https://road.cc/content/tech-news/sram-patent-proposes-universal-brake-mount-312003
I was joking about how inevitable it was that SRAM would propose a ‘universal’ brake mount.
I know it’s just a patent application so who knows if we’ll see an implementation of it but it’s pretty interesting. Clocking the mount to the axle (and so the rotor) and not the frame makes a whole ton of sense to me.
It’s similar to several disc brake adapters that were available in the 1990s. The only difference is the frame attachment location.
Kona DOPE adapter.
UDH on one side, UBH on the other.
To be honest here, I doubt it will be adopted by the larger “bike industry”. I really hope so at least. There are so many different suspension designs that will be affected by this decision. As a designer for a Carbon Fiber bike brand, UDH was relatively easy to design around. This seems like it will be more difficult. It also feels like “innovation” for innovations sake. SRAM has been focused on high end components and bikes lately and has been slowly shifting away from more affordable options. It almost feels like they have run out of ideas for improvements and are trying to figure out anything that makes them seem “innovative” and different. They are relying more and more on their marketing to make people think that these new products are “better” for the end user.
Guess I have a few pent up emotions about this, so I’ll quit ranting.
I am actually in the opposite mindset on this. I think big bike will adopt it wholeheartedly and my belief is they would have been the ones really pushing for it. Imagine how much easier it will be to do moulds for the NDS frame end now.
For me I am right in the middle of remodelling this oart of my platform. I had seen the report of the application a year ago and briefly looked into but went a different direction. I will now go back and re-evaluate the specification.
Of note, the patent has been awarded to SRAM and its for the upper attachement not the whole adapter concept.
The only thing that is original about the design is the idea of a standard attachment point(that isn’t a rim brake mount). I expect that the idea will be adopted, as it allows the use of any brake caliper mounting standard. It will simplify the caliper mount attachment process for frame builders.
