A new BikeNüt bike with great stopping power

They are having lots of fun with their branded bike, at BikeNüt, and I’ve heard that some in the shop are beginning to call it the Umlaut.

What makes this bike exciting is that with each new owner comes the promise of a new project, something entirely unique. The assembled bike is the result of long discussions with a client, of discovering habits, preferences, requirements, and wishes. This is the way industrial production should be: some parts come from far-away places, others from national or local manufacturers, but the final product is assembled here, to respond to individual wishes and needs.

In this particular bike, everything is pretty much straightforward, from the gruppo, SRAM Red, to the wheels, Ambrosio rims. Apart from the white saddle and bar tape (BTW, I’ve never seen any dirty fingerprints on white tape, have you?), the future owner decided to go for EEBrakes, a very innovative set that are the latest thing in stopping power: they are solid!

It is worth looking at these brakes in some detail. When we apply a gradual pressure on most of the brakes commonly available, the friction between the rim and the brake pads flexes these arms and reduces their efficiency. Many manufacturers, such as Shimano and SRAM, strengthen the caliper but, in doing so, increase their weight.

The EEBrakes. © EECycleworks

EE Cycleworks, the maker of the EEBrakes, have taken a different approach. They have reexamined the way brake works and have engineered their brakes to overcome traditionally weaknesses. Rather than a single point, they utilize multiple pivots to activate the caliper arms. The pivots multiply the leverage in the caliper arms and reduce the amount of pressure that is needed on the brake pads. The designers have increased the caliper width but have eliminated every superfluous ounce of the main materials employed in their construction, high-grade aluminum and titanium. As a result, the EEBrakes are exceedingly smooth to operate, they have great modulation, and are light, about 195 grams for a set.

These brakes look complex and different from the rest. Admittedly, they take a little time to get used to them. Yet their performance sets a new standard, one I would like to adopt as soon as I can afford it.