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Odyssey
Titanium Brake Booster
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Submitted by
Genital Apparatus
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Etobicoke Creek, Urban Trials | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$16.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclepath | | Strengths: | Looks cool, stiffens up frame for more solid feeling brakes. | | Weaknesses: | As others have said, the brake booster becomes another place to collect mud, as well as making it that much more difficult to work on this specific area of the bike. In general, it just adds more complexity to the bike, which don't care for all that much. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Specialized Hardrock Pro, RaceFace handlebar and stem, Shimano Deore drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | I bought this product hoping to get better, more precise braking, and that's exactly what I got. I don't spend a whole lot of time riding in the mud, so I'm not bothered by this product's inherent tendency to collect mud. Five peppers all 'round! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Josh
a Cross Country Rider
from Fairfax, VA
Date Reviewed: March 16, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Strong, light, looks good...does what it's supposed to do. | | Weaknesses: | Obviously, it is not very useful if you don't really crank down the brake bolts.....so little girly-men need not put this on...... | | Similar Products Used: | Why would I waste money on trying another product when this one works great? | | Bike Setup: | Spicer custom aluminum, Mega-9 XT/XTR drivetrain, Manitou SXRTDS fork, Bontrager Crowbar, King HS, Sun Rhyno Lites, XTR and Ringle hubs | | Bottom Line: | Obviously, not everybody needs a brake booster depending on your frame type and type of riding. But if you do, this one is inexpensive, looks good, and does what it's supposed to. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Grand Pooh Bear
a Weekend Warrior
from North Kingstown, RI, USA
Date Reviewed: November 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Breakheart Trail, Arcadia | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Strengths: | Light and works very well. | | Weaknesses: | Like any u-plate creates a cumbersome environment for working in that area. Collects debris more than without. | | Similar Products Used: | Odyssey Al Brake Booster. | | Bike Setup: | Trek 9900 | | Bottom Line: | It does what it is supposed to do. I have a carbon fiber frame and I literally could see the seat stays flex under braking loads. Now the flex is 90% gone and the weight added is negligible. Plus my brakes work better. I've been using the one I've had for four years or more and it still works great.
If your frame cannot handle braking loads and the stays flex, buy one of these. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bax
a Cross Country Rider
from Vista CA USA
Date Reviewed: September 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Camp Pendleton | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | cheap, works as claims, looks great, light, signinficantly stiffens and improves brake feel | | Weaknesses: | may not be on sale at Supergo for $15 like mine was | | Similar Products Used: | N/A | | Bike Setup: | Fisher Mamba stock for now | | Bottom Line: | This works, it's cheap for $15 at Supergo, it looks good and it's cheaper than upgrading brakes. Buy it if you want a noticeable difference in brake feel but don't want to buy new brakes | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Quint
a Weekend Warrior
from Waco, Tx
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Cameron Park, Waco | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Price, looks | | Weaknesses: | Collects mud easily | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | 99 FSR | | Bottom Line: | I bought these in hopes of increasing the stopping power
of my Dia Compe Vc735 brakes, and they worked. However,
I've since changed brakes to Tektro Quartz MT 20's because
of the adjustment problems with the Dia Compe's. The Tektro's are parallel push with a leaf spring incorporated
and flex the rear seat stays a bit. The Odyssey booster
helps a little with the flex issue, but I don't think it
is intended to reduce flex. It's intended to boost the
stopping power and it does that. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkeley, CA
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | light, inexpensive, nostalgic purple anodized washer things | | Weaknesses: | not strong enough to eliminate flex | | Similar Products Used: | Salsa Arc de Tri-Oomphe | | Bike Setup: | Airborne Lucky Strike Ti, '99 SID XC fork | | Bottom Line: | decent, but not a good product. The Salsas I had on before reduced flex probably... 99%. I set my brakes with no toe-in and after 5 months the pad wear was perfectly even. That's pretty indicative of no flex. On a whim I blew $25 on a pair of Odysseys and, although they're a lot lighter, high-pressure braking caused something I'd never heard before: brake squeal! Mind you, I weigh 200 lbs, so it takes a considerable amount of force to stop my bike, but the only way for me to stop the squeal was to switch to KoolStop Thinline pads.
These boosters probably reduce flex about 60-70%. After using the best, the Odysseys just don't cut it for me. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Agent Z
a Downhiller
from Norcal
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Mammoth Bullet | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Looks good
Works okay
Good price | | Weaknesses: | Didn't make a huge difference on my GT STS. (I guess I can't complain... that just means the frame was made well)
More metal = more places to trap mud.
Lightening holes - even more mud trappers! | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | GT STS 1000 set up for slalom | | Bottom Line: | This can make any bike look cooler. If your frame flexes a lot, buy this. It will increase your braking power and will make em feel less squishy.
I bought it from 12 bucks and I think it was worth it since it made my bike look cooler. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tazz
a Weekend Warrior
from Fullerton CA USA
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Aliso Viejo | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Ti is always good. shiny, goes well with my aluminum tube setting. Looks better than most boosters | | Weaknesses: | the fact that i have to use it. the screw seems to get lose over time use | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | GT hardtail w/ DHO 4" travel fork | | Bottom Line: | I really needed this booster, and it works well. I dont know how hard those other guys press their brakes. As for me, it was a very noticeable difference between with it, and without it. I wish i could of bought it for $12 like some of the guys, but i dont regret buying it. I dont think using the more expensive boosters is going to make significant differerence over function. Unless you are a gram counter, you cant go wrong with this booster. How much lighter do you want?! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mitch
a Weekend Warrior
from Indiana
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Ghost Track | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | PRICE!!!!!!!!!! $12 at Supergo. Weight. Titanium is flashy.
| | Weaknesses: | Didn't reduce as much flex as I had hoped. | | Similar Products Used: | None. | | Bike Setup: | Airborne Lucky Strike, XT package. | | Bottom Line: | Bike still flexes in the back end but quite a bit less. The wheel is already locked up before the flex so it is doing it's job. It just still has a noticable flex. Nothing's perfect. The price really is great though. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ace
a Cross Country Rider
from Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Light,inexpensive, high "wow it's titanium factor" looks good, works well. | | Bike Setup: | Giant aluminum with many upgrades | | Bottom Line: | Can't beat the performance at twice the price. ($12 at Supergo.com)
I actually measured the flex at the rear of my bike before and after mounting. The result was an 80% reduction in flex!
You can spend MUCH more for a flashy carbon unit, but doubling the price to get anymore than an 80% improvement would be foolish.
One thing to remember it that you CAN flex ANY booster if you squeeze hard enough. With this unit PROPERLY installed, flex is near zero when using lever preasures high enough to lock the wheel on pavement.
5 flamming piles of dung! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
profeign
a Weekend Warrior
from SF, CA
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Cheap ($12 from supergo), titanium is neat | | Weaknesses: | didn't really help all that much | | Similar Products Used: | topo aluminum | | Bike Setup: | GT LTS | | Bottom Line: | I have an RST delta HL on my lts and I put a topo on the back and it really helped because the avid arch rivals can really put some stress on the triangle. Flex was lessened significantly. On the front I put the odyssey and wasn't really that impressed, flex wasn't such a big issue since I'm not nearly as hard on my front brake, but I can still move the bosses even when I'm not squeezing all that hard. Can't really complain for the price though, and even if I take it off, the Ti mounting bolts will probably come in handy for something, once I shorten them with my dremel. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Don Pagano
a Racer
from Carlisle, PA
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: |
less than 1 month | | Strengths: |
Inexpensive (12 bucks at Supergo!), nice finish, nice hardware, prettly light, lots of mud clearance, works! | | Weaknesses: |
None that I can find. | | Similar Products Used: |
Crappy no-name years ago | | Bike Setup: |
Full suspension, Bomber, other good stuff, etc. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is that this thing was a very inexpensive fix for poor brake performance on my full suspension bike. A huge improvement in braking power. The seat stays absolutely doe not move, even when squeezing the lever so hard I'm sure the cable will snap. As for the reviewer who rated it poorly because his frame still flexed, I don't think that is the intended function of the product. Ti should last long time, quality finish and Ti hardware, only 12 bucks from Supergo. Good mud clearance too. I'm getting another for my steel hardtail. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bud Campbell
a Weekend Warrior
from Greenville, SC
Date Reviewed: December 6, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
Looks great! | | Weaknesses: |
Too flexable | | Similar Products Used: |
n/a | | Bike Setup: |
98 Schwinn HG/FS w/ XT brakes | | Bottom Line: | Basically, I mounted the booster to the rear brakes in hopes of correcting the frame flex problem there. I have noticed no improvement at all…frame still flexing. The supplied mounting bolts are too long and I recommend they included a bushing to replace the gap left by the Shimano stock bolt which recess into the brake arm at the pivot. Also, I suspect the longer bolt, cantilevers the part too much which wont help controlling flex. I'll try the Shimano carbon next…If that doesn't work I'll have to go to discs…I have to justify them someway! | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross-Country Rider
from Syracuse
Date Reviewed: November 26, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
Super light, looks fly. Has enough clearence for brakes to open and close for unobstructed wheel removal. Ti-bolts included | | Weaknesses: |
Little flashy, big. Long brake bolts included - too long for me since I like to mount them with a low profile. | | Similar Products Used: |
many. Tektro/Topo/etc... | | Bike Setup: |
Slingshot/Manitou 4 | | Bottom Line: | Great booster. Lightweight, super trick, and even comes with Ti mounting bolts. I seriously reccommend it to any of us out there who ride older frames/forks that might not be stiff enough for v-brakes, really makes up for the difference. Very noticable brakeing difference. | | Overall Rating: |
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