“Power is nothing without control,” and a tyre can only put down so much braking torque before grip is exceeded and things get rowdy. The best brake is one that allows you to put down ‘just enough’ power to provide maximum deceleration without initiating a skid — and that requires modulation. In order to see which brake could deliver power smoothly, our test team rode each extensively on the loose and slippery trails of the Tweed Valley in Scotland.