This aftermarket brake upgrade promises to stretch bleed intervals and adds contact adjustment to more brakes

At Crankworx last month I got a chance to check out Cascade Components’ Brake Adjuster, a new aftermarket upgrade that promises to reduce brake bleed frequency while also adding contact point adjustment to brakes that don’t have it and offering a more even feel between the front and rear brakes.

The Cascade Components Brake Adjuster essentially acts as an expansion to the brake reservoir that adds pressure to the system. The reservoir on a brake system is at the lever, and holds excess oil to replace any air that will inevitably get into the system. The air should, in an ideal world, make its way up to the reservoir, taking itself out of the system. When the lever is pulled, the master cylinder cuts off the reservoir so it only compresses brake fluid and not any air that might be in there, meaning no lever squish. However, air in the system doesn’t always make it up to the reservoir, and some often remains in the lines/caliper. With me so far?

The brake adjuster acts as a reservoir extension that is bled as part of the system, and has a dial that adds pressure to an IFP (internal floating piston) that pressurizes the whole brake system. Cascade Components say that the adjuster allows you to add 15psi to the brake lines, which reduces any air in the system by half the size, effectively giving you a better bleed and a less squishy lever. Adding more than 15psi will start to actuate the pistons, which not the intended effect, does help to even out the feel of the front/rear brake due to longer hose lengths. This can also reduce the lever throw.

Currently in development for SRAM Maven, TRP DHR EVO, and Hayes Dominion brakes, the main feature of the brake adjuster then, is to be able to stretch out your bleed intervals and keep the brakes feeling fresher for longer, as well as adding a contact adjust to brakes that wouldn’t otherwise have them. The main difference between this and the stock contact adjust to a SRAM brake is that the contact adjust doesn’t actually add pressure to the system, it simply advances the piston down the master cylinder so that it’s further into the stroke when the lever is pulled.

For those that run those TRP or Hayes brakes that otherwise have excellent power and modulation but lack contact point adjustment to compensate for pad wear and bleed, the Cascade Components Brake Adjuster could be a nifty upgrade.

Look for the Cascade Components Brake Adjuster to hit the market soon. When questioned about potentially releasing a full lever to go with their brake calipers, they hinted at that being the next step, so stay tuned.

Transmission derailleur cage upgrade

Cascade Components is also offering a replacement derailleur cage for SRAM Eagle Transmission derailleurs. Despite SRAM’s best efforts to produce an indestructible drivetrain, people are inevitably still damaging their cages, and compromising their shifting. SRAM has helpfully made the Transmission derailleurs fully rebuildable. However, the cages are still produced from stamped aluminum. While robust, they’re not fool-proof.

The Cascade Components Transmission derailleur cage is produced from CNC’d billet aluminum, which is radically different to the stock cage. Its single-sided design allows more strength to be built into one side, and a 10g weight penalty is presumably the result of additional material to aid strengthening. The triangular cutouts in the cage clearly show where strength has been deliberately engineered into the cage. They say it’s dramatically stronger than the stock cage. However, it is roughly twice the price of a stock X0 cage assembly, and this one doesn’t include the clutch.

Oversize pulley wheels increase efficiency in the chain while still allowing for the same chain length as the stock cage thanks to a shorter overall cage length. The upshot is better ground clearance, hopefully meaning fewer rock strikes. The outer part of the cage at the lower pulley is also replaceable, since that’s the part that tends to see the most damage. It ain’t cheap, but the construction appears top-notch, and if it saves a cage or two then it’s worth it, right?

Kinematic progression

For a small company, Cascade Components has had a sizable impact on the mountain bike industry. Based in Everett, Washington, the brand started manufacturing aftermarket linkages for the Santa Cruz Nomad in 2019, and since then they’ve expanded their lineup considerably. Today Cascade Components produces aftermarket links for bikes from 13 different brands, as well as brake components, drivetrain components, chain guides and more, all CNC’d in house.

After leading the charge on the trend toward more progressive leverage curves for popular bike models, it’s no surprise that they wound up designing the kinematics for Crestline‘s range of bikes. We’ll certainly keep an eye on Cascade Components to see what they come up with next.