Raicam Launch in Romania: Revolutionary Braking Systems for XC, MTB, and E-Bike on Bikeverse

Raicam Brakes Arrive in Romania through Bikeverse: Auto Technology and Extreme Performance for MTB and E-Bike

As promised, we return with news, new product launches, this time featuring Raicam brakes

A New Era of Braking on Bikeverse

Who is Raicam? A well-known company in the automotive industry for high-tech braking systems, clutches, and torque management systems.

Sustainability and European production: Raicam has a 100% European supply chain, with over 95% of components produced in Italy.

The materials are eco-friendly, free of copper and heavy metals, aligned with future environmental standards.

Production and control process: Clean assembly rooms with controlled environment (temperature, humidity, pressure) to prevent any contamination of the hydraulic circuit.

Testing through Dynamometric Bench and FEA: Rigorous structural and thermal analyses using finite elements (quadratic tetrahedral mesh and von Mises criterion for discs), thermal fading simulations, repeated braking cycle (AMS / Alpine Descent), and NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) tests.

The Transition to the Bike World

In 2019, Raicam created a division dedicated to MTB and e-bike, transferring expertise, patents, and strict standards from the automotive industry and top competitions directly to the cycling world.

Performance = Safety for Raicam. The brakes are designed to operate within nominal parameters in a predictable manner.

The best presentation is the one held by the developer of the solution, directly from Raicam, for the riders of the Bikeverse community.

Presentation of Raicam Technology and Portfolio - Bikeverse Interview:

Problems That Arise in the Mountains

You’ve seen that as long as we ride through the city, the brakes work fine, and the pads hardly wear down.

However, when we change the scenery and head to the mountains, whether we are on road bikes, gravel, XC, or especially on DH and Enduro trails where the slopes are steeper and the need for precise, sudden, short-duration braking makes the difference between staying on track with a good time and missing qualifications or going off course, the problems change entirely:

• The discs start to heat up;

• and consequently the pads - that’s why there are radiator pads, right?

• Heat transfers through the discs and pistons (usually metal or ceramic) to the brake fluid

• The brake lever approaches the grips until it no longer holds at all - a pump can save you if you have time for that

• Trail buddies wonder what that burnt smell is that you leave behind

• You make strange noises and everyone asks what brakes you have, what pads, why you aren’t doing something about it because that noise is really annoying and stressful.

• The brake discs wear down at an accelerated rate, which is why it’s good to have a spare set for each wheel - not infrequently have we seen riders go home because they don’t have spare pads and we couldn’t help them because we only have models for our bikes, Shimano 4 pistons that also work for the TRPs on V5 and SRAM for Guide Pro with 4 pistons. Now the trend seems to be with pads we have, of course, they are of a different type.

A. The Problem: What Happens When Brake Pads and Discs Heat Up?

• The coefficient of friction µ decreases (you know from physics: Friction Force = µ x N) - so the brake no longer has the same efficiency

• The brake fluid that at home seemed bled, meaning we removed all the small air bubbles from it, and we all know those small bubbles seem endless, they keep coming, we think the brakes hold well and we stop. Well, that small bubble at room temperature expands at high temperature and when we press the brake lever - which moves the pump piston and relies on the incompressibility of the brake fluid to transmit this force to the caliper pistons, which push the pads, which squeeze the brake disc from both sides - it becomes increasingly softer and less effective. Well, that small bubble, now enlarged, is compressible and the brake becomes elastic, it’s no longer firm, and it’s even approaching the grip on the handlebar, meaning we start to lose our brakes...

Raicam's Solution: pistons made from a special polymer that does not transmit heat from the pads to the brake fluid

Other advantages of this piston compared to ceramic ones: they do not chip if we accidentally push them with a screwdriver or a metal wrench. Or we simply forgot they are ceramic or didn’t know and now you find out you have to go home, you can’t ride anymore because chipping usually leads to loss of sealing and you lose oil. You would find out how much a brake caliper costs that you didn’t need until this unpleasant event. If the oil has reached the discs, you would also find out how much a brake disc costs because the one with oil cannot be revived, despite the solutions and stories on YouTube...

B. Problems with Bleeding Hydraulic Brakes

• You may need a special kit from the manufacturer without which you cannot bleed the caliper.

• You may need a pair of syringes to follow the manufacturer's instructions step by step, only in a certain order and even then it seems you can’t get it right, surely you rushed a step;

• You could be the lucky owner of a braking system that only requires a small cup mounted on the brake pump, which has been previously moved to a horizontal position for this bleeding operation, and a small 7-8mm wrench for the rear caliper's bleed screw, a transparent hose, a bag to avoid spills, and a syringe to push brake fluid from the caliper to the pump when changing the fluid, during installation and for more extensive bleeding.

Raicam Solution: the easiest bleeding method, the last case mentioned above, if you already have a kit with a cup, tube, and syringe, you don't need anything else, you don't have to learn anything extra.

Raicam provides a sleek, complete bleeding kit designed to make your job easier, whether you are a professional mechanic or an amateur wanting to solve this problem at home or on the field.

C. Problems with the type of proprietary oil you need

Raicam Solution: mineral oil, nothing special, Raicam oil is recommended; in case of emergency, top up with the same type of mineral oil, do not mix them.

But it's better to have a small infantry bottle of 100 ml with you:

D. Problems with brake pads - what type of brakes do you have, from what generation? What color? Metallic or organic?

Raicam Solution: compatible sizes for Shimano 2 piston for the RXC range and Shimano 4 piston for the Enduro/DH/e-bike range - the most common pads on the market, you have a good chance of finding them with a more resourceful rider, as we are, if you are lucky enough to be in the same bike park with us, approach us!

Of course, Raicam manufactures most of the brake pads found on the market:

For each model, you will find a compatibility list in the description.

The Raicam color code is simple for pads. Red are the Ceramic+ ones and black are the Ceramic ones:

Components of the braking system: Innovations on every component

Raicam offers a complete braking system for bicycles, across 3 performance tiers (Racing, Factory, and Performance): pumps, hoses, discs, calipers, disc adapters, service kits for pumps, calipers, pump-caliper connections, replacement hoses.

Raicam not only integrates various components from other manufacturers but also designs and manufactures all components.

RXC and RGR brake sets - pump, caliper, lever, pads, hoses, fluid

RXC Racing Range

• disciplines: Cross Country / Marathon

• color: red

• lever made of carbon composite

• lever axle made of Titanium

• monoblock forged body

• pump weight: 78 grams

• brake hoses: type R2 made of Kevlar and fiber

• Attention when ordering the brake kit!

  • there are different levers, left and right

  • the calipers come in two types: post mount (77 grams)

• and flat Mount (92 grams - increased rigidity)

RXC Factory Range

• color: silver grey

• forged lever made of aluminum

• pump weight: 83 grams

• different levers, left and right

• the calipers come in two types: post mount (82 grams):

• and Flat Mount (92 grams):

RXC Performance Range

• color: Titan grey

• pump weight: 108 grams

• caliper weight: 94 grams

• reversible levers

• hoses: R3 Kevlar

RGR Racing Range

• disciplines: Enduro / Downhill / E-MTB/E-Enduro

• pump weight: 146 grams

• reversible left/right levers

• axle with two bearings

• caliper weight: 112 grams

• brake hoses: type R1 Kevlar and steel mesh

• hand adjustments (no tools):

  • for lever reach

  • for free stroke.

RGR Factory Range

• disciplines: Enduro / Downhill / E-MTB/E-Enduro

• available in two colors: Titanium Grey and Silver Grey

• reversible left/right levers

• axle with bushings

• pump weight: 146 grams

• reversible left/right levers

• caliper weight: 112 grams

• brake hoses: type R3 Kevlar

• hand adjustments (no tools):

  • for lever reach

for free stroke

RGR Performance Range

• discipline: Enduro / Downhill / E-MTB/E-Enduro

• color: Titanium Grey

• reversible levers left/right

• axle with bushings

• pump weight: 146 grams

• reversible levers left/right

• caliper weight: 112 grams

• brake lines: type R3 Kevlar

• hand adjustments (no tools): only for lever reach

Caliper Technology

• Monoblocks for each discipline

• RXC (2 pistons): Available in both Post Mount (with weights of 77g for Racing, 82g for Factory) and Flat Mount (92g), all made from a forged aluminum monoblock body with a compact design and the characteristic threaded cap for sealing the hydraulic chamber.

• RGR (4 pistons): Massive 4-piston calipers made from thermally insulating material, CNC machined in Italy, designed to maintain absolute thermal stability and enviable progression in the steepest DH and Enduro descents (caliper weight: 112g).

Brake Lines: The Critical Role of Armatures

Raicam does not use a universal line, but segments performance according to discipline through three distinct types of tubes:

R1 Lines (RGR Racing): Specially braided with kevlar and steel, designed to withstand extreme pressures in steep descent conditions (Enduro/DH), eliminating any hydraulic pressure loss.

R2 Lines (RXC Racing): Braided with kevlar and textile fiber, ultra-light, optimized to reduce the weight of the assembly in cross-country while maintaining rigidity under pressure.

R3 Lines (RXC Factory/Performance & RGR Factory/Performance): Reinforced tube with high-strength kevlar, designed to provide a perfect balance between flexibility during installation and mechanical strength on e-bikes and trail/all-mountain bikes.

Brake Pads: Ceramic vs. Ceramic+

Based on over 40 years of experience in automotive friction blends (containing between 15 and 30 raw materials regulated by SPC)

Raicam Ceramic: Progressive friction coefficient (μ≈0.52), perfect modulation, high acoustic silence through the ceramic matrix that absorbs vibrations and cracks.

Raicam Ceramic+: Much more aggressive bite and raw power, with a stable friction coefficient across the entire range of pressures (μ≈0.60−0.62 constant throughout 20 intense braking tests), specially designed for the weight and additional forces of E-Bikes.

Graph of friction coefficient at 20 consecutive brakes, torque 160 Nm, decelerations 4m/s2:

Ecology: Zero copper (according to strict ecological standards) and drastically reduced fine dust emissions.

Brake Discs: Laser Cutting and Thickness Options

Designed through FEA analyses and laser cut from high-quality stainless steel.

Mounting Systems: Available in both classic 6 bolt and Centerlock (with anodized aluminum carrier and dedicated Raicam tightening ring equipped with a toothed steel washer).

6 bolt:

Thickness Options: In addition to the standard 2.0 mm (for XC/Trail), Raicam introduces a heavy-duty thickness of 2.2 mm (available for diameters of 203 mm and 220 mm) dedicated to e-bikes and Enduro/downhill, massively increasing thermal dissipation and torsional resistance.

Hoping to pique your curiosity, we invite you to test them on Alex's V5 for now, the RGR race model.

You can try the ceramic pads separately on the brakes you already have.

And why not, to be the owners of an exceptional pair of Raicam Race, Factory, or Performance brakes, according to your needs or budget.

See you soon!