FSA INTRODUCED THEIR disc brake range last year and the Afterburner is the more affordable brother of the K-Force, which offers a carbon lever and titanium bolts for 120$ more. Both use the same angular mid-size lever body with twin-bolt clamp and ambidextrous design. Reach and bite point are adjustable without tools, though the latter only gives a subtle change.
The cam-assisted ‘Quick Draw’ action means the pads contact the rotor early in the stroke anyway, and the forged single-piece calliper adds a precise contact feel. The hose attaches with an angle-adjustable rose for clean set-up and the user-friendly top-loading pads are Avid Elixir/SRAM XX/X0 pattern so finding spares is easy. FSA even use different compression ratings on the hoses in a bid to even out front and back brake feel.
The brake itself is fairly priced for its features at 225$ and rotors are a bargain at 19$. We’d recommend going at least a size bigger with the disc than you normally would though, because despite a sharp initial bite the Afterburner is noticeably lacking in power if you carry on squeezing. Our long-term samples haven’t weathered that well either, needing regular bleeding of the mineral oil system in order to stay consistent.
Weight: 443g
Price 256$