Ice Tech Freeza for all, as Shimano reveals new enduro and downhill brake rotor options. Centrelock brake rotors are popular with riders who obsesses about grams, but many enduro and downhillers prefer the traditional six-bolt configuration.

If you use Shimano brakes (or just fancy their rotors), there has been a technology discrepancy between running six-bolt hubs and having the best mountain bike disc brakes possible.

Shimano Ice Tech Freeza rotor

Bringing Freeza benefits to those that need it most

Shimano has long reserved its Ice Tech Freeza design for centrelock brake rotors, denying a significant community of gravity riders, from using the heat mitigation properties.

The Freeza technology can be imagined as peak Ice Tech. Beyond those traditional Ice Tech cooling vents at the rotor edge, Freeza enhances the material composition by placing an aluminium layer within the steel construction.

Shimano claims some impressive thermal regulating statistics for its Ice Tec Freeza rotors. The overall temperature reduction, under severe braking, is 150°C (270°F)

On those long alpine enduro descents or on a very steep downhill track, that makes a meaningful difference. How much cooler do these Ice Tech Freeza brakes run? Shimano claims 40%, between a standard Ice Tec rotor and one with the Freeza construction.

Kinder to your brake pads – too

Beyond offering reduced brake fade on punishing descents, the Ice Tec Freeza rotors also save you about 10% brake pad wear.

The Santa Cruz Syndicate downhill team have been running these new rotors for most of the season and as Greg Minnaar proved at Worlds, they do work rather well.

Suppose you want all benefits of Shimano’s most potent brake rotor technology, with the legacy hub computability and fit security of a six-bolt mount. In that case, these new Ice Tec Freezas will have definite appeal.

Shimano expects to ship its new six-bolt Ice Tec Freeza rotors in 180- and 203mm sizes, early next year. Corresponding weight ratings are 130- and 170g.