The newest player in the South African disc brake market has been around for a long time, in Europe and globally, servicing brands and bikers across the spectrum of biking. Industrias Galfer was founded in 1952; and until the 1980s, its activity was focused on the supply of OEM brake and clutch components for the automotive sector. The company then transitioned to supplying both OEM components and spare parts for the motorcycle industry.

In 1998, in cooperation with Magura, Galfer developed the first hydraulic brake disc for bicycles: the GustavM. This was the start of its business as OEM supplier to the cycling trade.

In 2012 the Galfer Bike brand was created, to supply spare parts for bicycle brakes at retail level. Today, Galfer Bike distributes its to more than 30 countries and still supplies its discs as OEM to brands such as Orbea, Pivot, Bianchi, Megamo, Commencal, Hope, KTM Bike and more.

The Disc Shark

The Shark disc concept emerged in early 2021 in collaboration with the Commencal/Muc-Off DH team, which Galfer had sponsored for the season. Their riders had asked for a disc with less aggressive braking and better cooling. This resulted in an initial prototype with inner fins and small holes in the rotor.

Galfer improved the prototype by adding larger windows to the rotor; and a year later, in June 2021, the Disc Shark was born – for gravity bikes and e-bikes, in sizes of 180 mm, 203 mm and 223 mm (all with 2.0mm thickness). The 160-mm Shark disc (1.8 mm thick) for cross-country was introduced in 2023.

The Disc Shark reduces operating temperature by 30% compared to most high-end discs on the market. This is thanks to the inner fins, but also to the design of the rotor, with its small round holes that help to cool it more efficiently.

When a brake disc heats up less, it performs better and wears less.

Why it works

The Shark offers improved cooling and stability in the most extreme situations. Galfer has a test bench where products are pushed to the limit alongside their competitors’ products.

The Disc Shark has achieved the best records in terms of braking power and cooling, compared to other high-end discs on the market. Thanks to their lower operating temperature, the brake pads have a 20% to 40% longer life. And they’re light, starting at just 104 grams for the 160mm version.

One key factor is the use of materials and technologies from motorcycling, now applied to the bicycle sector. Galfer is an innovative brand on a global level in this aspect.

But this is Africa!

Galfer produces products that work in all conditions, including the dry, dusty heat of South Africa. And its intense mud, as the four Galfer-sponsored teams at the 2023 Absa Cape Epic found out: Roberto Bou and Miguel Muñoz (6th with Cannondale Vas Arabay), Hans Becking and Jose Dias (9th), and Hugo Drechou and  Enquie Morcillo (17th, both teams representing Buff-Megamo) and Sergio Mantecón and Francesc Guerra (Scott Cala Bandida) all finished strong, in spite of the craziest conditions the Epic has seen in decades.

To a large extent, wear depends on the compound used for the brake pad: the more metal it contains, the more it will wear the brake disc. In Galfer’s case, the Performance G1053 and Pro G1554T semi-metallic compounds have a low percentage of metal in their composition, and are less abrasive to the brake disc. However, pad wear is higher than in other compounds with more metal; thus the wear of our discs with our pad compounds in dry and dusty conditions is low.

The Disc Shark is more durable than the Disc Wave, thanks to its improved cooling. It’s ideal for South African conditions, as the brakes heat up quickly when the weather’s hot; and since the Shark disc operates at a lower temperature, it responds better in these conditions and lasts longer.

What’s next?

Galfer is in the development phase of various innovative solutions, in disciplines where we have less presence and fewer products on offer. Follow the Galfer social media channels to keep up with all the latest news, or sign up for the newsletter at www.galferbike.com.

 

OPPORTUNITY!

Galfer Sales Manager Ivo Martini Bristot is looking for distribution points in the South African market. Contact him at www.galferbike.com or sales@galfer.es

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