SRAM releases new generation Maven Brake
The reshaped Maven maintains raw power and adds modulation.
When SRAM Maven launched a couple of years ago, the headline was obvious: power. Lots of it. The kind that made you double-check your rotor size and rethink what “enough brake” really meant – especially on heavier e-MTBs and full-gas gravity bikes.
It quickly built a reputation as the brake for riders who didn’t want to think about whether they had enough stopping force. You just pulled, and it was there. That massive power also came on fast. Not uncontrollable, but definitely assertive. For some riders, that immediacy felt amazing. For others, especially on slick roots or blown-out turns, it could feel like the brake was a little too strong at the start of the pull. That’s what makes this latest update interesting. SRAM didn’t add more power. They reshaped how it arrives.
The big change is in the redesigned SwingLink leverage curve, basically the cam that dictates how the lever feel ramps up. The new setup increases the initial leverage ratio, smoothing out the first part of the stroke and creating more control in that critical early zone.
SRAM tells us with the updated Maven, that first 25% of lever pull feels calmer, more predictable. The full stopping force is still the same, it just builds more progressively. That progressive cam profile replaces an “on/off” sensation with something more graduated and easier to control.
SwingLink isn’t the only refinement; Maven Ultimate, Silver and Bronze brakes all receive fresh lever blades and updated finishes. Maven Ultimate gets a touch more premium with the introduction of carbon lever blades for better cold-weather performance. Maven Silver gets a new forged aluminum blade with a machined weight-saving cutout. Silver is also complemented by black-on-black hardware for a fully stealth aesthetic. While Maven Bronze shares the same forged blade architecture without the machined weight savings and receives a black anodized finish for pairing cleanly with any build.
What about backward compatibility?
It isn’t only the new-generation Maven that benefits from the updated (B1) SwingLink architecture and revised lever-blade materials. The new SwingLink is fully backward-compatible, enabling riders to tune Maven Ultimate, Silver, and Bronze A1 brakes with smoother power delivery, enhanced modulation and preferred lever-blade material.
Maven Ultimate and Maven Silver lever kits are cross compatible, while the bushing based Maven Bronze features a standalone tuning kit. We are told the DIY-friendly install takes roughly 10 minutes and is on the dry side of the brakes, meaning no bleed is required.
All new Maven (B1) calipers now feature four 18mm pistons, a configuration selected to optimize the hydraulic ratio when paired with the updated SwingLink architecture. Maven B1 Tuning kits are fully compatible with Maven A1 (first generation) calipers that use the 19.5/18 mm piston layout. When installed on A1 systems, riders can expect a marginal increase in deadband due to the slightly larger piston volume and a subtle boost in peak power stemming from the higher mechanical advantage at full stroke. //
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