ee brakes - better braking?

[dbnm]

I've had ee brakes on my Moots for about 3 months and I gotta say, I am not really impressed with them. Shortly after, I got the new Mavic Ksyrium Pro UST wheels (aluminum) and was using Shimano Dura Ace pads. Braking was weak.

I recently changed to SwissStop FlashPro, which were recommended from Mavic, and I am still not impressed.

Any advice or thoughts?

[FlashUNC]

They set up properly?

Cuz both sets I have were the equal of the Mavic or Campagnolo Record skeletons I was using previously in stopping power.

[R3awak3n]

to me they don't brake better than any of the big players but equally... however they are much lighter, look cool, and the pad mechanism amazing (so easy to replace).


you have to set em up properly, the distance of the begining of the folding arm and the end has to be right or they won't brake very well

[R3awak3n]

They set up properly?

Cuz both sets I have were the equal of the Mavic or Campagnolo Record skeletons I was using previously in stopping power.

yes the setup is crucial. I had my front set up properly, proper compression distance on the pivot arm and was great, back was not good, mushy and then I looked at it and that the manual and figured out I set it up wrong.

[earlfoss]

I agree with the comments above about setup. I have the direct-mount version and they work great. The true test for me was descending Tuna Canyon in LA at warp speed and they did their job on par with anything I've had from the big manufacturers.

[AngryScientist]

descending Tuna Canyon in LA

awesome, fun descent!

[denapista]

The whole point of the EE brake caliper, was to offer comparable braking performance as the big brands, but in a lighter package. If you're looking for the best braking, then disc brakes are what you seek. My EE brakes are stronger and lighter than my Super Record brakes, and changing the pads is something I can do with my fingers...

[glepore]

I've had ee brakes for the better part of 3 seasons. Set up is important as mentioned.

They feel different than Shimano brakes. While just about everyone universally loves Ultegra and DA brakes, I personally find the feel to be very much like slightly overboosted power brakes in a car-there is lots of initial bite but difficult to modulate. EE is more of a linear feel, substantially less initial bite, but plenty of stopping power without a ton of lever effort.

If you like the Shimano feel, then yeah, you might be unimpressed.

[weaponsgrade]

I’ve had EEs for a few years. It took me a few tries to get the housing cut to the proper length but since then they’ve been great. I recently put in some Kool Stop dual compound pads and they’re now my favorite pad.

[R3awak3n]

I’ve had EEs for a few years. It took me a few tries to get the housing cut to the proper length but since then they’ve been great. I recently put in some Kool Stop dual compound pads and they’re now my favorite pad.

yes, the cable length, specially on the rear brake is VERY important.

The way the cable bike on my bike was, made for the rear brake to be kind of crazy (cable came straight out of the isp on the back, looked cool but a PITA to set up the brake. Now its changed to good ole normal routing and its great.

To me, the 2 downsides of EE brakes. 1. price, 2. a pain to clean.

[Mzilliox]

yes, the cable length, specially on the rear brake is VERY important.

The way the cable bike on my bike was, made for the rear brake to be kind of crazy (cable came straight out of the isp on the back, looked cool but a PITA to set up the brake. Now its changed to good ole normal routing and its great.

To me, the 2 downsides of EE brakes. 1. price, 2. a pain to clean.

This, I found the front a breeze to setup, and stopping power is similar to record calipers (i refuse to say its better, because i doubt its better).

the rear i had to re cut the housing, added a bit more, the cable pull really matters for the rear, luckily the rear brakes hardly matter.:eek:

once i got it figured out it works nearly as well as a record caliper in the back.

they are half as light, if not lighter, so thats cool, but im nto sure they are worth the price of admission unless your goal is fully weight weenie

[R3awak3n]

This, I found the front a breeze to setup, and stopping power is similar to record calipers (i refuse to say its better, because i doubt its better).

the rear i had to re cut the housing, added a bit more, the cable pull really matters for the rear, luckily the rear brakes hardly matter.:eek:

once i got it figured out it works nearly as well as a record caliper in the back.

they are half as light, if not lighter, so thats cool, but im nto sure they are worth the price of admission unless your goal is fully weight weenie

I agree with this statement. They are super cool and if I had the money I would buy them again but unless you are a crazy weight weenie, a chorus/record/srecord will brake the same. I don't think ee brakes better but equally for sure. I got my set for a crazy deal and only reason I have them but I am really glad I have them, I really enjoy them.

Oh modulation is great as someone said, on that I think might be better than campy

[FlashUNC]

I prefer the modulation, the weight's a no brainer, and the clearance is superior to other brakes.

And they look cool. But yes, butt puckeringly expensive.

[oldpotatoe]

I've had ee brakes on my Moots for about 3 months and I gotta say, I am not really impressed with them. Shortly after, I got the new Mavic Ksyrium Pro UST wheels (aluminum) and was using Shimano Dura Ace pads. Braking was weak.

I recently changed to SwissStop FlashPro, which were recommended from Mavic, and I am still not impressed.

Any advice or thoughts?

Shimano or Campagnolo brake calipers...

[fogrider]

The whole point of the EE brake caliper, was to offer comparable braking performance as the big brands, but in a lighter package. If you're looking for the best braking, then disc brakes are what you seek. My EE brakes are stronger and lighter than my Super Record brakes, and changing the pads is something I can do with my fingers...

I don't even think disc brakes will brake better unless you count riding in the rain. I'm really not sure why people think powerful brakes are so important unless you're riding in traffic. Okay, I'm not racing and I'm not looking to push the limits on descents...just about all modern dual pivot brakes are pretty darn good with decent pads...just add some skills.

[joosttx]

I don't even think disc brakes will brake better unless you count riding in the rain. I'm really not sure why people think powerful brakes are so important unless you're riding in traffic. Okay, I'm not racing and I'm not looking to push the limits on descents...just about all modern dual pivot brakes are pretty darn good with decent pads...just add some skills.

I am almost in agreement here. I run my ee’s with campy pads and bora ultra 2’s and the stopping can be too much if I havent riddine that bike in a while. They are the best brakes I used regardless of weight.

[R3awak3n]

Disc brakes (hydraulic, none of that cable stuff) offer really nice modulation I have to say. Also you can brake effortless. Not needed in a road bike but I am warming up to them. If you ride a lot of of hills they are better but again, not needed. I think a good pad and rim goes a long way.

With carbon wheels though, I say discs rule there. Same with rain.

[huck*this]

A good note to take into consideration when setting up the rear brake. The brake hose/line needs to be shorter than a traditional caliper brake. That is a good place to start. The extension of the arm is everything with the ee brakes. And with the arm being longer the hose needs to be shorter. Not too bad to setup but definitely needs more attention then traditional brakes "IF" reusing the same brake cable. Running new cables easy peezy.

[dbnm]

Thanks for all of the info. The bike goes into the shop today.

[kookmyers]

Was the shop able to set them up to provide you satisfactory braking?

[simonov]

I just set up my first pair of EE brakes. They're definitely different, but went together fine and the braking is fantastic. No complaints at all.

[benb]

I don't even think disc brakes will brake better unless you count riding in the rain. I'm really not sure why people think powerful brakes are so important unless you're riding in traffic. Okay, I'm not racing and I'm not looking to push the limits on descents...just about all modern dual pivot brakes are pretty darn good with decent pads...just add some skills.

Than why would you care about stupendously expensive weight weenie brakes? These have basically no purpose except for hill climb racing.

So you're doing intervals and you're honking at 30mph and a car pulls out in front of you. Great time to have brakes that stop really well and are really tolerant of cable wear and/or adjustment and are super easy to setup. The consistently easy setup & great performance/maintenance qualities of the Shimano/Campy brakes are a safety factor. 60/120g of weight savings doesn't matter in any of those situations.

These sound like something you care about when you're in the hunt to win Mt. Washington or Mt. Evans and you've already got that 400w FTP & look like you just escaped from a prison camp in N. Korea and the race isn't sanctioned so you're trying to show up with a 10-12lb bike at no cost prepared.

And then you don't care about the performance as much or the need to change the cables more frequently, cause you only ride that bike for the hillclimbs and you've removed the rear caliper & cable to save weight anyway and then cut off the drops ala Phil Gaimon.

All hypothetical here cause I didn't see if you were trying to get these, just in general.

Since the Cane Creek website is a mess how much do these actually cost? The closest I could find is $300/caliper or so? And actually, is that even that expensive? How many MTB guys have a set of brakes/levers that cost that much for braking performance? Is it wrong to spend $600 on weight savings but not for braking performance? I guess the difference is you don't have to be at the razors edge of fitness to actually get a benefit out of the MTB brakes.

[Heisenberg]

This place is pedantic.

1) They look cool.
2) They weigh nothing.
3) They look cool.

And they stop about as well as a pair of comparable SRAM or Campy brakes. Hella expensive, but people have spent a lot more money to look cool.

Disclaimer: I own a set. They look ****ing cool. Girls ask me questions about them at stoplights. They go well with my Supreme hat collection and Supreme Rimowa roller. When you buy a pair, there's a QR code that comes in the box for a blue check on IG and Twitter. You should probably get a set.

But not the gold ones. Anything but the gold ones.

[RWeb]

I find them equal to or better than Shimano. Yes, I agree that setup is critical: proper cable/housing length and pads set with toe-in.

[MaraudingWalrus]

This place is pedantic.


Yes it is.





For those interested, they just put out a press release about updated EE Brakes (https://www.bikerumor.com/2018/04/17/4th-generation-eebrakes-get-wider-stronger-sleeker-and-a-bit-lighter/). A little wider, maybe a little lighter (maybe not) a bit more metal, some T25 fittings instead of hex, and maybe a bit easier to adjust?

[Kirk007]

huh, all this angst.

My experience: Bought on sale from somewhere for around 5 bills for the set. I took the brakes out of the box. Read the instructions (which could have been a bit clearer), bolted them on, attached the cable (watched a you tube video to make sure I had the routing down); installed pads, toed in, centered and went for a ride. The bike stopped when I pulled the levers. Felt a bit different than campy and sram and shimano, but they do what brakes are supposed to do. So what is better braking?

I haven't bothered measuring or timing an emergency full on grab the brakes and squeeze event so dan't say if ultimate stopping distance is different.
Perhaps there's a you tube video on that somewhere. Modulation is different than with the other big 3. Is that better or worse, I dunno, I tend to adjust to adapt to whatever I'm riding. Changing pads is about 3.78 seconds less per pad than other brakes since you don't have to deal with a set screw. Clearance for 28s is pretty good. They're lighter on the bike and lighten up your wallet and either look cool or hideous depending on what you think looks cool or hideous. I haven't sold the red brakes that they replaced so maybe I'm hedging. Or maybe just lazy. Probably the latter.

[joosttx]

This place is pedantic.


Disclaimer: I own a set. They look ****ing cool. Girls ask me questions about them at stoplights.

and I thought it was because of your thick hair.

[FlashUNC]

and I thought it was because of your thick hair.

He can barely get a comb through it.

[nmrt]

hah hah hah hah hah
I have the gold ones. And gold teeth to match. :banana::p

This place is pedantic.

1) They look cool.
2) They weigh nothing.
3) They look cool.

And they stop about as well as a pair of comparable SRAM or Campy brakes. Hella expensive, but people have spent a lot more money to look cool.

Disclaimer: I own a set. They look ****ing cool. Girls ask me questions about them at stoplights. They go well with my Supreme hat collection and Supreme Rimowa roller. When you buy a pair, there's a QR code that comes in the box for a blue check on IG and Twitter. You should probably get a set.

But not the gold ones. Anything but the gold ones.

[joosttx]

hah hah hah hah hah
I have the gold ones. And gold teeth to match. :banana::p

baller!

[denapista]

The key to EE brakes, is running a segmented housing brake cable system... Makes getting the housing length down perfect, and you cut weight from Shimano or Campy housing..

[Pdavis91]

A review I read on them (road.cc (http://road.cc/content/review/235081-cane-creek-ee-brakes)) said they have a tendency to damage the downtube when turning the bars to the limit or in a crash. Is this true in anyone experience?

[Heisenberg]

hah hah hah hah hah
I have the gold ones. And gold teeth to match. :banana::p

You get a pass.

[Heisenberg]

A review I read on them (road.cc (http://road.cc/content/review/235081-cane-creek-ee-brakes)) said they have a tendency to damage the downtube when turning the bars to the limit or in a crash. Is this true in anyone experience?

yes. they RUINED my $34,000 Pissoni.

[nmrt]

I meant gold chainring teeth.
Who did you assume I was? Your friendly neighborhood drug dealer? ;)

baller!

[benb]

Anyone serious would get Ti teeth, isn't gold heavy?

[cgolvin]

The true test for me was descending Tuna Canyon in LA at warp speed and they did their job on par with anything I've had from the big manufacturers.

Please keep it below warp in the future —*it's not uncommon to encounter skateboarders and, more dangerous, riders flouting the law by going the wrong way. (I admit I have done this but don't any more.)

[jpritchet74]

I have EE brakes on my main bike. I love them. I have always used Nokon cable housing and setup has always been a breeze. Love the EE's.

[R3awak3n]

A review I read on them (road.cc (http://road.cc/content/review/235081-cane-creek-ee-brakes)) said they have a tendency to damage the downtube when turning the bars to the limit or in a crash. Is this true in anyone experience?

this is pretty dumb review of the brakes. I never had this problem never even I have thought about this... its the first I have heard from it.

[MaraudingWalrus]

this is pretty dumb review of the brakes. I never had this problem never even I have thought about this... its the first I have heard from it.



I mean, I've had brakes that are such if the bars rotate more than 90-100or so degrees then the brake contacts the down tube....but I don't do that so it doesn't matter.

[R3awak3n]

I mean, I've had brakes that are such if the bars rotate more than 90-100or so degrees then the brake contacts the down tube....but I don't do that so it doesn't matter.

I just don't think its enough of a problem to justify a 2/5 score. I have an etap frame too, so no shift wires and the brake never came even close to hitting the DT. There is still a stiff rear brake cable in there so its not like the fork/bars is flipping around freely.

[MaraudingWalrus]

I just don't think its enough of a problem to justify a 2/5 score. I have an etap frame too, so no shift wires and the brake never came even close to hitting the DT. There is still a stiff rear brake cable in there so its not like the fork/bars is flipping around freely.



Oh I was not disagreeing with you. Sorry that wasn't clear. Like, I have a bike where it happens. And I only know this because some doofus knocked it over one time.

I'm not mad at the brakes for it. I'm mad at the doofus!

[crankles]

Girls ask me questions about them at stoplights.

At my age and with my looks, this is reason enough for me to own a pair!

[AngryScientist]

can someone who has these brakes post a shot of the front cable routing?

i'm having some challenges with cable routing on my new Foresta since the HT is so short and it has HT cable stops. the campy front caliper is working OK, but if the cable routing to the brake itself was a little different, it would help everything up front....

[joosttx]

Your wish is my command. Above Category mounted these brakes so I am assuming they are spot on.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/974/27803818098_28aa2b9c7c_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/952/27803824458_56c34bfabf_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/913/27803820398_f13420e780_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/860/27803821148_d202d07d14_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/886/27803822428_c345fdf5d3_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/874/27803823778_cd30698879_b.jpg

[AngryScientist]

thanks houston.

looks like i'm buying a front brake, that's perfect.

[iwantone]

Your wish is my command. Above Category mounted these brakes so I am assuming they are spot on.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/952/27803824458_56c34bfabf_b.jpg


I don't think this matters too much because of the linear movement of the arms on eebrakes, but it looks like your caliper is biased towards the RH side. The main caliper body is rotated counter clockwise in this picture.

You can also tell by the drive side pad holder being higher up in the arm than the non drive side.

The good thing about these brakes is the centering adjustment that is offered that allows your rim to still be centered with your pads.

[dbnm]

Update:
The bike shop who did the install took another look and dialed them in a bit more. The brakes are now rather impressive. Along with the Swisstop pads, this is a terrific lightweight set up.

[AngryScientist]

pretty sure i'm going to wind up with the mullet set-up on my Foresta.

EE up front, campy single pivot out back.

[cgolvin]

pretty sure i'm going to wind up with the mullet set-up on my Foresta.



EE up front, campy single pivot out back.


Should we call that half-mullet, with full mullet being disc for the "business" end?


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