SwissStop Catalyst Race Disc Rotor - 160mm

SwissStop's Catalyst Race brake rotors are a lightweight replacement for the stock equipment that comes on your bike. I've found them to be virtually silent in operation and with plenty of bite, feel and modulation in all kinds of riding conditions.

SwissStop has three Catalyst rotor 'families' in its line-up: the One, the Pro and these Race versions, which according to SwissStop are 'Lightweight, and without compromise'.

At 120g they are similar in weight to the Hope Road CL rotors that we reviewed a while back, or about 35g lighter than the same size SRAM Rival AXS offering.

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Fitting the rotor is easy thanks to its Centerlock compatibility. Centerlock rotors slide on to multiple splines on the wheel hub and are then secured by a lockring – a bit like your cassette. Most other rotors are secured by six separate bolts, and while this is a little bit more of a faff than a Centerlock setup, this isn't really an issue unless you are constantly swapping rotors over.

After fitting, my callipers needed a tiny tweak to realign things to stop them rubbing, but I was impressed by how true the Catalysts were running. These rotors are just 1.8mm thick, so they are easy to get dinged out of shape in transit.

I received both the 160mm option shown (above) and a 140mm disc (below) for reviewing, so I fitted one to a Shimano setup and the other to a SRAM-equipped bike.

On both machines everything lined up easily and apart from that little tweak to the side-to-side pad alignment they were ready to roll straightaway.

Performance-wise I found the SwissStops to be very impressive. There was loads of bite and great modulation and feel from the partnership of the rotor and pads, and even on fast downhill sections I never needed to worry about whether I was going to stop or not.

But the thing that pleased me most straight from the off was the complete lack of any squeal when I was braking. The only noise you hear is the sound of the pad compound against the rotor, which is exactly how you want it to be.

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I used the SwissStop Race rotors on both road and gravel bikes without issue, even during some very gritty and wet rides. It's too early yet to gauge wear rates as they've only been on the bikes for a few months, but I will carry on using them and keep you posted on when they need replacing.

Cost-wise, this 160mm version comes in at £59.99, which is a tenner less than the Hope CL discs, while the Shimano Ultegra rotors are £52.99.

SRAM Rival rotors have a list price of £54 each, while the latest Shimano 105 rotors are a more modest £29.99.

Conclusion

Overall, I wouldn't say that braking performance is hugely different than the Ultegra version that this 160mm rotor replaced – but as I really liked the braking of the Ultegra system that's not a bad thing. The SwissStop's build quality is excellent, and the alloy spider kept things feeling tight. They are dearer than some other high-end discs, but not by so much that it really makes a difference.

Verdict

Silent performance straight out of the box along with excellent braking performance whatever the riding conditions.