Clarks M1 Clout MTB Hydraulic Disc Brake system for Bikes with 160mm Rotors.

Product Information

Pull harder, and you do eventually reach the brake’s maximum output. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it doesn’t hit the higher echelons of my group test in the power stakes. As such, we’ve cut and bled every set we tested to see just how easy they are to maintain. Then we saddled up to see how they performed on the trails. First, there’s a selection of the most powerful stoppers, aimed at downhill, enduro and electric mountain bike riders. We’ve kitted these brakes out with 200mm rotors front and rear to get the most out of their four-piston calipers and tested them on an e-MTB and our enduro bikes.

Here, the longer, two-finger lever might come into play. It’s something I tend to avoid because having more fingers wrapped around the bar is preferable, but at least there’s the option, when you really need extra strength. That way, you’ll reduce unintentional skidding and the resultant reduction in braking power and bike control.The top-loading pads are held in place with a screw-in pin, and there’s a little shaping of the caliper, which may help with heat dissipation. The 80mm carbon lever has a smooth, contoured shape. The lever provides lots of control, making it easy to correct speed on faster sections or apply a load of stopping power when needed. The action is smooth, but it’s a bit more resistant than other brakes. So the first aspect of price that we’re going to look at is the price of Clarks Clout Hydraulic Disc Brake + Rotor. No matter what type of bike product your buying, from the simple accessories through to the full setup of your custom built road bike, there are lots of important considerations that you should take into account, especially when you’re shopping online and unable to test the product first. This is especially true when you’re buying products like Brakes. The brakes had a spongier feel than others, but this could be down to the extra length and flex at the lever. This might not seem ideal, but it does allow you to feather speed when you’re going fast.

The lever has a flip-flop design and reach adjustment, and Magura offers different lever blade types, which can alter the interface between finger and brake. The single-finger design we tested gave a reasonably sharp initial bite and in the mid-stroke it offered plenty of modulation. Clarks’ M2 brakes have a really light lever feel, which I like under my finger. This is thanks to little friction in the lever, and a fairly long lever blade that gives ample leverage through which to pull – though, I ended up running the lever clamp further inboard than on other brakes to accommodate this. When it comes to performance, the well-shaped levers have a light, soft feel with little effort needed to squeeze them, and while braking force isn’t up to that of the most powerful four-piston brakes, there’s still plenty of clamping force from the large 24mm pistons.

Clarks M4 brakes specifications

Practically speaking, you want stoppers with low maintenance requirements, which hydraulic units generally bring (save for the occasional brake bleed), and easy swapping out of brake pads when the time comes. The lever is highly versatile. It can be used on either side of your handlebar and comes with a detachable hinged bar clamp. It also has tool-free adjustment for the lever position and bite point. Inside, a large reservoir helps increase heat resistance. Long 2,000mm hoses should provide enough length for the largest of bikes and these attach to the calipers at fixed points.