The Brake Force One was the first mountain bike disc brake with an integrated brake booster. The principle of hydraulic transmission using two-stage pistons came to inventor Jakob Lauhoff's mind at the young age of 13. The next model from the Tübingen-based company Brake Force One aims to dispel the notion that only oil or DOT fluid can be used as a hydraulic medium for disc brakes. The Brake Force One H2O is designed to work with any fluid - even water. Here are the first pictures of the new miracle brake.
All aspects of the current version have been revised. All parts are made of different materials, and the new brake caliper in particular has been fundamentally revised. While the caliper of the Brake Force One was already considered extremely stiff, the stiffness of the H2O has been doubled compared to its predecessor, according to the manufacturer! This should give the brake a significantly harder pressure point - something that some users miss on the current model.
Water instead of oil - how can it work?
Disc brakes are usually fitted with mineral oil or Brake fluid (e.g. DOT 5.1) are used. These are characterised by higher boiling temperatures compared to water. This is intended to prevent the brake fluid from boiling up under high loads. For example, DOT 5.1 boils at 260 °C, mineral oil at 190 °C. How can water, which is known to boil at 100 °C depending on the ambient pressure, be the supposedly better solution?
Brake Force One cites the higher specific heat capacity of water as justification. This value indicates the energy required to heat one kilogramme of a substance by one degree. The high value of water means that it can absorb a comparatively large amount of energy, meaning that it takes longer to reach boiling point. Compared to mineral oil, the value is around twice as high, which could theoretically compensate for the unequal boiling points. Sounds complicated, but it is. Whether the calculation works out for the Brake Force One H2O will be revealed in the next Brake test with the Brake Force One show. We are excited! The courage to try something new deserves our respect.
Something is also happening in terms of price. Over the last 1.5 years, the manufacturing costs of the individual components have been intensively fine-tuned in cooperation with suppliers from the German automotive industry and new manufacturing processes have been introduced. Although the individual parts of the Brake Force One H2O are no longer manufactured 100% in Germany, it still retains the famous "made in Germany" seal. The company passes on the savings in manufacturing costs to the customer, which lowers the price. However, the new Brake Force One H2O will not be a bargain either. The set for front and rear will probably be available for around 600 euros. The price of the discs is also falling and will then be around 32 euros each (for all disc sizes). The weight of the new brake is not yet known.
The details of the Brake Force One H2O at a glance (manufacturer's specifications):
Brake calliper:
- Double the rigidity compared to its predecessor
- More braking power
- harder pressure point
- Less finger strength
Brake booster:
- Integrated in the lid
- 360 degree rotatable cable outlet
- Simple venting "One way bleeding"
- Finer dosing
Water as a medium:
- Higher heat capacity
- Lower thermal expansion
- Environmentally friendly
pipework system:
- Plug connector
- Cables can be shortened without tools
- Thinner cables 4 mm (smaller radii possible)
Sebastian Brust
Editor
