TESTED: AbosluteBlack Graphen Pads

Words and photos: Mike Blewitt

In late 2022, AbsoluteBlack released a range of disc brake pads, with wildly tall cooling fins and some pretty radical claims. AbsoluteBlack claim they can reduce braking temperatures of pads and rotors by 35% with the GraphenPads, along with improvements to modulation and brake pad life. Here at AMB we aren't in the position to test operating temperatures of braking systems – but I was able to put the pads through a range of braking conditions to see if they offered marked improvement.

A closer look

You might have already glanced at the price. Yes, the brake pads start at $59.99 for a simple Deore/Tektro pair, but run up to $99.99 depending on the brake system you have. Graphene is expensive to extract, and it is a key part of the brake pads according to AbsoluteBlack. They use graphene in their braking compound, which is said to reduce heat and improve the braking performance. The coating over the cooling fins also includes graphene, to help them cool faster. They also remove any copper which is typically in most sintered metal brake pads. Copper has been shown to be toxic in marine environments, but there are studies that say graphene oxide can change your DNA so… everything in moderation. The graphene replaces copper as a friction modifier, and AbsoluteBlack use other components to take on the fibrous role that copper also plays. The bonus is it conducts heat better, a great feature for brake pads.

Fitting up

I used the Disc 34 pads on two bikes.They fit Shimano XTR M9100 2-piston brakes, and Shimano road/gravel discs. I found this offered a few more long term braking scenarios, covering long descents where you're on the brakes a lot, fast descents where braking is hard and fast, and the short repeated feather and grab of trail riding.

Brake pads do need to bed themselves in with rotors, so I did a light sand of the rotors when I fitted the pads, and a very quick file on the top of the pads when switching from one bike to the next. I had no issues fitting the pads, and the tall fils actually don't look nearly as tall once the pads are in the caliper.

On the trail

I found the brakes bedded in easily, lightly dragging them to come to a complete stop a few times. The braking felt consistent, and did improve a little more from there which suggests I probably should have bedded them in a little more.

Much of my riding is either side of the D'Aguilar Range west of Brisbane. I start on one side, climb, and either descend the other, or ascend the ridge to descend the same side. Either way there's a lot of climbing and steep descents, up to about 600m of elevation loss. From both heavy braking from high speed, and ongoing braking on steep, tight descents, I found the braking to remain very predictable. It is difficult to make direct comparisons when you are using one kind of pad, compared to other scenarios. But I did notice a few things.

Firstly, I never had any noise, despite getting a fair bit of heat through the pads. I also had no fade on the rear brake of my mountain bike, which can happen when you seem to be dragging it so much on long, steep, loose descents. I also found that the modulation felt better than usual. That is, around the bite point of the brake. This makes a big difference when the trails have been so dry, as you're always fighting for traction. A brake that is on and off is no fun, but being able to use the brake in a more subtle fashion really helps when finessing the brakes.

In the wet they were far from silent, and in that regards I've had better experiences with models like the Galfer Pro brake pad compound.

Verdict

AbsoluteBlack often have big claims with their new products. While I can't measure the temperatures of my brakes, what I did find is that the pads work extremely well. Even with repeated use on long descents and in hot conditions, I didn't get them to glaze and be noisy or to fade. The wear life has also been good. Still, high performance pads need to be bedded in properly, and if you fail that you could easily end up with a loud, glazed pad. These are a premium brake pad, but I feel they offered a performance increase especially in the M9100 caliper, which can get a little overwhelmed on longer descents that are braking heavy.

RRP: $59.99-99.99
From: Fesports.com.au

Hits:

• Strong, consistent braking
• Great modulation
• Potentially run cooler

Misses:

• Expensive