Claimed to be the world’s best disc brake pads, the absoluteBLACK GRAPHENEpads have been a controversial product since their first release due to the bold marketing claims. However, the unique brake pads have been used by none other than Tadej Pogacar with the extended fins being easy to spot sticking out from calipers. Their claim to fame is their use of graphene and cooling fin design to dissipate heat and improve braking performance. The technology doesn’t come cheap though as the retail price for a pair of pads is $51.90 for most road Shimano and SRAM setups as well as slightly more affordable variations for mountain bike groupsets. absoluteBLACK claims to have eliminated brake fade thanks to the graphene and cooling fin design and produces the pads in the EU.
The absoluteBLACK GRAPHENpads brake pads combine fade free braking with an eye catching cooling fin that pokes out of calipers.
| Retail Price | $51.90 |
| Rating | 9.3 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 17 (w/ clip) |
| Likes | + Unique cooling fin design that sticks out of calipers + Smooth braking modulation in any weather condition + Fade free and quiet braking |
| Dislikes | – Costs nearly twice as much as other brake pads |
| Where to Buy | absoluteBLACK |
UNBOXING
The absoluteBLACK GRAPHENpads come attached to a thick green paper holder with matching fin cutouts and gold lettering. absoluteBLACK’s packaging person deserves kudos for the clever design that gives even the packaging a premium look and feel. Along with the pair of pads, there is a metal clip included along with basic information printed on labels as well as the bedding process.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the absoluteBLACK GRAPHENEpads are easy to spot with their extended fin design. The fins alone give the pads a unique look with their honeycomb-like design and cutouts to optimize cooling. From the front you can see that the fins are taller than the pad surface themselves. absoluteBLACK offers the pads in multiple variations from the DISC 15 to the DISC 35 for compatibility with nearly any brake caliper on the market. We have the DISC 34 version which is designed for a wide range of Shimano drivetrains from Dura-Ace to Tiagra. Aside from the fins, the pads have an organic-ceramic base friction compound that contains graphene to optimize heat dissipation.
According to absoluteBLACK’s testing, this combination of materials and heat fin help keep the pads quiet and eliminate brake fade from long descents. Published studies on the website show reduced temperatures over different braking scenarios compared to other pads on the market. Despite the unique shape of the pads, they are installed using the same spring clips as standard pads. absoluteBlack also stresses a very specific brake bed procedure doing 20 smooth stops from 12 mph (20 km/h) and an additional 10 aggressive stops to optimize performance.
ON THE ROAD
As a part of our Trek Madone Gen 8 build we swapped out the Dura-Ace pads with the absoluteBLACK GRAPHENpads. Our local shop did the installation following the specific initial brake pad bed-in process recommended by absoluteBLACK. The extended heat fins stick out proudly from the calipers and are the only obvious sign that you are running non-oem pads. From the first ride we were impressed with the smooth modulation and strong performance of the GRAPHENpads. During steep descends the brakes engage with a nice initial tip-in that starts to slow you down without being too aggressive.
For hairpin corners or quick stops a little more pressure quickly builds up the braking strength and lets you come to a smooth stop. Riding in both wet and dry conditions, the brake pads were always fade-free and quiet. While it is no surprise the brake pads are excellent, the big question most readers will have is are these brake pads worth almost double the price of Dura-Ace pads. In our opinion the modulation and feel is definitely better with the GRAPHENpads compared to the OEM pads. We can’t say they are twice as good as the Dura-Ace pads, but they felt noticeably better with our bike setup.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the absoluteBLACK GRAPHENpads to be high performance and unique brake pads. absoluteBLACK has designed the GRAPHENpads to have the latest material technology and cooling optimization to create what they claim to be the best brake pads on the market. While we can’t verify that claim without extensive testing and equipment, for our Trek Madone the GRAPHENpads felt smooth and offered impressive performance. We were impressed with the smooth modulation of the brake pads which provide enough feedback to confidently take any descent. The unique heat cooling design also adds a little visual flare to any bike setup and should help dissipate heat during extra long descents. The big downside of the brake pads is the retail price which is double the price of OEM setups. That said, the absolute GRAPHENpads offer impressive braking performance and a unique visual design.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by absoluteBLACK. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.