Galfer has long been a household name in the motorsports world, but has only recently begun to pop up at bike shops across the nation. Today we are going to take a look at the Galfer Bicycle line and what they have to offer those that are looking for some extra bite out of their brakes.
Galfer offers two main options in their rotors, the wave and floating-wave rotor. Both are direct replacements for your current discs and come in a variety of sizes, including a massive 246mm oversized rotor. While this might seem like overkill, huge rotors are becoming the norm with the emergence of eBikes and their ability to eat up a brake system.
The standard one piece wave rotor is made of laser cut 420 stainless steel and heat treated to each application. This is the most common replacement rotor for the average rider and as mentioned before, will be a direct bolt on for those of you seeking a bolt on upgrade over your stock rotors.
The floating wave rotor will benefit those who are experiencing overheating or are just flat out hard on the brakes. The floating design will help at preventing the rotor from warping under extreme temperatures. As with the standard rotor, the floating rotors are laser cut from 420 stainless and heat treated to spec.
Now onto the brake pads, which come in (currently) four different compounds.
Galfer Standard Compound Brake Pads - This compound is just as is the direct replacement for your OEM pads. These will have a similar feel and power to those of your current pads and are suitable for just about every bike.
Galfer PRO Compound Brake Pads – This compound is Galfers most aggressive brake pad. It is often used for racers that require the strongest brakes under harsh conditions such as mud. Due to the enhanced power of this compound, it does tend to wear out faster when put to heavy use.
Galfer E-Bike Compound Brake Pads – This E-Bike compound is designed to meet the needs of heavier bikes such as E-Bikes. This compound is designed to last longer and manage heat better than the other compounds.
Galfer Road Compound Brakes Pads – Galfer Road compounds pads are similar to the Standard compound pads in that they are designed to work well in all weather conditions. They are a hard wearing OEM alternative that will provide the rider more consistency in a wider variety of conditions.
Galfer also offers a small variety of brake adapters for their larger rotors if you choose to go with one of the 243mm or 223mm options.
Our Take
We have not often recommended a pad or rotor that outside of your brakes manufacturer, but the Galfer Brakes Bike line has started to emerge as a favorite. The rotors have carried over their industry leading quality in the motorsports world and have proven to be an excellent upgrade over the stock rotors on most of todays bikes. The addition of larger sizes up to 243mm is another plus as we find ourselves recommending this to many of our more aggressive (or electric) riders. The brake pads seem like a suitable replacement for stock pads. We have heard from one or two riders that they seem to be a hair thicker causing a little bit of rotor rub at first, but nothing drastic that does not burn off on the initial rides. Overall, if you are looking to change things up and improve your braking power, we recommend giving Galfer a shot on your next brake service.