As a part of the Hayes/Manitou review process, Mountain Biking by 198 is also looking at the Hayes Stroker Gram mountain bike hydraulic disc brakes. The Gram’s are the lightweight option out of the Hayes mountain bike brake lineup with a carbon lever and light weight calipers. These all black hydraulic disc brakes are intended for those that want to count every gram as they add components to their mountain bike.

More on the Hayes Gram MTB Brakes from Hayes:

The Stroker Trail and Carbon were already tremendously capable across a range of applications, but we knew we could make an even better brake for weight-obsessed cross-country racers and pedal-up/ pedal-down all-mountain types. The result is the Stroker Gram. What sets the Gram apart from all the other models in the Stroker family is the removal of non-structural material from the master cylinder (confirmed by finite element analysis), leaving behind a form that is as strong as it is sexy. We’ve also dressed up both the master cylinder and the caliper in titanium hardware, and thrown in our lightweight aluminum-backed pads. Sure, there are lighter brakes out there, but none match the Stroker Gram’s combination of weight, power, modulation, serviceability, durability, and value.

• Available Rotor Sizes: 140 (rear-only), 160, 180, 203, 224 (mm)
• Master Cylinder: Radial Symm; Al.
• Caliper: Two piece; Aluminum with Caliper Positioning Window; titanium bridge bolts
• Color: Lucky Black
• Pad Material: Semi-metallic w/Aluminum backing plate
• Lever Blade: Carbon fiber with tool-free reach adjust
• Fluid: Hayes high temp DOT4
• Claimed weight: 355g (160mm rotor), 339g (140mm rotor)

Initial Thoughts on the Hayes Stroker Gram MTB Brakes

The Hayes Stroker Gram hydraulic disc brakes for mountain bikes are pretty sexy out of the box. The carbon lever matched with the all black appearance makes for a good looking brake setup. The claimed weight is on the lower end of the brake weight scale which should make all of the weight weenie, gram counters out there happy, but some time on the bike will tell if these weight savings do not come at the expense of braking power and modulation. To be honest, the exposed carbon lever does make me a little nervous on durability for those instances that I slam the ground on accident, but that is purely based off of looks at this point and not experience. As we continue to put these brakes through the rigors of serious trail riding, we will be able to tell how they do for the long haul.

Overall, I think this is a nice set of brakes out of the Hayes camp so far…I just need to get them dirty to find out how they perform. I am going to bolt these up to the Turner 5.Spot with 180mm rotors and see what they are really capable of…stay tuned for more as we continue to test these and the Hayes Stroker Ace’s.

HAYES STROKER GRAM DISC BRAKE