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Outbraker doubles up, puts full anti-lock control over both brakes in a single lever

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We first saw Outbraker’s power adjusting system at Interbike 2015, test riding it to see how it completely eliminates brake lock. It does it by effectively introducing a secondary master cylinder that lets you adjust where the flow cutoff is, which means it can apply power up to the point of full braking, but just before lock up. For commuters and newbies, that could mean just grabbing a handful of brakes and getting maximum stopping power with no skidding or loss of control. Now, they’ve got a dual system that controls both front and rear brakes with a single lever…

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Curious about the technology? Check out last year’s coverage for a detailed explanation. The dual system splits the line, pushing fluid to both calipers with a slight bias toward the front brake.

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If 1x is cleaning up the drivetrain and shifters, Outbraker’s dual system does the same for brakes.

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Their demo setup shows the pressure directly in the brake line (left) compared to the actual pressure being pushed into the line (right).

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Here’s what the they look like side by side, the dual version (left) and the single one (right). They can be installed directly behind the lever or anywhere inline. The angles of the hose exits have improved over the original version, getting rid of the L-bend and pointing the hose out from the lever in a straighter line.

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Just for fun, they installed an XT caliper on an electric scooter, which made for some very wild demos.

Outbraker.com

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18 Comments
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Seneca
Seneca
7 years ago

Commuters and Newbies are capable of learning how to brake just like everyone else. However, this is a great product for someone who is disabled.

Will
Will
7 years ago
Reply to  Seneca

Just stack the levers. One finger per lever. Been running this way over 25 years

http://www.prostheticarm.com

jb
jb
7 years ago

Except it has a cutoff that doesn’t change with weight balance, slope, terrain… so, you either have less braking force than you might otherwise have, or you STILL have to feather. It’s not an anti-lock system, it’s a force limiting system.

Plus you’d need twice the lever pull to get as much fluid to each brake. It’s close to being a great accessory for the physically challenged, but it seems like it has a ways to go.

asdf
asdf
7 years ago

Why do the claim this is anti-lock? What actually happens if I pull the brake really hard?

KLH
KLH
7 years ago

If a shift lever fail, you can’t shift gears, but if the lever should happen to fail, you’re left with no brakes????

gee
gee
7 years ago

Good luck with that in the wet. Stupid and dnagerous.

paquo
paquo
7 years ago
Reply to  gee

i was going to say that road riding in the wet might be the one legitimate application. I dont get it i guess, why would one want to limit or not lock an xt (dirt) equipped bike

Tomi
Tomi
7 years ago

I’d like the bikerumor editor to think twice before choosing such a misleading title. This is not anti-lock but a brake limiter.

David
David
7 years ago
Reply to  Tomi

^^^ Correct. Plus, the first person who wipes out because it was dialed in for dry and they hit the deck in the wet/snow, will receive a hefty settlement if it is marketed as anti-lock.

ACMI
ACMI
7 years ago

It’s a nifty piece of technology like having the option on locking either one or both of my wheels if the trail situation calls for it.

Dave
Dave
7 years ago

I agree. Anyone who thinks this is an anti-lock brake system like that of a car, where you can just hammer the brake lever on any surface and the system will apply maximum possible braking but no more, is in for a very rude awakening. This is a truly misleading report.

Johnny
Johnny
7 years ago

dnagerous

Smokestack
Smokestack
7 years ago

Couple problems. 1. Doubling displacement of fluid at the caliper requires a corresponding increase of fluid displaced at the master cylinder. 2.Doubling the return displacement of fluid due to thermal expansion to the master cylinder requires a corresponding larger reservoir. 3. There is no way any brake manufacturer will honor your warranty when the brakes fail due to issue 1 or 2 occurring. The product idea may be a nice idea for certain users, but it is a definite liability for all users.

JasonK
JasonK
7 years ago

One way to solve the volume problem would be to use the XT piston to actuate a second piston with half the area of the XT piston. That would provide the right amount of travel from a single lever. Of course, you’d also get half the force you’d expect from a single lever and caliper, but there’s no such thing as a free lunch, is there?

JasonK
JasonK
7 years ago

Looking at the two pressure gages, I suspect they’ve implemented something like what I described in my post above. But then (as others have pointed out) this isn’t “anti-lock braking.” It’s just high-lever-effort braking, which isn’t remotely the same thing.

hllclmbr
hllclmbr
7 years ago

Kinda hard to anti-lock and fully hydraulic,concurrently. True ABS has a computer to modulate the entire system, this has none.

Christian-Maurice Duval
Christian-Maurice Duval
5 years ago

I think this system is for avoiding a locking wheel in the back, as the front needs more power to stop, You have full power from the lever in the front but you can adjust the pressure in the back so there is no locking when solliciting the front harder. Excellent system for trikes.

bebetocrespo
4 years ago

Where can I buy that system

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