Having seen these in person last year, and now on some TT bikes (Chris Horner’s shown), I wonder if these brakes represent an advantage over Dura Ace or Campy … if the lower profile of these brakes (which allows them to blend with the fork crown) is an aerodynamic advantage. Opinions???
We purchased two sets of Zero Gravity brakes. One for a customer, one for inventory or testing on my bike.
The first set we received via overnight air after a number of phone calls to confirm the product even existed. There were long lead times and we paid a $25 premium to get one set “out of sequence” of the backorders.
That set arrived a day late and with the wrong brake pads. The second set never arrived.
Having said that they did appear to be meticulously designed and fabricated (except for installing the wrong pads). I did not ride them.
I would like to conduct a more thourough examination of them. We did weight them and found they were 6 grams LIGHTER than their claimed weight.
Tom
Did the frontal profile seem smaller than Dura Ace in your opinion, did the brakes blend into the fork crown once mounted? I am much more concerned with the low profile than I am with the weight benefits (my Abici weighs 20 lbs with 909/H3 wheels and Rotor Cranks, so its no real lightweight)
Thanks
Well, I can;t give you a very good answer unfortunately. Overall, they appeared smaller in size than other brakes but they were not streamlined at all. They were somewhat boxy in their shape- very “squared off”.
Gary,
I’ll caveat that I’m no trained aero expert, but it seems to me that the sharp angles and holes present in the 0-Gravity calipers would disrupt airflow, probably negating any advantage gained over standard calipers by the low profile.
I wouldn’t bet my paycheck on that until we see some windtunnel evidence one way or another. It just seems to go against my layman’s understanding of airflow.
That said, I thought the main selling point of these things was their low weight while retaining superior braking capabilities.
I’ve seen 'em both on a bike and held a pair, and they appear to be very well made. Greg from Tri-Action has a pair on all his 15lb roadie, and I think on his tri bike as well. Last time I was there he had a set in his display case too if you Vancouver people want to see 'em.
These aren’t your “drilled for lightness” brakes, nor are they flimsy like back in the day when it seemed that every yahoo with a CNC mill was cranking out bike parts. Although I’ve not ridden them, I’m told that they stop very well.
Light and well made, but very expensive.
Thanks Tom, I saw that as well
Oops - missed the aero Q. I doubt that these will provide much of an aero advantage even with the smaller profile, for the reasons you mentioned (squared off, angular shape with holes in them) But they are light, and I’m told they stop well.
Why not go with Campy Delta brakes? Those sure looked aero… Bunny even makes a carbon replacement fairing if you want it lighter.
I could see these as the new aero standard if they were reworked with a little bunnyman magic. They would not take too much of a weight penalty, and possibly be even better in aerodynamics than the vaunted aerobrakes of a bygone era.
all the webcor guys got them free and use them on their road bikes. i’d bet price ($0) was the reason for the choice, rahter than any aero benefit. but who can say? not me.
Just ordered a set, but not sure how long delivery will take
I will get some pics up, some good detailed ones
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There are very few brakes that offer a significant aerodynamic advantage, it’s a messy area regardless. Also things like putting the brake behind the crown don’t work, which is not that surprising if you look at the airflow around the crown but it surprises many people.
The reason for these brakes on the TT bikes is probably more simple: brakes are less important in TTs so riders opt for the lightest possible, you may as well save weight if performance is of secundary importance (not that weight is that important in a TT but try explaining that to a pro). BTW, I am not saying these brakes don’t perform well, they may or may not, no idea, just saying the performance is not as critical in a TT.
So what you are REALLY saying. . .Gerard. . .is that brakes and cables are an as yet mostly untapped aero mine (Zipp’s and Campy’s clunky efforts notwithstanding). How long will it be before we have totally maxed out every other variable enough to make research into eeking out that .000001% aero advantage possibility in those areas profitable?
It doesn’t surprise me that the putting brake behind the crown does not help aerodynamics one bit. If the crown were big enough to obscure the brake, then you would have another aero problem.
I know of two things that (in theory) would make a front brake more aero. One would require a plethora of new parts, if not total re-engineering, and would probably weigh more than most pros would accept (let alone the UCI nazis’ approval). One wouldn’t be that hard, except that the design would literally have to be different on every fork and headtube it goes onto. Also, I can’t find the road-going Magura brakes that are used on the Cat Carbon Bikes Cheetah, which may or may not be more aero. They are small enough to be put behind the crown of the fork, and the frame is designed to go with the fork (not always the case).
As far as rear brakes go, it’s a no man’s land in a pretty messy area of the bike. The best execution I have ever seen was on the Cheetah, and it’s only because of the nature of the brakes used on that bike. The brakes are small enough to be installed in a very tight place.
Am I correct in thinking idea #1 would be exploring placing the braking mechanism inside the fork somehow. . .leaving essentially only the brake pads exposed to the airflow. . .If so, while I’m no engineer, I can imagine the complexity of that concept. . .AND the resulting cost. . .
had my head wrapped around that very concept…apparently we’re on the same frequency…to the drawing board with us
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I had not thought of that one. I imagine that it would be too incredibly complex and costly for it to ever be a production item. The UCI would ban it based on their economical factor, yet the Pinarello Montello is a legal bike, costing well over $10K USD…
I can’t exactly say what I am pondering and possibly working on, as it could (in theory) be done a lot cheaper than one would imagine, but the parts engineering would add considerably to the initial costs (paying off the R&D).
well if nothing else I am dropping 1/2 lb off the bike
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Actually, I thought that the Hooker Elite tried to do some sort of brake hidden in the fork thing. My guess is those bike are still the most aero ever for a double triangle design.
they had designed their own brake, like campy delta
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