The Lab: Trickstuff MAXIMA in review

In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the Trickstuff MAXIMA brake fared.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 015 810x540

What should brakes do? The clue’s in the name. They should brake! Ideally, they should be powerful and offer consistent performance while providing great modulation. And if they look great, even better! But Trickstuff’s DIRETTISSIMA brakes already ticked all these boxes! So, in which way are the new MAXIMA better? Following the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the people at Trickstuff only gave the DIRETTISIMA a few updates. The most important upgrade is in the new lever, which is now longer and designed to allow for a more progressive fluid displacement inside the hose. Talking of hoses, the brake line of the DIRETTISSIMA has been replaced with a Goodridge braided stainless-steel hose, which comes as standard on all MAXIMA brakes — and also looks incredibly good!

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 002 810x540 — For all those who refuse to read the instructions: The bleeding port sits on the side, right at the end of the reservoir!

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 003 600x400 — Finally a tool-free reach adjustment. And it’s smooth as silk.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 017 600x400 — Dreams are made of aluminium. The Trickstuff MAXIMA is machined from one solid block of aircraft grade 7075 aluminium.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 007 810x540 — Well supported. The small support on the lever allows for optimal power transmission.

On the first pulls, we were quite disappointed with the performance of the Trickstuff MAXIMA. Aren’t these meant to be the most powerful brakes on the market? But wait… oh… now, boom! Oh shit! That’s exactly what happened. Compared to other brakes from the competition, the Trickstuff MAXIMA need a lot more time to bed in – only after a long, steep descent did they unleash their full power. However, once the Trickstuff MAXIMA are bedded in properly, they provide an insane amount of power. No matter how fast you’re blazing down the trail, if you jam on the lever, the front wheel locks up without hesitation. As the famous Pirelli advert once said: “power is nothing without control” – and the Trickstuff MAXIMA strike a superb balance in this respect.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 010 810x540 — The Goodridge braided stainless-steel hose looks incredibly good.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 008 600x400 — Speiseteller: Dinner plate. You could use the new aluminium pistons to serve up soup for an entire family.

Trickstuff Maxima Test Review 022 600x400 — Not just for the MAXIMA. Trickstuff’s Power pads are awesome with other brakes too!

With every touch of the lever, you can feel the calliper reacting: you can sense the point when the pad touches the disc, then the menacing scraping sound of the brake biting the disc lets you know the raw force of their mind-boggling braking-power is coming. But is this power consistent? In one word, yes! Where other brakes start burning-up, the MAXIMA just start biting harder. And after four months of constant use we didn’t notice any contact-point fluctuations. Only in wet conditions does the Trickstuff MAXIMA tend to squeak a little, but the noise disappears after a few hard brakes.

Are you looking for the perfect brake? Your search is over, here it is! The Trickstuff MAXIMA offers everything you’re looking for in a brake and sets a new, undisputed benchmark in power. Unfortunately, this much performance comes at a price. At € 1,000, they’re no bargain. But then, who doesn’t dream of a brake beautifully machined, with braided stainless-steel hoses that deliver a frightening braking performance? We say, shut up and take my money!