SRAM

Rival 22 Hydraulic Disc Brake

To be clear, the company will be the first to admit that its first generation of the brakes needed some refinement to be as great as they could be, but all bets are on this new stuff: leaner, cleaner, and as reliable as any mechanical braking system. The SRAM Rival 22 Hydraulic Disc Brake represents the entry-level price point into the road hydraulic game, but with all the performance of the more expensive systems intact.

To reboot its original road and cyclocross hydraulic braking systems — which were already ahead of their time — SRAM pulled apart every molecule of their anatomy to find room for improvements and make them even better and more reliable. The lever body, housing the reservoir and master cylinder, was reconfigured for more efficient internal spacing while at the same time boosting strength and stiffness, resulting in solid, consistent performance, regardless of braking or weather conditions. We like that the master cylinder piston itself was also completely revamped, receiving an all-new bore design and new seals, after being subjected to thousands upon thousands of testing hours in every temperature and performance setting imaginable. The goal was absolute reliability, and the new system delivers.

The SRAM Rival 22 Hydraulic Road Disc Brake is sold individually, in either left-hand or right-hand versions, so purchase one of each if you'd like a set. Rotors are not included, but SRAM strongly recommends using its Centerline rotors — 160mm for road applications and 140mm for off-road/cyclocross use. The system weighs 493 grams per wheel, including a 160mm Centerline rotor.