Formula

The One Disc Brake

Ready for duty on World Cup DH rigs or keeping speed in check at the next Downieville Super D, the Formula The One Disc Brake offers maximum versatility and power in an ultralight package package that's hard to believe. The secret ingredient of The One Disc Brake is a one-piece (The One, get it?) caliper with two 24mm opposing pistons. That's almost an inch per piston. The big pistons mean huge stopping power. In fact, they represent a 19% increase in surface area over the Formula R1 brakes. Big power doesn't mean heavy. The One still only weighs 336 grams—rivaling most XC brakes.

The added braking power is great for bigger or more aggressive riders, and legendary Formula modulation means constant traction and control. The pistons themselves are made of a heat-dissipating composite material and are cupped to provide even more fluid to regulate heat. The one-piece design is stiffer because there are no bolted-together parts to flex along the seam line when you grab a finger-full of lever. The caliper provides good ventilation on both the bottom and top for the pistons and pads to vent heat. The top vent also helps make pad changes easy, even with the wheel still in the bike.

Moving upward, The One uses a standard woven polyester hose that is super light, but still prevents hose expansion from heat. This keeps the brakes feeling stiff, even as the caliper heats up on big descents. Formula uses DOT 4 brake fluid because of its resistance to thermal expansion, gas absorption, and the quality control inherent with DOT-approved products, no matter what brand or where you get it.

The hose attaches directly to the new Feeling Control System for quick and easy adjustments of lever stroke and to compensate for pad wear. A forged aluminum, radial master cylinder offers excellent power transfer due to incredible stiffness, and strength. Formula also specs The One with its Tool Free Reach Adjustment knob for quick and simple fine-tuning of lever position for perfect ergonomics and maximum leverage of the forged aluminum lever blade.

The master cylinder is affixed to the handlebar with a two-bolt clamp, in a flip-flop design. This design makes fitting the levers around shifters, shock remotes, and grips much easier. They can be run regular or flipped moto-style with the rear brake on the left. Either way you hang the levers on the bar, there will be an accessible bleed port near the clamp. The location and angle of the ports facilitates easy brake bleeds with the levers in position on the bars. An optional carbon fiber lever blade is available separately, and will save you 6 grams in addition to achievingthe "works factory racer" look. Other aftermarket options include a two-piece aluminum/steel rotor and titanium rotor hardware.

The Formula The One Disc Brake is packaged with all the pieces needed to set up one brake on one wheel except for rotors and adapters (sold separately)—it’s a pre-bled lever/hose/caliper with pads. Weight of the brake system for the front wheel (with 160mm rotor) is 336g.

Please note: almost all hydraulic brake lines need to be cut to size before a bike is properly shod with hydraulic disc brakes. You'll need a quality cable-cutter like the Park CN-10 and a spoke to first cut and then de-crimp the housing.