...It looks like a standard alloy base bar with a bit of cable on top - there must be more because I have that urge to buy it, but I have no idea what it does. They talk about saving 80g and allowing you to feather the brake - does this mean you just rub the front tire with the coiled cable, I'm very confused...

Looks like the brake lever is the cable with a plastic housing that when squeezed controls the caliper. I think it's a step back, over simplified. I would have done something like that when I was a child. Just kidding I'm ordering them right now! Well maybe I'll drill out my basebar and run the cable through it instead. Cancel the order.

So, you just squeeze the cable with your fingers instead of a brake lever? I guess I didn't realize all that extra frontal area taken up by a brake lever. Seems like a gimick to me.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Looks like absolute CRAP to me.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

It doesn't look like you could generate much force to apply to the brake caliper so I think that you would be limited to only feathering the brake. Seems like it would be a weird hand position too.

But I could be wrong about all this and it works brillantly. Who's going to be the early adopter?

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-Darrell

If you remember your physics, a small pressure applied in the center of a stretched cord generates quite a force at the ends, which is why long clothes lines and their poles have to be really strong to counter the force of the light clothes. I don'lt know if it really works, but.....

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

My first thought is how good do you need to be to even consider leaving the absolute fantastic vision brake levers that weight almost nothing and functions very well, just to risk don't have the same braking capacity, but save 80 gram.

Dave

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http://www.nasvik.se

a good joke...

Yes, I remember physics as I was an engineering major in college. To take your hand off the solid basebar to apply the amount force to the center of the brake cable that would be much less stable around seems like a poor idea. Most people would probably squeeze the cable closer to the end of the basebar where your hand would naturally falll and then not be able to generate the necessary force to stop.

I'd like to see a video of someone using this going downhill...

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-Darrell

Seems like a simple solution. Not sure why all the negative comments. Anyone care to explain why the negative feedback. I do agree that hand position might be an issue, but need to see it to confirm.

The concept seems pretty simple. Instead of the brake lever pulling on the cable, you will with your hand by lengthing the distance between the to points. So the only real issue I could see is can you apply as much braking force as the level allows. My guess is yes, and you will have better more sensative response. I assume the extra couple of holes in the bars would not be an issue.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

I can save more than 80 grams by taking a leak before I get on my bike.

Well now, you can save more than 160 grams by taking a leak [i]and[/i] using this.

It's going to be less aerodynamic than a vision brake lever.

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Increasing awareness for suffers of DGS (Diminished Gluteal Syndrome).

Has anyone considered the integral structural losses incurred by drilling two holes through the front and rear center of your base bar? Sounds like a slew of lawsuits to me.

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Fit matters most. None of that aero sh*$ means beans if you are monkey humping the bike up and down the road… anonymous
51Speed Shop fitter and consultant

It was my second thought ;)

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http://www.nasvik.se

"Those are speed holes..." - Homer Simpson

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-Darrell

Or the aerodynamic losses of a round base bar compared to a flattened one with an aero brake lever?

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

"So the only real issue I could see is can you apply as much braking force as the level allows."

Actually, a larger issue I see is that you're taking the PALM of your hand off the base bar (and thus the part that you exert a large part of your front end control) to apply that force to the cable.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Why are you talking the palm of your hand off? Cant you reach over and grab it with your thumb? Again how much force is neccesary, and what is it doing to the structure of the bar?

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

I THINK it's a thumb squeeze while holding the base bar.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

Where are the dimples - I buy nothing without dimples!

Even so, I think it's compromising the grip on the base bar, much moreso than a standard brake lever.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

We can guess 'til the cows come home, but with no date it's a guess. It might work just as well or better. Maybe Slowman can review it. Hint! Hint!

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

I can't believe all the buzz about the CleanBrake I've been using on my TitanFlex since 1993. Very creative speculations!

Let me try to address some of the question raised.

Your hand never leaves the bar. As a couple posters suggested, you merely hang the butt of your thumb over the cable. You can pull the cable toward the bar in a griping action or you can simply press down with your palm to accuate the front calipers. The cable span rises from the bar end to where it runs through the bar (more on this below), so the weight shift of your body during deceleration can enhance the applied force. I bet with practice you could flip yourself over the handlebars.

However, it's hard to generate enough force to lock up the wheel, which is why I don't suggest it as a replacement for the rear brake lever. But for the front wheel I--and Triathlete Magazine Sr. Editor Jay Prasuhn, among others--find it well suited for front braking needs. To quote Jay's comments in the December Bike of the Month article:
"The looks it draws are priceless, and it worked great, even on fast descents."

The integrity of the base bar is a definite concern.
The hole drilled through the bar is only 1/8" diameter. The hole is drilled at an angle to the stress plane. A stainless steel sleeve is pressed in place with a flaring tool. The inside diameter of the sleeve matches the O.D. of a standard brake cable. (The close-up image on the web page was my crude attempt to illustrate this detail. It was hard to hold the flashlight and camera at the same time.)

What have I missed? Oh yea, dimples are scheduled for release 2.0 and look for glowstick functionality in late '07.

Cheers,
Tom Piszkin
Airo-Series, Inc.