REVIEW: SwissStop Catalyst Race Disc Rotor
Posted by Trevor Barrett on
REVIEW: SwissStop Catalyst Race Disc Rotor by https://road.cc
"SwissStop's Catalyst Race brake rotors are a lightweight replacement for the stock equipment that comes on your bike. I've found them to be virtually silent in operation and with plenty of bite, feel and modulation in all kinds of riding conditions.
Fitting the rotor is easy thanks to its Centerlock compatibility. Centerlock rotors slide on to multiple splines on the wheel hub and are then secured by a lockring – a bit like your cassette. Most other rotors are secured by six separate bolts, and while this is a little bit more of a faff than a Centerlock setup, this isn't really an issue unless you are constantly swapping rotors over.
After fitting, my callipers needed a tiny tweak to realign things to stop them rubbing, but I was impressed by how true the Catalysts were running.
I received both the 160mm option shown (above) and a 140mm disc (below) for reviewing, so I fitted one to a Shimano setup and the other to a SRAM-equipped bike.
On both machines everything lined up easily and they were ready to roll straightaway.
Performance-wise I found the SwissStops to be very impressive. There was loads of bite and great modulation and feel from the partnership of the rotor and pads, and even on fast downhill sections I never needed to worry about whether I was going to stop or not.
But the thing that pleased me most straight from the off was the complete lack of any squeal when I was braking. The only noise you hear is the sound of the pad compound against the rotor, which is exactly how you want it to be."