Straight up, it’s hard to have fun mountain biking without a good set of brakes. After a solid frame and tires, I’d say intuitive, reliable, and inspiring brakes are the third most critical component for actually enjoying the sport. Yet good brakes are really hard to find! Heck, even the best brakes, with a little bit of air in the system, end up terrible.
Today SRAM is announcing a really exciting upgrade to the Maven line of brakes. And what’s especially cool is that if you bought a bike in the last couple of years and it came with Mavens, you can now easily upgrade them to get most of the new improvements.
Editor’s Note:
These articles are adapted by Savannah (Handles) from Jeff Kendall-Weed’s YouTube videos for riders who prefer reading over watching. They’re written in Jeff’s first-person voice to stay true to the style and storytelling of the original content.
I’m genuinely (arm?) pumped about this upgrade because a lot of us already have Mavens sitting on our bikes. You don’t have to start from scratch or sell your current setup to get better modulation and lower breakaway force. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty neat when companies upgrade something in a way that means that you can upgrade the product that you already have, instead of having to reinvent the wheel.
Before we dive in, as usual, I want to give a huge thanks to Jenson USA for sponsoring the coverage. They stock brakes from pretty much every major brand, plus all the small parts, bleed kits, and extras you need to keep things running crisp — or upgrade them beyond stock. Whether you want to purchase the fully updated Maven brakes, or you just want the Maven B1 upgrade kit, any purchase made through the links here help to support the website and channel, at no extra cost to you! So thank you in advance, if that’s you!
As someone who’s built a whole thing around wheelies, manuals, and messing around on the bike in childlike wonder, modulation is everything to me. I ride steep stuff in our corner of the mountains too, so raw power matters — but only if you can actually use it without arm pump or surprises.
Okay, But What is Modulation?
Modulation is just precise control over how much braking force you apply. Breakaway force is the initial effort to get the lever moving. They go hand-in-hand: high breakaway means you blast through the free stroke and hit power too abruptly. That tires your forearms fast on long descents (think 3000 feet or 1000 meters), and it makes feathering for a manual way harder.
The original Maven (A1) brakes delivered insane power, but the high breakaway force (around 8 N per SRAM’s specs) and limited modulation made them tough for me. One-finger feathering during a manual felt like gambling. I did like a few things: that power shone on steep trails and heavy e-bikes, the bite point was super consistent, and they never felt spongy. SRAM switched to mineral oil with Maven, which is nice, but I still preferred the Motive brakes on my SL/AM — the modest power drop was worth the huge modulation gain.
In Italy with the Pivot crew, I rode a Firebird with Mavens for a day, couldn’t wheelie for anything, and swapped to Shimanos. The power loss barely mattered once modulation and lower breakaway kicked in. (As a very peculiar coincidence, I am currently in Finale, Italy again as this article and video go live.)
I kept denying Mavens on my Yeti MTe, but the Norco Sight VLT CX changed that a bit — its Bronze versions modulated noticeably better, even if breakaway was still on the higher side.
If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I’m all about Shimano brakes — been on them since the modern XT in 2010 with Dyna-Sys 10-speed. They’ve evolved subtly over 15 years but kept that familiar feel. The recent M8220 tweaks were nice; I’ve got months on those now, so more on that soon.
Shimano gives solid power, low breakaway, and wonderful modulation, though bite point can shift randomly sometimes. Not a deal-breaker for me — most of my bikes still run XT M8120 or XTR M9120, and I’m comfortable bleeding them.
Side note: weak brakes often get praised for “modulation” because you can squeeze harder without locking up. Sound familiar in life?
So what flips the script for me on Maven?
Better modulation — because power without control is just overwhelming.
The key here is the new SRAM SwingLink and updated lever blade in the Maven Lever Tuning Kit, plus full B1 brake sets that come with it installed. The calipers now use four 18mm pistons (down from two 19.5mm + two 18mm), pairing perfectly with the SwingLink for improved modulation.
Overall, the B1 upgrade lowers breakaway force (down to 4.25 N from 8 N on A1) and boosts modulation through a more progressive-yet-linear delivery. The re-designed SwingLink curve smooths power buildup — especially in the first 25% of stroke — for better precision on rough or slick stuff.
Best part: the gold B1 SwingLink drops right into existing Ultimate, Silver, and Bronze A1 brakes. That fixes the “sheer wall of power” issue that kept me away. Install is DIY-friendly (about 10 minutes, dry-side — no bleed), Ultimate/Silver kits cross-compatible, Bronze has its own, and it includes a T10 Torx.
How the Mavens Compare to Other Brakes
TRPs on the Haro Saguaro
I’ve also spent time on the TRP brakes (like on the Priority Vanth and Haro Saguaro setups). These felt great with a lovely low-breakaway force required, but in my opinion, lacked power. TRP and Shimano brake pads are compatible, and I will get around to trying some upgraded pads from my friends over at MTX. That said, the DH versions from TRP are likely more suited for me and my location.
Hayes Dominion Brakes on the YT Jeffsy
The Hayes Dominion brakes, which came on the YT Jeffsy, feel incredible. They have great power, a lovely low breakaway, a very comfortable lever blade, and intuitive modulation. I was so excited to ride these brakes more! But, the rear caliper is leaking… And from the comments on other videos, it sounds like this is a somewhat common issue. These brakes do use DOT fluid, which is highly toxic. I am not excited to deal with this.
Magura on the Marin Rift Zone & Amflow
The Magura MT7 HCW were a hassle to set up on my Marin Rift, leaving me stranded with no brakes at all.
Now, kudos to Magura, the MT7 Pro on the Amflow actually did pretty good! I did not need to bleed them myself. These had decent modulation, maybe slightly better than the new Maven update, but it felt like they offered less overall system power. The lever itself is also not as comfortable, and I’m concerned about breaking the Magura lever blade. Not that I did break a Magura lever blade aboard my Stooge.
Codes on the Canyon Spectral
SRAM Code? First thing I’d swap off a new bike. Never felt more on/off.
(Logan called it perfectly in that SL eMTB comparison… “I hate these brakes.”)
Bottom Line on the Maven B1 Upgrade
Compared to all that, the Maven B1’s refinements feel like a real step forward. TRP gives buttery low breakaway but skimps on power when things get rowdy. Hayes Dominion nails the intuitive feel until the leaks show up. Magura’s MT7 Pro shines in spots but falls short on overall stopping muscle and long-ride comfort. And Codes? Still a hard pass for anything but the trash.
I haven’t put massive miles on the full B1 setup yet, but these initial rides on the Transition Trans Am were very encouraging. Reduced effort to engage, way better progression through the lever stroke, and no more roll-of-the-dice feathering. After half a dozen different Maven experiences (from struggling in Italy to surprisingly liking the Bronze on the Norco), this update finally fixes my biggest gripe and makes them feel like brakes I could actually love for my kind of riding — playful, steep, and full of manuals.
If you’ve got older Mavens, the tuning kit is a no-brainer for that improved feel without a full replacement. Full B1 models add nice touches too: carbon lever blade on Ultimate (better in cold weather), forged aluminum with machined cutouts on Silver for stealth black-on-black, and a clean forged blade on Bronze.
And, if this has you excited about learning to brake better, you can check out my Patreon video here, where I cover effective braking with Reilly!
What do you think — planning to try the B1 upgrade? What’s YOUR favorite brake setup? Let me know in the comments! Especially if I’m wrong.
Peace & Wheelies,
Jeff 🚴
As always, thank for your support! Here are a few other mentions:
Grips, bars, and saddle on the Transition Trans Am are from my friends at SQ Lab.
I recently partnered with OnX Offroad for backcountry GPS! Save 20% off Elite or Premium memberships with code “JKW”: https://bit.ly/ONXforJKW.
And, lastly, I’m always feeling so much better being hydrated with LMNT! Head to