Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Carbon-ceramic disc rotors are something you usually find on high-end supercars, but what happens when you bring that tech to road bikes? These rotors from Carbonova promise incredible heat resistance, ultra-low wear, and braking performance that doesn’t fade on long descents. But at $300 per rotor, are they really worth the asking price?
SIROKO CLOTHING – 10% off (automatically applied via link below):
srko.co/tracevelo
In this episode, I’ll be diving into the incredible tech behind carbon-ceramic rotors designed by Carbonova for road bikes. I’ll demonstrate the construction and build quality, discuss how they ride day to day, and put them through real-world braking tests to see how they compare to traditional steel rotors.
The setup:
I fitted these carbon-ceramic disc rotors to my endurance road bike with Shimano standard dual-piston hydraulic calipers, and ran them through everything from short city stops to long, steep descents to see how they handle heat, wear, and overall stopping power.
Why it’s interesting:
Carbon-ceramic brakes are well-known in motorsport and high-end supercars for a reason. They’re incredibly durable under extreme heat, but for cyclists, the benefits may not be quite as obvious. This episode is all about separating hype from reality and showing whether these exotic rotors actually make sense on a road bike.
My thoughts:
- Great braking performance, even from cold
- Smooth and progressive braking, with incredible levels of modulation
- Very high ceiling on brake fade
- Slightly weaker initial bite compared to steel
Details:
Talking with Carbonova, they are still in the very early stages, ramping up production on these rotors. They hope to start selling in late April, ready for the Spring season. Official purchases will be via the website:
http://www.carbonova.cn/
The site is currently under development and expected to launch by the end of January. I've been told pre‑orders will also be available with discounted pricing.
DISCLAIMER:
While I received these pre-production prototypes to test, I haven’t been paid anything by Carbonova to feature their rotors, I’m just doing it for the love of the game baby! Also, they had ZERO say on the content of this episode.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:57 – Context
01:47 – Construction & materials
03:02 – Durability
03:51 – Weight
04:27 – Brake pad compound
05:15 – Siroko sponsor
06:05 – Bedding in process
08:39 – Braking performance
10:19 – Brake test vs steel
14:35 – Wet weather performance
15:19 – Are they worth it?
17:21 – Bonus clip
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
Instagram:
instagram.com/tracevelo
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
Carbon-ceramic disc rotors are something you usually find on high-end supercars, but what happens when you bring that tech to road bikes? These rotors from Carbonova promise incredible heat resistance, ultra-low wear, and braking performance that doesn’t fade on long descents. But at $300 per rotor, are they really worth the asking price?
SIROKO CLOTHING – 10% off (automatically applied via link below):
srko.co/tracevelo
In this episode, I’ll be diving into the incredible tech behind carbon-ceramic rotors designed by Carbonova for road bikes. I’ll demonstrate the construction and build quality, discuss how they ride day to day, and put them through real-world braking tests to see how they compare to traditional steel rotors.
The setup:
I fitted these carbon-ceramic disc rotors to my endurance road bike with Shimano standard dual-piston hydraulic calipers, and ran them through everything from short city stops to long, steep descents to see how they handle heat, wear, and overall stopping power.
Why it’s interesting:
Carbon-ceramic brakes are well-known in motorsport and high-end supercars for a reason. They’re incredibly durable under extreme heat, but for cyclists, the benefits may not be quite as obvious. This episode is all about separating hype from reality and showing whether these exotic rotors actually make sense on a road bike.
My thoughts:
- Great braking performance, even from cold
- Smooth and progressive braking, with incredible levels of modulation
- Very high ceiling on brake fade
- Slightly weaker initial bite compared to steel
Details:
Talking with Carbonova, they are still in the very early stages, ramping up production on these rotors. They hope to start selling in late April, ready for the Spring season. Official purchases will be via the website:
http://www.carbonova.cn/
The site is currently under development and expected to launch by the end of January. I've been told pre‑orders will also be available with discounted pricing.
DISCLAIMER:
While I received these pre-production prototypes to test, I haven’t been paid anything by Carbonova to feature their rotors, I’m just doing it for the love of the game baby! Also, they had ZERO say on the content of this episode.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
00:57 – Context
01:47 – Construction & materials
03:02 – Durability
03:51 – Weight
04:27 – Brake pad compound
05:15 – Siroko sponsor
06:05 – Bedding in process
08:39 – Braking performance
10:19 – Brake test vs steel
14:35 – Wet weather performance
15:19 – Are they worth it?
17:21 – Bonus clip
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
Instagram:
instagram.com/tracevelo
Email:
tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
