Spotted at the Giro, we knew they were coming soon, but now Carbon-TI has made their X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 floating carbon-carrier disc brake rotors real – offering ultralight 6-bolt & centerlock mounting compatibility in one package. Like we suspected, the new generation of X-Rotor that was developed with UAE Team Emirates for UCI World Tour road racing focuses on a refined carbon carrier and the addition of a uniquely light centerlock adapter, that we shouldn’t be surprised includes a bit of titanium…
Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 6-bolt or Centerlock rotors
We got most of the details right, but we had seen the new Carbon-Ti X-Rotor Steel Carbon 3 rotor itself, or its new centerlock adapter.
We also now know that Carbon-Ti has the new rotors in three sizes 140mm, 160mm & 180mm to bring lightweight stopping to all bikes. And they made sure to develop a low-profile centerlock adapter solution that should work with all hubs and all thru-axle standards, on- and off-road.
What’s new?
The newest key bit of tech here is that Carbon-Ti has shaped the machined interface of their carbon carrier to fit perfectly with a new aluminum 6-bolt adapter on the hub side and an all-new ridged titanium spacer on the outside, with an alloy lockring with a super thin steel compression washer to tighten everything securely in place.
But equally important, Carbon-Ti has also completely revamped the stainless steel braking surface, too vs. their previous 2nd generation. The new brake track uses the same shaped cutouts, but the webs between each hole are wider for enhanced braking power, better heat dissipation, longer brake pad life, and greater rotor durability.
Carbon-Ti also thinned the braking surface by a tenth of a millimeter to 1.8mm thick – while still allowing a max 0.3mm of wear before the rotor needs to be replaced. Lastly, the outer sawtooth shape has been smoothed out a bit, and Carbon-Ti has machined the edges round for improved rider safety and compliance with UCI road racing regulations.
Tech details
Contrary to the look of the sanded-down UAE rotors, the stock Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 features the same matte 3K carbon weave for the new center carrier, and the same Grade 5 titanium rivets & washers that connect the steel brake track for the semi-floating design. The rotors are still 100% made in Italy.
With the improved braking surface performance and updated carbon carrier design, the new X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 rotors gain on average about 3g per rotor over gen 2.
Carbon-Ti X-Rotor – Pricing, options & availability
You can buy the new Carbon-Ti X-Rotor SteelCarbon 3 rotors now in three sizes – 140, 160 & 180mm – either as a 6-bolt setup for 185€ or as a centerlock setup including the new adapter for 220€ (same pricing for all sizes). If you are going 6-bolt, you can also pick up a set of 6 titanium T25 rotor mountain bolts for 25€ (7.8g for the set, per wheel). Or if going centerlock, the complete 23g adapter kit sells for 38€, or just the 8g lockring for 18€.
Find Carbon-Ti components at dealer bike shops around the globe and through a number of online retailers.
