Trickstuff Direttissima Brakes
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, there are many quality MTB brakes on the market. My favourites are the Hope Tech4 V4 for their overall power, serviceability, spec choice, availability, and value. Other great brakes at different price points include Magura MT7/MT5, Shimano Saint, and Formula Cura, but they all lack the options of Hope.
The Direttissima is on another level in terms of price and is very difficult to get hold of, though recently, stock is starting to appear as the massive 2-year waitlist dissolves. There is also the bigger Maxima version, which is similar to the brakes tested here but with slightly larger pistons.
I first tested these brakes in 2017 for Pinkbike and still stand by everything I said in that review. Here are my thoughts 7years later.
DETAILS
Pistons - 4
Material - Aluminium (polished steel pistons)
Pads - Trickstuff ‘Power+’
Hoses - Kevlar high pressure lines
Brake fluid - Organic
Lever reach adjustment - 47-88mm
Weight - 252g
Price - €1100
For more info - Trickstuff Direttissima Brakes
Beauties
After my previous review, the hex-key reach adjust has beeb replaced with an easy-to-use machined knob.
SETUP
The brakes come in a nice wooden box full of hay, like a gift from God that ended up in a manger. The brakes are fully prepared and ready to ride; they just need bolting on, and they are good to go. In my case, the rear hose needed trimming and also switching to a 'moto' setup with the front brake on the right instead of the other way around as delivered.
This process is very simple as the hose connections don’t require a new barb/olive; the connections screw deeply into the hose and look like they can take a decent impact. I didn’t bleed the brakes after this process, and they showed no signs of having any air inside.
Trickstuff claims that their brakes are designed to be bled with 100% accuracy, whereas most brakes can only be bled to 90-95%. This means, in theory, that they never need to be bled as without any oxygen in the lines, there will be very little degradation of the oil or seals. It’s impossible for me to prove this, but my first experience with the brakes a few years ago was great; these seem perfect even without a re-bleed, and speaking to race mechanics in the know, some have not bled the brakes for an entire season where other brands might get bled after every day on the track. Nicely, these brakes run on Bionol, which is basically vegetable oil, safe to work with and isn’t toxic or aggressive on paint or your skin.
A small issue with my brakes was that they were delivered with an old-style band clamp instead of the new hinged clamp that accepts the matchmakers. I asked R2bike about this, they said it was a mistake and they sourced new clamps for me from Trickstuff, which are in the post. This older style band clamp is a bit sharp inside and needs to be stretched over the bar to fit, and it’s easy to scratch the bar a little; then they are quite difficult to align to thread in the screw and use an annoyingly tiny 2mm hex key. Solution - make sure you get the hinged clamp with a 4mm bolt and matchmaker compatibility.
The NG+ Power Pads were Trickstuff’s first product. These pads come in a pimp shiny silver backing plate, and the bottom edge is bevelled so they don’t catch on the rotor when installing the wheel: not a necessity but a nice touch. The NG+ name of the pads references their extra thickness, which is 2.3mm compared to most pads that are 1.5mm-2mm thick, offering you more pad life than others. These pads share the same shape as SRAM Guide/G2 in the C42 caliper [Edit: I previously stated that Shimano XTR-XT-SLX brake pads and Hope Tech E4 would fit, but this relates to the previous C41 caliper. Thanks to Kristian E for spotting the mistake] so finding replacements should be easy wherever you are in the world.
Hopefully I’m not pulling them hard enough to get to this pressure.
The lower edge of the pads is bevelled so the rotor doesn’t catch on them when installing the wheel.
ON THE TRAIL
I never thought I needed shiny silver brake pads; no performance benefit, but they look pretty pimp!
Once fitted, these brakes performed flawlessly. Even on the longest and steepest descents, they are 100% consistent at the lever, offer more than enough power, are very easy to modulate, and the brake pads seem impossible to fade/melt.
The Direttissima brakes offer a lightweight lever throw that engages the brake pads with minimal effort, unmatched by most brands, and thanks to the 4x cartridge bearings the lever sits on. There’s a distinct absence of pressure or friction, creating a weightless sensation. The ergonomic pivot placement ensures a comfortable angle without misaligning the index finger. The larger, flat, and smooth contact area at the fingertip enhances sensitivity and the power builds well as you pull the lever.
As for power, it’s substantial—potentially surpassing Shimano’s formidable Saint and approaching Magura’s excellent MT7. However, power alone isn’t sufficient; fortunately, the Direttissima excels in modulation, with a light and superbly progressive feel. The lever’s piston angle evolves throughout the stroke, resulting in a genuinely progressive curve and increased power with added finger pressure.
The brake’s bite point is firm but not overly aggressive, gradually building throughout the stroke. While those accustomed to sharper brakes, like Saints, feathering won’t be a challenge and you are unlikely to jab them too hard as the pads make contact, the majority should find controlling this brake safe, easy, and intuitive.
FINAL THOUGHTS
At approximately double the price (depends exactly where you are buying) of the Hope Tech V4 brakes, there is no way I can really recommend these in terms of value/performance, but if you really want them and have the cash, then go for it!
The performance is very similar to the Hope, though they are slightly more refined in their finish; they are a beautiful product, but I would choose the Hope at half the price, easier to buy in any option you like, and I assume the Hope spares over the next few decades will be easier to source.
I currently have a live competition where you can win an amazing pair of Trickstuff Direttissima or Maxima brakes and support this independent review in which I paid for the product and conducted the testing myself. The current odds at the time of publishing are a lucky 1/230.
The lucky winner will receive:
Trickstuff Direttissima Brakes + braided hoses worth £1100
or Trickstuff Maxima Brakes + braided hoses worth £1300
Trickstuff Bleed kit worth £49.90
Any Trickstuff Rotors worth £120
Global shipping included
This competition is open to anybody anywhere. AstonMTB is not responsible for any tax or duties in the winner’s country
There is a cash prize alternative of £500 for the winner
Great! But, how do I win?
To win this package all you need to do is head to my competition site, answer a simple question and you have an extremely good chance to win.
As always, all prizes are for BRAND NEW products, in a choice of size/spec/colours to suit the rider and their bike.
Global shipping is also included so entrants are invited from anywhere in the world.
The giveaway is guaranteed to happen on the end date regardless of how many tickets are sold. No extensions, no minimum ticket sales.
These competitions fund my reviews which I believe are the only truly independent MTB reviews online. All of the prizes and all of the products you see are bought by me - no sponsored posts, no freebies and no back-handers.
Thanks, Paul.