Formula Oro K24 Brakes
By James Sharp

Over the years, we’ve reviewed brakes from Hope, Hayes, Avid, Magura and Formula. We’ve reviewed both hydraulic and mechanical versions. We’ve used 160mm rotors, 180mm rotors and 200mm rotors. In all that time one thing has been consistent -- every time we review a brake, it is better than the previous brake reviewed from the same manufacturer. Not one company is going backwards and the brakes available today are lighter, more powerful, have better modulation and are more reliable than brakes made two or three years ago. This is especially true of Formula. When Formula entered the market they made a name for themselves with brakes that were very, very light and had plenty of power. Though we didn’t have any problems with them, there were a number of reported issues. Back the drawing board they went, and came out with models that were a little heavier -- though still lightweight -- but had improved power, modulation and reliability. Still not quite to the level of their competition, they went back to the design stage again and this time came out swinging with the Oro line. Completely different than any other brake they’ve produced so far, the Oro takes all the lessons they have learned and packages them in a compact brake that retains the low weight and improves on the old brakes everywhere else.

Formula sent us their Oro K24, their middle of the road brake, to try out. Though not the highest end brake, it packs in most of its more expensive brother’s features. The fluid reservoir is tucked into the handlebar clamp, out of harms way and out of sight. This location also allows both the right and left levers to be identical -- swapping them is as easy and flipping over the left lever to place it on the right side and vise versa. The lever clamp is a two-piece design, thank goodness. There is a little black lever tucked in behind the brake lever blade. This is a lever throw adjustment, similar in function, if not mechanically, to Avid’s speed dial on the Juicy Carbon and Juicy 7. The caliper made of two halves bolted together and uses different adaptors to accommodate different rotor sizes. Rotors are available in 160, 180 and 200mm. Our test brakes had 180mm up front and 160mm out back. The rotors are some of best looking on the market in my (not so) humble opinion -- clean and functional with enough style to stand out.

First off, the brakes mounted up without a hitch and the levers didn’t need any bleeding. If they had, they would have used DOT 4 fluid -- the same as most hydraulic brakes out there. Because the calipers use adaptors to go from post mount to International Standard, there is lateral adjustment built into the system -- no more tiny washers. The lever blade has a nice hook on the end and the K24’s bedded in as expected. All in all, the setup yielded exactly zero surprises, and that’s a very good thing.

How do they work? Very, very well. These are powerful brakes with the right amount of modulation. One finger was all I needed in most situations. Only the very steepest of trails required two, and that was more for comfort than to pull the lever harder. Lifting the rear wheel took just a little harder squeeze making maneuvers on tight single-track child’s play. During the duration of the test, the brakes stayed bled and never needed any adjustment. The rotors didn’t rub and while the rear made some noises from time to time, the front brake never did. The K24’s didn’t pump up and didn’t fade. In short, they behaved exactly as I’d expect them to. The dead lever adjustment -- what Formula calls Feeling Control System (FCS) -- has enough range to be helpful. This allows you to set the lever far from the bar, but have it engage close to the bars -- or, conversely, have the pads engage relatively quickly.

What would I change? Um... maybe a little more space between the pads and the rotors. That’s really it. The lever felt great, the modulation was good and the K24s never let me down.

Summary: Looking for new brakes? Is weight an issue? Do you want something that you don’t see on every other bike? Want reliability? The K24 by Formula has all of this in spades. The brake weighs in at 395g with a 160mm rotor -- add 32g for the 180mm rotor or 62g for the 200mm rotor option. It has a nice lever, compact lever body, easy to set up design and power to spare. Formula has learned a thing or two about how to make a good brake and everything it has learned shows through in the Oro K24. Formula’s Oro K24 brakes retail for $240, $250 and $260 for 160mm, 180mm and 200mm, respectively.

James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com; more of his ramblings and a look at upcoming reviews can be found at his blog -- Lactic Acid Threshold.

For more information, contact:
Formula Brake USA
320 Erwin Street Suite B
Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: 707.765.2770
E-mail: oro@formulabrakeusa.com
www.formulabrakeusa.com