After miserable, and in some cases terrifying, experiences with every cable disc brake we’ve ever met we weren’t looking forward to trying Grimeca’s rathe rough looking cable operated calipers.

Lying startled the wrong side of the handlebar, after over enthusiastic application of the front disc, our opinion changed more than slightly. Grimeca build the brakes for various motorbike manufacturers including top trials bikes where power and modulation is all important. Even after repeated dousings in the “stream of shame” that has previously destroyed any slight stopping inclination of previous cable brakes the Grimeca’s bit hard and reliably.

The equally industrial looking hydraulic brakes are even more savage in their anchorage capacity. Deliberately dragging the brake on long descents didn’t cause any pump or fade and the pads coped with slurry / stream crossings as well as any.

Grimeca are being fitted by Claud Bulter (who also import them) for this year, Saracen switched to Grimeca from Diatech disc brakes half way through this year after magazine testers failed to find any link between pulling the lever and slowing down. We’re waiting for confirmed prices of separate units and a turn on their top rated 4-pot brakes but keep a close watch on great things from these roughshod Italian units next year.