The last big step forward in terms of cycling brakes was certainly the disc brake, which has now become standard and is even used on low-priced bicycles. So where does the journey lead when it comes to the next innovation?
Just as with automobiles, the anti-lock braking system (ABS) could find its way into bicycles in the near future, especially since the trend towards e-bikes means that both the conditions and the benefits match: These bikes already offer an integrated power system, which is necessary for the ABS; in addition, e-bikes are usually driven at higher speeds and therefore require a safe braking system. And especially in urban environments, the brake is used particularly frequently due to the large number of road users and traffic lights.
ABS, as the name suggests, prevents the wheels from locking — which in the case of bicycles is especially true for the front wheel. If the front wheel comes to a standstill during emergency braking, a fall over the handlebars is usually unavoidable. But this is exactly where the anti-lock braking system comes in and prevents the wheel from locking. In this way, the bike remains controllable and a fall over the handlebars can be avoided.
The Italian company blubrake has made a name for itself as the developer of the first and only ABS for e-bikes integrated into the frame. One advantage of this integration is of course that you don’t have to make any compromises when designing the bike. How well the blubrake ABS can be integrated into an e-bike can now be seen in the new Stromer ST5 ABS. The bike will be released in June 2021 and – as with all Stromer models – it is a fast S-pedelec with a speed of up to 45 km/h. Visually, the ST5 ABS remains almost identical to the well-known Stromer ST5, only the ABS indicator in the integrated Stromer display gives an indication of the integrated anti-lock braking system.
The ST5 ABS is the first S-pedelec with integrated blubrake ABS – and you don’t have to be a prophet to predict that many more e-bikes will surely follow this trend. More information about the antilock braking system can be found on blubrake’s website, about the new ST5 ABS on Stromer’s website.
