Carbonova brings Formula 1 carbon-ceramic brakes to cycling: discs weighing only 62 grams and nearly €600 per set

The obsessive search for saving grams and gaining performance in a road bike has just opened a new frontier. While the industry has been fine-tuning frames, wheels, drivetrains, and tires for years, a small brand called Carbonova has decided to level up the brake discs for road cycling.

Formula 1 brakes come to the bike: here are Carbonova's new carbon-ceramic discs

The company has its first commercial products available for pre-sale, but at Eurobike, we have already been able to hold them in our hands; they are exclusive carbon-ceramic brake discs for road and gravel that promise to drastically reduce the weight of the usual steel discs on the market while also improving their performance. A proposal as radical as it is exclusive, both in technology and price.

An unknown brand… for now

Carbonova is a recently established company of Asian origin formed by engineers from different industrial sectors who share a common obsession: applying advanced materials to cycling.

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As the company itself explains in a letter signed by its chief designer, the project started as an experiment among cycling enthusiasts, experts in industrial manufacturing, and specialists in new technologies. The goal was to bring to cycling materials and processes that until now were reserved for industries such as aerospace or high-performance automotive.

The brand's philosophy is clear: prioritize engineering and handcrafted manufacturing over mass production. In fact, its first edition will be limited to only 100 sets for the entire world.

Carbon-ceramic discs for road

Carbonova's first product is named MK-26 and is offered in diameters of 140 and 160 mm with a Center Lock mount compatible with Shimano and SRAM groups.

Its main argument is weight.

While a Shimano Dura-Ace RT-CL900 140 mm disc weighs around 96 grams, the Carbonova MK-26 claims only 62.58 grams. In the 160 mm version, the weight rises to 73.5 grams, still well below any conventional stainless steel alternative.

According to the brand, this weight reduction is achieved thanks to a construction based on a carbon-ceramic composite developed from technologies used in the aerospace industry and in high-performance vehicle braking systems.

The advantage is not just weight

Carbonova claims that the true benefit of this technology goes beyond grams.

The carbon-ceramic discs stand out for withstanding much higher temperatures than conventional steel discs, which is especially interesting in long mountain descents where heat accumulation can affect braking performance.

The brand promises greater thermal stability, a more consistent response under extreme loads, and a significant reduction in so-called brake fade, the loss of braking power caused by overheating.

For this reason, Carbonova targets its discs to scenarios such as:

• Prolonged descents
• High-speed cycling
• Endurance tests
• Ultra-light high-performance bikes

They need their own pads

The exclusivity of the system does not end with the discs. Carbonova has developed specific pads that must be used exclusively with the MK-26 rotors. The company itself warns that these pads are not compatible with conventional steel discs and using other compounds could compromise the system's performance.

The pads have been designed to work with the thermal and friction characteristics of the carbon-ceramic surface, forming a closed set similar to what occurs in some competition braking systems.

This means that anyone betting on Carbonova will always have to use components from the brand itself.

Almost 600 euros for two discs

Technology comes at a price. Each MK-26 disc is listed at 279 dollars, while the specific pads cost 39.90 dollars per set.

Translated to a typical road setup with two discs and two pairs of pads, the cost is around 600 euros before import taxes, customs fees, or possible shipping costs.

A figure that multiplies several times the price of conventional high-end discs, considering that the exclusive Carbon Ti X Rotos discs used by Pogacar are around 180€ per disc. However, it places Carbonova in a new segment with an extremely exclusive solution.

They are already working on a version for MTB and downhill, and its price is even higher

Although the road discs are the only products currently available for pre-sale, Carbonova's website also hints at the company's next steps.

Among future developments is a specific version for mountain biking, for downhill, a discipline where thermal demands are even greater than on the road.

For now, there are no official technical specifications or release date, but the website itself shows a price reference close to 600 dollars per unit for one of these MTB discs, a figure that gives an idea of the level of exclusivity the brand is aiming for.

If you are wondering if anyone would be willing to pay so much money for such a braking system, we will only tell you that the pre-sale of the first 100 units is already sold out on the website.