SRAM has unveiled a series of changes to its Maven brakes, relaunching the Bronze, Silver and top-tier models.
Although the lever feel has changed, SRAM says the top-end power remains the same.
With the lever feel of the mightily punchy Mavens being somewhat divisive, SRAM set about making some changes to the SwingLink cam mechanism and lever blade. The result is a brake that's lighter to pull but still offers outstanding stopping power.
If you own the Mavens already, these new parts can be purchased as an aftermarket upgrade.
Lighter lever feel
Braking style, lever setup and feel are all very individual, subjective things.
That’s why different riders will like different brakes for different reasons.
When SRAM launched the Maven brakes in 2024, I was a big fan of the power they possessed and how it was delivered.
Not everyone was, though. While some criticised them for being too powerful, there were more who were unhappy with the initial lever feel, wanting it to be lighter.
This might not have been such an issue if the Maven line-up didn’t include the Base model. The more basic lever didn’t feature the SwingLink cam mechanism and, as a result, felt lighter to pull.
The Maven Base model won over rider after rider and SRAM was quick to take note. It knew it needed to update the Maven line-up and adjust how the pricier, more adjustable levers felt in a bid to please the masses and the result is the updates announced today.
I caught up with Ben Crowe, Maven product manager, to find out how these changes came about.
Out with the old
“The current gen has that distinct heavy breakaway. As with anything, people who liked that just got on and rode it,” says Crowe.
While the original Mavens had their fans, that initial lever feel created more than its fair share of critics.
Crowe continues: “There were people who wanted a lighter-action lever. That was probably one of the number one things; getting rid of that cam-over feel and making that just a bit smoother and in line with Base.”
Despite lacking all the bells and whistles of its three pricier counterparts, the Base model’s lever feel was lighter and something many riders were gravitating towards.
“We had our SwingLink Mavens and Base Mavens in market, which had very different lever feels, so we got to take learnings from both and make improvements to the SwingLink versions,” says Crowe.
He and the product team got to work, using feedback about the original brake.
The result? “We made changes to the SwingLink mechanism, but almost everything else in the system is the same – same level of power, same air management system, same gland and volumes.”
Same power, different feel
So, what did SRAM do to change the polarising lever feel of the Maven Ultimate, Silver and Bronze brakes?
“We did manipulate the hydraulic ratio slightly. But it’s the change in the SwingLink that is going to manipulate your mechanical advantage through the pull of the stroke, and then the slight change in the hydraulic rate is how we addressed the feel,” says Crowe.
Take a closer look and you’ll see the older brake features a red cam, compared to the gold SwingLink cam on the new model.
This change means there’s a higher initial leverage rate, delivering a lighter feel at the revised lever blade. SRAM has then designed the leverage rate to be more linear on the new brake compared to its predecessor, although this still builds progressively, with the aim of delivering more power as you get deeper into the stroke.
Smoothing out the leverage rate helps to create a more predictable brake overall, with a ramp at the end where power tops out.
The previous brake delivered a lot of power in the middle of the stroke with less ramp-up at the end and required more force to get the lever moving initially.
With an increased mechanical rate, SRAM needed to balance out the hydraulic rate in order to keep the power the same.
This was done by reducing all four pistons to the same 18mm diameter, compared to the previous iteration, which featured two 19.5mm-diameter pistons, alongside two 18mm pistons.
The end result, according to Crowe, is “the lever feel off the top is much more similar to Maven Base”.
Pleasing the masses
But how did SRAM settle on the final lever feel? And when did it decide that the existing offering wasn't quite right?
Crowe explains: “We rely heavily on feedback from riders that trickles up through our in-market reps, our OEM customers and just markets. We try to listen the best we can and when something feels like there’s a momentum swell, you can feel that it’s not just one or two people saying something.”
Of course, it’s not as simple as making the decision to alter an entire product line because it’s a costly process. Crowe and his team will investigate the scope and costs of such a project before ploughing resource into it. In this case, it made sense to make some changes.
But how big a change should they aim to make? Replicate the feel of the Base or try something more extreme?
“We found that a light lever action is good, but if it’s too light, you start to lose some of the feedback,” says Crowe.
It was the feedback that I really liked (along with the power) on the first Maven brake. I find if the lever feels too light, my braking isn’t as accurate and I tend to pull harder than I need to.
Getting that feel perfect can’t be easy, though. What does the process look like for a brand such as SRAM?
“To the subjectivity part. Some people like that [a light lever feel] and want it as light as possible, and sometimes if it’s too light, you feel like you’re losing that precision and feedback of how hard you’re pulling,” says Crowe.
With the help of the machine shop in SRAM's Colorado Springs facility, the brake team was able to whip up a number of different SwingLink samples, each delivering a slightly different brake feel.
Crowe gives some insights into the testing process: “Because it was so subjective, we have some hard requirements on reach range, and what your max deadband is in the worst-case scenario. For the subjective side of where that curve starts to climb at the end of the stroke, we get a group of six to eight of us together and go and do week-long test trips.”
While riding, Crowe explains SRAM's riders avoid talking to one another, keeping feedback private to avoid influencing other members of the team.
They then collate their feedback in the hope they can make a call on the final direction they’ll be heading in.
“The one we went to production with was the almost uncontested preferred option,” says Crowe.
On the trail, it's fair to say the revised SwingLink and lever make a difference – and the feel, especially that initial pull, is lighter. I'll have a full review coming soon, so keep an eye out for that.
And there’s more…
Not only did SRAM update the SwingLink, but the latest generation of Maven brakes also features new lever blades.
While the Ultimate brakes get a lighter-weight carbon blade, possibly the most interesting update is the Silver’s lever, which is a forged then CNC-machined number and is the choice of World Cup phenomenon Amaury Pierron.
The Bronze brakes use a forged alloy lever blade.
What’s more, SRAM is offering a retro-fittable 'tuning kit', which includes the new SwingLink (gold) and revised lever blade. That means if you have Mavens (Ultimate, Silver or Bronze) and want a lighter lever feel, you should be able to achieve it. And, in theory, by changing the SwingLink and lever but keeping the same caliper and pistons (including the two 19.5mm pots), you could increase power slightly more.
SRAM also says it has improved overall consistency with the new brakes and made setup easier.
Range overview
SRAM Maven Ultimate
- Adjustments: Contact adjust / reach adjust
- Lever blade: Carbon
- Caliper hardware: Titanium
- Weight: 363g
- Price: £290 / $299 / €325 (per end, without rotor)
SRAM Maven Silver
- Adjustments: Contact adjust / reach adjust
- Lever blade: Aluminium, forged and CNC-machined
- Caliper hardware: Black stainless steel
- Weight: 379g
- Price: £260 / $265 / €290
SRAM Maven Bronze
- Adjustments: Reach adjust
- Lever blade: Aluminium, forged
- Caliper hardware: Stainless steel
- Weight: 381g
- Price: OEM only
SRAM Maven tuning kit (includes two levers and two light action SwingLink assemblies)
- Price: £105 / $109 / €120 (carbon lever kit), £85 / $89 / €95 (CNC forged alu lever kit), £65 / $69 / €75 (alu lever kit)
