Calling all formula brake users (Formula Megas particularly)

So I have been running Formula Megas front and back for about 4 years now and they are fantastic and never let me down. However the price of spares for them does to the extent that I need to replace both brake levers and the cost is almost the same as a new pair of Megas from the Formula shop. The problem however is that they only have in stock the 2010 version with the radial piston design and no FCS. SO my question is does anyone have any experience of these brakes and if so how do you rate them?

Have Formula’s on my Cube and they’ve been perfect.
Never needed a thing – not even a bleed.
Same ones gone on the OH’s Meta and they are OTB powerful.
Both Radials.
FYI – all my bikes have Brembo Radial MC’s on them – far greater power, better feel, greater modulation.
The same style used in MotoGP so why wouldn’t you use radial?

Ok so what advantage does a radial lever type offer over the normal lever type?

I bought these a year or so ago and haven’t had to touch them since fitting. I’ve locked the front up a couple of times where they grab a bit more than the shimanos on the white bike.

See thats the alternative newer brake to what I’m currently using but I guess what I’m now interested in knowing is what difference/ improvement the radial lever type offers?

I’ve got some 2009 The Ones – similar to your original Megas and some 2014 R0’s with radial cylinders.

Both are great with lots of feel, control and stopping power – but the R0’s are more powerful on the same diameter discs.

pinch_flat I’ve got some levers from a ‘spares and repair’ set you could have for cheap. 2009 model. Email in profile if your interested.

pinch_flat – Member

Ok so what advantage does a radial lever type offer over the normal lever type?

Packaging and simpler leverage basically, you’ve got less corners between the direction of lever pull and the direction of piston. It’s not something I’d make the decision on mind but in principle, radial is better, and in practice a lot of top end brakes use radial.

It’s not the best Formula ever, that Mega, it was a sort of awkward halfway house between the shit The Ones and the good The Ones I think. But at that price, they’re a good buy I reckon. At RRP they weren’t. Shimano are comparable value but the 2 feel very different, I love the subtlety and feel combined with power that only formula really seem to be able to do when combined with light weight and heat management. Hope come closest.

As a very rough rule of thumb, if you ever see a Formula model that they sold for less than 2 full years, it’s because they discovered it was iffy. This has implications for any design that’s less than 2 years old 😆

Ok I’ve realised that a lot of the newer brakes are radial but as the piston moves in towards the bar and the fluid has to flow at 90 degrees to the piston movement I always struggle to understand how it’s more powerful than a axial design where the piston moves in the same direction as the fluid flow.

I do like formula brakes and find them better than Shimano but the two years sales thing is an interesting point.

It’s got nothing to do with the direction the fluid has to flow.
As Northwind says – it’s about leverage.
With a radial you are directly affecting the piston in a linear motion.
On the older styles you are almost pivoting the piston in a circular motion if that makes sense.
Ignore where the piston is and think about where the lever pivot is – it’s this that defines how it all works.
The distance from that pivot to the piston pivot is then the secondary lever.
With a radial they both move in line with each other (almost)
Axial the lever is pushing the piston around the levers pivot axis (almost)

You do need to ignore where you think the fluid is being pushed – it isn’t – it’s being compressed so where the exit hole is makes absolutely no difference.

^^ Good explanation – far better than the one I was going to post!

NW – which are the shit The Ones?

So if I understand the response correct then the radial lever should apply the same pressure with less lever force because its moving in a linear direction but the in the axial variant it is pivoting to some degree?

@jamj- these ones. Decent enough, when they work.

http://www.sicklines.com/gallery/data/732/formula_one_brake15.jpg

Then the first of the new The Ones, the 2010 model IIRC, is a wee bit flaky, they did rolling revisions for the 2011 model that removed a couple of reliability issues. I had one set of the ’10s and ended up swapping newer bits in.

They look similar to my pair – although lever shape is slightly different and the finish is more matte. Only problem I’ve had with mine was when I installed pads in a hurry and one slipped out. As a result my piston pushed out too far and damaged the seals. Other than that they have been faultless.

Yep!
“in a very basic way”