Bosch Expands ABS For E-bikes With TRP & Tektro

Mar 22, 2023
by Seb Stott  
photo


Bosch seems to believe that ABS will play a big role in the future of e-bikes. In fact, they say that it "will become standard on high-quality eBikes", and that, according to their own research, "up to 29 percent of all accidents involving eBikes could be mitigated or completely prevented" with ABS.


Their ABS system prevents both front-wheel lock-up and rear-wheel lift (and therefore reduces the likelihood of crashing or going over the bars). It involves a speed sensor on the front wheel and a controller mounted to the fork which modulates the front brake pressure. There are four software modes for Cargo, Touring, Allroad and Trail. The Trail mode is designed for e-MTB and interferes less, allowing more rear-wheel-lift and more aggressive braking. Judging by the above video, it's still possible to endo.

photo

We've seen the system on e-MTBs before, but so far, it's only been available with Magura brakes. Now Bosch are working with Tektro and their high-end arm, TRP, to expand their offerings for eMTB.

It's only compatible with e-bikes because the system needs power to function. It's not retro-fittable either. The system is already available on 2,346 models from 46 manufacturers.

Bosch say the first models with the Bosch eBike ABS and Tektro brake components are expected to be available from the third quarter of 2023.



Posted In:
eMTB Reviews and Tech First Looks Brakes Bosch


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58 Comments
  • 62 0
 I too am expanding my abs
  • 2 2
 underrated comment =)
  • 5 0
 I'm taking a page out of Scott's playbook and actively working on hiding my abs
  • 34 7
 ...getting very close to uh...not calling these bikes anymore...right?

motor
autosteering
battery powered shifting
abs
flight assist..

i love motorcycles. I use public scooters all over town...i want to someday own something using those things listed above, but "bikes" i think are things you pedal and steer manually. just how i feel.
  • 10 1
 I'm waiting for ebikes to start coming with 50mm cranks and ultra-wide floorboa...I mean pedals. The pedaling can become an after thought and we can just use our feet as a trigger. Honestly I don't think the MTB community is ready.
  • 2 0
 @WaterBear: That's a super 73....
  • 7 0
 What a ridiculous idea, for mountain biking this would be terrible, what if I want to do a nose wheelie or lock my front wheel on something steep and technical. If you can’t control brakes on a bicycle you shouldn’t be riding one.
  • 3 1
 Please tell me you shift your own gears in your car, with three pedals and a shift lever.
  • 1 1
 @laerz: If you're breaking traction doing nose wheelies this can help you.
  • 6 1
 @GTscoob: I do, all my vehicles have a manual transmission
  • 1 1
 @boozed: never had a problem doing nose wheelies
  • 1 0
 @GTscoob: I do
  • 2 1
 @boozed: @boozed: If you're breaking traction doing nose wheelies that's a skill issue. You should NOT be breaking traction doing a nose wheelie. That would be like doing a burnout on your bike trying to do a normal wheelie.
  • 5 0
 Good grief was my attempted joke really that confusing?
  • 1 0
 @boozed: I thought you were serious, now I see the humour lol
  • 1 0
 @boozed: I never claimed to be smart
  • 20 1
 Why have two brake levers? Surely one with an ECU to control front and rear brake bias is the next logical step?
  • 2 8
flag Notmeatall FL (Mar 22, 2023 at 5:35) (Below Threshold)
 not that simple! First in some countrys like UK you need at least two ways of braking the bike. Fixed gear and front brake, both brakes, etc. And also you get different properties on the bike behaviour by applying front or rear brake. Yet, I love the idea of front ABS on a bike. I bet that there will be some downhill teams using it this year.
  • 9 1
 @Notmeatall: whoosh
  • 3 0
 @Notmeatall: it was a kind of a half serious/half joke comment really. I'm sure there's plenty of current legislation that would stop a single lever being commercially available but then with all the clever technology that's about it could probably work in a fashion and be of some benefit on a city bike for example. You would likely have load cells & accelerometers which would be sensing the weight distribution over each wheel and could bias the braking to suit. As a mechanical engineer the possibilities are fascinating but as a mountain biker I like simplicity.

I'm not really sure how ABS would offer any benefit on DH race rig or any other mountain bike for that matter. Well set up brakes are easy to modulate with one finger, why do you need electronics?
  • 1 0
 @mojojonah: HAHHAHAAA!
  • 4 0
 @Krustybus: If it could work the exact same as it does in a modern car where you can just hammer the levers and the computers do their thing, that would be brilliant. If it could connect to Flight Attendant it could stiffen the front when you're heavy on the brakes so you only have to worry about getting the tyres to grip. Hell you could probably make an auto wheelie setting if it could connect to a wireless drivetrain.

Bike ECU's are the future. We're f*cked. Please don't read this SRAM.
  • 16 1
 Maybe this will make all the skidding in the videos stop
  • 4 1
 It's only for front brakes. So now twice the back wheel skids.
  • 13 0
 @bigtim: You're supposed to use the front brakes?
  • 6 0
 Maybe not so relevant for PB, but if we're to get serious about replacing our cars with an e-bike/e-cargobike this is a great step forwards. E-bikes as a daily transport are still too clunky and unrefined IMHO.
  • 3 0
 100%. I cringe at this on an eMTB, I rejoice that it will be available to grandmas and teenagers and all the randoms going about their business with little skill or care for bikes.
  • 7 0
 Let's hope the Metaverse arrives soon at least the lovers of these ....... they will all move from the trails to the PC
  • 4 0
 I wonder if these will end up getting banned in racing if pros start to clean up wins with it
  • 4 0
 I reckon it'll be the fact that it has to be on an e-bike that might be more of a concern in an xc race! Big Grin
  • 4 0
 @bigtim: ...all that aggressive xc braking
  • 1 0
 @bigtim: doesn’t have to be an ebike though, but weight and electronics are already sorted for e-bikes, if they can refine that down from what I seen there’s a very big advantage from these for full power front braking
  • 1 0
 @toad321: if you don’t know the breaking point between front wheel grip and front wheel washout maybe you shouldn’t be putting your bicycle skills to the test in a race specifically on the most difficult terrain.

I’d wager that no DH racers have issues “full power braking” in any situation
  • 3 0
 @fewnofrwgijn: lol you can say the same about f1 drivers, yet aids were so effective they had to ban most of them. Sure elites are better than most of us, but there’s no way they can hold a brake at 99% capacity anywhere near as much as a competent computer can
  • 3 0
 Correct me if I'm wrong but dirt bikes don't have ABS, right? And ADV bikes or dual sports typically have ABS that can be disabled. Why would a mountain bike want this?
  • 3 0
 The market for dirt bikes and dualsports is quite different from emtb, particularly the more XC/trail type emtb. Dirt bikes are almost exclusively ridden by enthusiasts who want to get slidey in the dirt and don't mind feeling like they need skills to control the bike (even if they actually don't have the skills) eMtb has a large portion of its riders who just want to go and safely get exercise on gentle trails and definitely don't want to risk skidding and crashing.
  • 3 0
 @Patrick9-32: all the 75 yr olds are gonna need some ice for that sick burn
  • 4 0
 @zmums: knowing the emtb market pretty well, I can say with some confidence the large portion of riders @Patrick9-32 refers to are the 75 year olds who will definitely not be offended at being characterised as risk adverse, and happy to shell out $$ for safety when they "go and safely get exercise on gentle trails and definitely don't want to risk skidding and crashing."

so not really a burn at all?
  • 2 0
 What next auto pedal? Wait that has already been done.
Maybe auto balance will be next. Just wait until Tesla starts making e-bikes, autopilots/full-self riding will be launched.
  • 5 1
 Not in the market for an E-bike, but I really want to try this.
  • 3 0
 I tested the Shimano version at Eurobike. Its insane. You can just mash the brake lever as hard as you can and you just...slow down. I am not sure I like it, but its impressive as heck.
  • 9 1
 @Patrick9-32: can't get metallic pads here because of import restrictions. Running resin pads with metallic rotors, same sensation! Mash hard and.....slow down!
  • 2 0
 I've tried the Bosch ABS system and it is pretty wild. I was in a damp parking lot and rode an e-bike up to speed and smashed the front brake. System was noisy, but I just came to a nice controlled stop with a tiny amount of rear wheel lift. The form factor will get smaller and the system will refine over time, but I'd bet that this will be on bikes in the future. Would be interested to see if SRAM builds their own and integrates it directly into the fork lowers...
  • 4 0
 100%. It interesting for mountain bike but I would LOVE this on the commuter.

How many times have you had to emergency brake in the wet because a car is starting to drift into your lane or someone opens a door in front of you. Would be nice to not have to manage a front wheel slide while also filling your shorts.
  • 2 0
 I see a back to the future business model emerging where you can by a bitch'n bike for less than $2k
  • 1 0
 See airdrop bikes
  • 1 0
 This looks great for sending people over the handlebars when it stops working and the person who was used to just mashing the front brake gets yeeted.
  • 3 2
 Pays extra money for fancy computer. Gets braking performance of old mechanical disc brakes.
  • 4 0
 Not true. ABS (on motorcycles at least) increase braking performance and reduce stopping distance for most riders.

I’m more curious as to who the market is. Likely not for the highly skilled, and likely too expensive for the casual rider. Perfect for E-mtbs I guess.
  • 1 0
 @Lejalapeno: ebikes are not being built "for mountain bikers" they are being built for the logistics of transportation. Every discipline of cycling enthusiast will have an ebike catered towards them, but manufacturers want ebikes to be competitive to autos.
  • 3 0
 @Lejalapeno: On street, yes. Dirt bikes don't have ABS.
  • 1 0
 hum... first thing i do on my car when i wanna have some fun on gravell is taking the abs fuse off...
  • 2 0
 They know their target audience, thats for sure.
  • 1 0
 At what point do we see the introduction of road-side assistance/recovery for ebikes?
  • 2 0
 Save the manuals
  • 1 0
 Is abs a thing in off road moto racing?
  • 2 0
 Wall-E
  • 1 0
 Learn how to use your brakes instead?







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