Intend's New Trinity Brake System Hides High-Tech Features
Intend BC manufactures quality, boutique components like inverted single-crown forks and freewheeling crank systems in Freiburg, Germany. Their latest creation is the Trinity Brake System, which is a machined 4-piston caliper that features high-tech functions with two models, one for trail/enduro riding and another for downhill racing with cooling fins. The brakes run on mineral oil, use black titanium bolts, and feature a free-spinning master cylinder hose connection.
One of the major design features of the Trinity brakes is their minimal dead stroke that uses a 46:1 leverage ratio. The lever itself pivots on four bearings and has a massive range of reach. A single pinch bolt attaches the lever to the bar and has space to accommodate SRAM’s MatchMaker connector for other controls. The hose entry is protected behind the pivot and a trick connection allows for 360 degrees of rotation to best avoid damage.
The two-piece caliper is CNC’d from 7075 aluminum, housing four 17mm pistons and contains a banjo fitting with an adjustable angle. Cleverly, Intend offsets the depth at which the seals on each side of the caliper sit, rather than using a bigger piston in the front than the rear in order to create a consistent brake pressure and even pad wear. In total, the Trinity enduro system weighs 244g while the DH version is just 13g more, including the lever and 85mm hose.
Then there’s also the “Painless” technology developed for easy fitment, bleeding, and piston alignment. Intend BC founder, Cornelius Kapfinger, explains in full detail with this in-depth look at the brake architecture. As for the Refrigerator cooling fins, they mount around the forward piston, so rattling noises shouldn’t be an issue. The fin itself protrudes towards the front of the pad where the generated heat is highest.
The price ranges from €798 – €903 (excluding VAT/UST) per pair, depending on which brake mount and pad options you choose from. The bleed kit, oil, spare seals, piston spacer, and standard “White Magic” SRAM-size pads are included in that base price. The “Refrigerator” option with cooling fins and Intend’s brake mounts can be purchased for €37 and €14 per caliper. Rotors will have to be purchased separately.
A first production run has already sold out from Intend-bc.com, but a second batch of fifty sets is said to be on its way and ready for sale in two to three months.
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If they made them in chrome/raw though....ask me again!
I rather think they're priced based on what trickstuff brakes go for.
so proportionally the brakes are less of a mark up than their forks are (Using top end sram products as an equivalent).
I guess that makes sense. F*ck me those code rsc's seem a rip off!
Well, Kapfinger did use to work at Trickstuff, and the pricing is similar
If they could make this brake in a production oriented design with all the same features for half that price, I'd buy it; and so would many others.
#myTRPbrakesworkfine
I mean Code RSCs are probably the best and most reliable mass-market brakes out there so I'm fine with it.
Do you know what machine time is worth on a CNC?
raw materials, finishing, protective coating, packaging, etc?
Do you have an understanding of what those costs are for a small company?
I'm guessing you want to be paid a decent wage for the work you do, so do you understand the costs involved with manpower, benefits, rentals/mortgages, electricity, etc?
People are free to make, and price things as they see fit, the market gets to decide if its successful or not
And so I run Hopes..with trickstuff mounts ;-) ..never looked back tho I might look sideways at trickstuff and Intend brake sets often....
The prices and lead times are just off the charts..maybe if I was 20 yrs younger...
Far from shitty nevertheless
I do think they are market priced and fair play to intend that they have the kudos to pull it off.
Not 900 euros.
I'm sure intend will be successful at these prices though.
I'm not bitching....its just remarkable it hasn't raised more eyebrows.
But I will not need them.
And I travelled Nepal and stuff like that.
It's just a shimano / sram Problem. ;-)
When I rode Shimano Saint, it didn't need to be done for 3-4 years.
We can agree to disagree then. If you ride regularly you should be servicing your calipers that frequently regardless of brand.
Also Saints are well known for leaking oil out of the pistons so they're hardly a reliable benchmark.
I had to assume you were the cleaner at an engineering/manufacturing company or one of those people who listens to engineers talk then goes and tells someone higher up the chain of command the exact opposite of what the engineer meant.
monoblocs are cheaper to manufacture are they?
Not expressing an opinion about whether monobloc are better or not. Just how much these intends might cost to make.
Hope and Intend are at very different places in terms of scale, and production levels, but clearly you already know that.
Still i would get them just to test them they look so proper.
Sure from Walmart, maybe they even threw in some discounted lunch meat
...i run advent x and a intend edge!
The big issue with most expensive parts in MTB is that you are not getting any additional value.
youtu.be/_79juE8JBa0
The run through of them is worth the watch too.
You what? Please tell me this was written by a marketing guy, cos it makes zero sense...
I want to hear about the durability of the master piston etc, what coatings they use?
I have to say though for AU$350 (€215) for two sets, Shimano's MT520s are f*cking insane
Lots of numbers and "features". Do any of them matter?
What's a "normal" ratio? Why does it need 4 bearings when it's only taking the load from one finger? Lots of brakes use a single bolt for the clamp, so what? When would the hose being able to twist 360 degrees at the lever ever save it from damage?
Some people swap every single component on their eebs themselves. And do their own suspension mods/rebuilds because they love bikes - for longer than some donut lovers have been alive. Just sayin.
Hopefully you'll be rippin when you're in your 60's. The TQ eebs are gonna be something. To each his own. Fully rigid in the 80's sucked. But it was fun too, we just didn't know any better. The older eeb groups in my neck of the woods tear it up. Santa Cruz too. Pre storms, ugh. Ride On!
In the video, he mentions the offset seals as a way to get bigger pistons into a smaller package (that won't interfere with current/common forks and adapters). And it makes space for the cooling fin. Says _nothing_ about consistent pressure or pad wear.
Seems the name of the villain of a new Bond movie
More like Sturdy cranks and 5dev stems....
I did a winter ride on some Saints that developed "minimal dead stroke" and almost died a few times.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_79juE8JBa0&t=1302s&ab_channel=IntendBicycleComponents
If you don't like the soft feel of the lever afterwards you can find a plug (thank you Amazon!) for next to nothing which after bleeding the lever and installing the plug returns a firmer feel to the lever similar to the rear.