Gustav vs. Brembo vs. Maven: The 2026 Heavyweight Brake Shootout

Magura Gustav Pro

The Gustav Pro is arguably the most specialised brake here.

Everything about the system is engineered around thermal management. The massive 2.5mm rotor standard dramatically increases heat capacity while the oversized 19mm pistons reduce the hydraulic pressure required to generate huge stopping force.

This is the brake for riders pushing high-powered e-bike systems down long mountain descents where rotor temperatures can overwhelm traditional setups.

If you ride an ultra-high-torque e-bike, a heavy park bike, or regularly tackle sustained alpine descents, the Gustav Pro makes a huge amount of sense.

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Brembo GR-PRO

The Brembo GR-PRO takes a very different approach.

Rather than focusing purely on heat capacity, Brembo prioritises stiffness, lever precision, and race-level consistency. The caliper construction gives the system an incredibly direct and stable feel under heavy braking loads.

There is clear MotoGP influence throughout the design philosophy.

This is the brake for riders who want maximum bite, ultra-direct lever feel, and gravity race performance above everything else.

At Gorilla Brakes, Brembo GR-PRO development is currently underway with hardware mapping and compound testing in progress ahead of launch.

SRAM Maven B1

The original Maven A1 proved that riders wanted huge braking power, but some found the initial setup extremely aggressive.

The updated Maven B1 refines that concept.

The revised SwingLink tuning improves modulation and control while still maintaining the massive power delivery the Maven platform became known for.

Importantly, SRAM has retained the oversized XL Maven pad shape used on the original A1 platform, meaning existing Gorilla Brakes Maven compounds remain fully compatible across both generations.

For many riders, this is probably the most versatile heavyweight brake currently available.

It offers enough power for full-power e-bikes while still remaining manageable for technical enduro riding.

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HINE-R Prototype System

While still in development, the HINE-R project approaches braking from a workshop-first perspective.

Instead of simply chasing maximum power numbers, the focus has been on predictable lever feel, strong piston retraction, simplified bleeding, and long-term serviceability.

Real-world gravity testing has already covered hundreds of miles of abuse using prototype calipers and oversized hydraulic layouts.

The goal is simple:

Create a heavyweight brake system that delivers powerful, progressive braking without becoming difficult to maintain or inconsistent under real riding conditions.

The current HINE-R prototype platform is being tested using Shimano Saint-style pad architecture during development.

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The Gorilla Brakes Verdict

Heavyweight braking is no longer a niche category.

As e-bike motors continue climbing beyond 100Nm and rider speeds increase year after year, brake systems are rapidly evolving into a completely new class of component.

Heat management, rotor thickness, hydraulic stability, and pad volume are becoming just as important as outright stopping power.

The days of thin rotors and lightweight trail brake philosophy dominating the market are quickly disappearing for gravity and full-power e-bike riders.

Instead, the next generation of MTB braking is being defined by:

• Thicker rotors
• Larger pad volumes
• Higher thermal capacity
• Improved hydraulic stability
• More progressive power delivery
• Greater consistency under sustained load

For 2026, one thing is clear:

The future of MTB braking is bigger, thicker, and engineered for far more heat than ever before.