Shimano releases Hydraulic Disc Brakes for mechanical shifters

Shimano adds hydraulic disc brakes for mechanical shifters as well as the Di2 lever

Shimano releases Hydraulic Disc Brakes for mechanical shifters
(Press Release)

Last year Shimano introduced hydraulic disc brakes for on road use. The hydraulic brake mechanism was integrated with the Di2 lever (ST-R785) and was remarkably compact.

Everyone said this was because of the integration with Di2 but today Shimano launches an even more compact hydraulic disc brake lever for mechanical shifting.

The ST-RS685 is a new milestone in the development of road hydraulic disc brakes and is compatible with Shimanoâ€™s mechanical Dura-Ace, Ultegra 11 speed groupsets and with the new 105 groupset that was launched today.

Shimanoâ€™s engineers were able to include a mineral oil reservoir and brake system together in the compact and ergonomic mechanical lever.

Hydraulic disc brakes maintain high consistent braking performance regardless of the weather conditions through innovative heat management and brake power that can be tuned to riding conditions, terrain, ridersâ€™ size and abilities. In short, more stopping power with less effort.

The lever features a 10mm screw for reach adjustment to tailor the control for people with smaller or larger hands.

The brake caliper Shimano introduced last year (BR-R785) has been updated and replaced by a new version (BR-RS785). This brake caliper has improved cable routing which runs to the inside of the caliper (straight type) as opposed to the outside.

Shimano equipped its hydraulic disc brakes with Ice Technology, a cooling technology for consistent performance.

The rotor has a 3 layer-sandwich structure of stainless steel and aluminum which reduces the temperature by approximately 100 degrees and increases performance.

There are two FREEZA SM-RT99 rotor size options for customisable braking performance. 140mm as standard and 160mm as a bigger option for people who require more brake power