybe they’ll update the G2 as well?

[@bikersedge]

It's not that they're not getting press coverage. It's that Sram likely isn't carrying them through. It will now be Level, Code, Maven.

[@MrBig617]

Bro, but I won't look as badass with smaller rotors! How will people know I shred when they're all not looking??

[@bikersedge]

Gonna have to hit some bigger jumps probably.

[@antoinedoinell]

guess this throws SRAM's "DOT is better" marketing from the past few years out the window.

[@bikersedge]

Not sure if we'll see a wholesale switch to mineral oil for Sram. Sram has said that for this brake (piston size, power, caliper size, heat dissipation...) that mineral oil tested better. The same might not apply to Code and Level.

[@itslobo]

Eddie Van Halen brakes

[@BudoDave76]

50 3:41 % mow braking power than Codes.

[@bikersedge]

?

[@BudoDave76]

@@bikersedge haha I should have finished my sentence. I’ve always found SRAM codes underpowered. Always has massive arm pump when trying to stop my E bike. The Maven’s are more powerful but considerably heavier. Theres a reason people are moving to TRP or Shimano.

[@bikersedge]

Ah gotcha. I don't know if codes are underpowered or just offer more modulation than most other options. Meaning you need to pull the lever further to get all the power. I actually love them for the slow ramp up to power rather than the on/off of Shimano. TRP find a nice balance between Shimano and Codes.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

These brakes are great if you want 10% more braking power than already available in the cycling market and are willing to pull the lever 60% harder than you ever have to get it. Them saying "light lever feel" is a ridiculous overstatement at best, and marketing BS in reality.

[@bikersedge]

I’m having a totally different experience over here. I normally run TRP DHR Evo. These have a similar lever feel to me. Granted I only have about 3 rides on them so far.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

@@bikersedge how much vertical are you descending at once, without stopping? My benchmark is 7-800 metres of technical steeps without needing to stop for arm pump. Only properly set up Saints can do it in my experience. I've heard the new Hayes can manage it but haven't tried them. Sram just can't get there for some reason.

[@bikersedge]

@SnootchieBootchies27 I’m pretty close to that same vert on terrain steep enough to cook paint off your brake pads. In the 600-800 meter range. The TRPs work great on it. The Mavens have been good so far.

[@SnootchieBootchies27]

@@bikersedge hmmm... I might just have really weak forearms.

[@bikersedge]

@SnootchieBootchies27 have you been running mavens?

[@HUKIT.]

I’ve been on SRAM(previously Avid) for decades but damn those calipers are hideous, Lol.

[@bikersedge]

They make them in black for people who hate Eddie.

[@HUKIT.]

@@bikersedge Color is cool, just looks rather unrefined.

[@bikersedge]

I can see that a little bit I guess. I think the shape is probably pretty intentional to help with heat management, though.

[@Megabear90]

Very impressive and great review. But holy moly are they ugly. Not just the color, but the overall shape. I will definitely try them out, but I don't think I would give up my Hope Tech 4s for them even if they are stronger.

[@bikersedge]

Luckily looks don’t affect ride quality. Function over form all day.

[@Megabear90]

@@bikersedge I fully agree, but you have to admit that having beautiful equipment on your custom bike is just really nice. And it's not like I'm compromising with the Hope Set 😉

[@bikersedge]

@@Megabear90 I might be in the minority but I don’t really care how my stuff looks. I just want it to ride nice. I mean I’m the guy riding my bike so it’s never going to look all that good anyway. Ha.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

In racing cars it's the pad material and carbon disc that are formulated to work at very high temperatures, the caliper and rest of the braking system has nothing to do with "heat management" I don't blame you SRAM marketing material is so over the top nonsense lol 😂 *Edit That's just part of the issue. They lied about lever effort that's... Hmm discutable since measurement are not standardized but initially it needs more effort than, let's say, a DB8.. anyway SRAM has lost it if you ask me 😅

[@robertrabanal2195]

SRAM brakes are some of the worse in the industry. So many different models still suck. I avoid them at all cost. Magura MT7 are better than any Sram brake.

[@bikersedge]

I’m the complete opposite. I’d take them over most other brakes every day of the week.

[@theshonen8899]

I have to be honest, these looks so gross.

[@bikersedge]

They also make them in black for people who like boring stuff.

[@mikegeddie2263]

After market Kevlar or ceramic pads have been far far better than the over priced OEM metal pads on my codes, so I’m curious how these brakes will work

[@bikersedge]

I do like ceramic. I don’t hate metallic for long steep descents though. They seem to resist fade better.