Tririg has launched the new, ultra-powerful Omega One brake with a redesigned aero shape that could make your bike faster just by fitting one.
Having lived with a Tririg Omega X brake for the last five years, we’re huge fans of the design, so when Tririg founder and product designer Nick Salazar let us know about a new Omega One model, we were keen to find out as much as possible.
Available now for $194.99, the Tririg Omega One was designed to take everything great about the Omega X and improve on it to the point where Tririg says it’s actually faster running a bike with the brake than without.
Design
For the Omega One, Tririg started from scratch, redesigning the mechanics for improved strength and modulation while also overhauling the brake’s aerodynamics with a new holistic approach.
As opposed to bringing individual parts together to create a whole as before, with the Omega One everything from the body to callipers and even the cable stop has been sculpted for superior aerodynamics.
This single-shape design also means that the brake is not only aero and stunningly beautiful but also better protected from adverse weather – the rollers, spring and other moving parts all hidden away even on the underside.
On top of that, every fastener is either titanium or stainless steel for maximum corrosion resistance – details that show the care and attention that goes into every one of the brand’s products.
The vast majority of the Omega One’s components are CNC-machined from aircraft-grade T6 aluminium and Tririg also says the tolerances have been tightened up throughout, likening the brake’s construction to that of a fine watch.
Practicality
While Tririg has shaved away as much of the brake as possible to maximise aerodynamic efficiency, that doesn’t mean the brand’s usual common-sense approach to practicality has been lost.
The brake pads can still be easily accessed and the brake shoes and pad distance independently adjusted from the outside. Meanwhile, the magnetic faceplate can be whipped off in a second for adjusting the cable.
What’s more, the all-important rollercam wedge – which the cable pulls upward to actuate the brake arms – can even be popped out when travelling with your bike so the brake remains perfectly adjusted on reassembly at your destination.
Adding yet more practicality, Tririg has ensured that the brake will accommodate the largest road wheel setups on the market – taking rims up to 30mm wide and plenty of clearance for larger road tyres. This means it’ll work on any rim-brake bike – single-bolt or direct-mount – whether up front, on the seatstay bridge or under the BB. In the latter case, there are no fouling issues with crankarm power meters, either.
Aero performance
The brake was tested in the San Diego Low-Speed Wind Tunnel to validate Tririg’s CFD modelling process, the outcome being that it’s not only the fastest Omega brake ever but actually faster than having no brake at all.
Tririg tested the Omega One on its own Omni tri bike as well as its go-to baseline bike, a Cervelo P3. The brand reports that the results were extremely consistent despite the radically different bike designs with the Omega One making both bikes faster to almost the same extent.
If you want even more free speed, the Omega One is also compatible with Tririg’s Delta cover.
Check out Tririg’s in-depth Omega One Wind Tunnel Report for more information on how the brake’s aero performance stacks up.
Omega One vs. Disc Brakes
The elephant in the room is the disc brake: why make a new rim brake when the tri bike world seems to be moving on to discs?
Tririg’s Nick Salazar tackles this one head-on in the Omega One’s FAQs: “Disc brakes are simply not optimal for triathlon or TT bikes. The move to disc brakes is, sadly an industry-forced change that does not materially benefit most athletes.
“Omega One is as strong as any brake on the market, with enough power to easily lock up your wheel, and modulation so subtle that you can easily control how much of that power to use. Moreover, no disc brake will ever be able to compete with the aero performance of Omega One, not only due to the calliper itself, but the addition of the disc rotor, and the extra spokes necessary to support it.
“In short, disc brakes are less aero, heavier, and no better performing. A properly-installed Omega One will outperform any disc brake on the market, full stop (pun intended).”
Bottom Line
The Omega One promises even more impressive power and modulation than its predecessor, also upping the ante in the aerodynamics stakes to make any bike faster.
In short, the Omega One is a seriously tempting alternative to upgrading to a disc-equipped tri bike – saving weight, money and drag while giving back the incredible braking performance the Omega range is famed for.
