The new Formula RO is claimed to be even more powerful than the company’s The One downhill brakeJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
We’ve got a set of Formula’s new RO brakes in for testingJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The Formula RO looks very similar to The OneJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The chrome finish looks great but how long will it stay that way in British grit and mud?James Costley-White/BikeRadar
A split bar clamp is always good to seeJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Formula use the same basic lever design for their cross-country and big-hit brakesJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
New for 2012 are tool-free reach and pad contact adjustersJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Plastic hoses save weight over braided onesJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The ‘O’ in RO stands for ‘oval’ – the shape of the pistonsJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
A look at the underside of Formula’s RO disc calliperJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Formula’s RO disc brake uses a one-piece forged calliperJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
We like the swoopy lines of Formula’s new RO disc brakeJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Pads are loaded from the top on the Formula ROJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
With the pads removed, you can see the new oval pistonJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
It doesn’t look all that oval, but trust us – it is slightly egg-shapedJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
The pistons are lightly ovalised but it’s hard to spot unless you get up closeJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Formula’s RO disc brake is supplied without a rotorJames Costley-White/BikeRadar
Formula’s The One brake is a top performer, offering enough stopping power for a World Cup downhiller along with great lever feel at an incredibly light weight.
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Well, for 2012 the Italian company have gone one better – the new RO, first seen in prototype form at this year’s Sea Otter Classic and launched at this autumn’s trade shows, uses oval rather than round pistons to boost braking surface area without increasing calliper size. The result is even more pad pressure than The One – Formula reckon the new brake has 18 percent more power.
The RO is marginally heavier – Formula claim 361g with a 160mm rotor, versus 336g for The One; our samples weigh 280g front and 292g rear, without rotors but with all hardware, including rotor bolts. This is partly down to the larger pistons but the new brake also gains a tool-free reach adjuster (this has also been added to The One for 2012) and pad contact adjustment dial.
Elsewhere, it carries over the previous flagship’s best features, including its one-piece calliper and super-light flip-flop lever with split bar clamp. As you’d expect, pricing is higher than The One, at £249 ($380) per end, not including rotors, compared to £229 (US$290).
With the pads removed, you can see the new oval piston:James Costley-White/BikeRadar
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The pistons are lightly ovalised but it’s hard to spot unless you get up close
James Costley-White is the editor of Mountain Biking UK (MBUK), the UK's best-selling mountain biking magazine, founded in 1988. James, often known as JCW, has been an avid mountain biker since 1992, during which time he's amassed a huge amount of knowledge about the sport and masses of riding experience. He can regularly be found riding the trails around Bristol and south Wales. As well as editing MBUK, JCW contributes regular product reviews and other articles to the magazine. He's a fully-qualified professional journalist, certified as a senior reporter by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and holds a postgraduate diploma in journalism from Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Culture. As well as heading up MBUK, he's worked for other cycling titles including BikeRadar.com, ChopMTB.com and Triathlon Plus magazine, along with the Bristol Post, Western Daily Press, Gloucestershire Echo and Gloucester Citizen newspapers.
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