Omega - F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are the brakes available individually?
    Yes. Every Omega brake is sold as a single unit.

  • Is the Omega One available as a rear brake?
    Yes. Every Omega sold includes hardware to mount it as either a front or rear brake.

  • Is the Omega One compatible with my bike?
    Please see the compatibility page for general reference. If your bike isn't on this chart, check to see whether your bike uses a standard road brake caliper (Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo). If it does, your bike is probably compatible.

  • Is the Omega One compatible with my wheel?
    The short answer is yes. The Omega One brake was designed with a very wide range of adjustability, and is compatible with virtually every road bike rim on the market today. It can be used with traditional narrow rims (19mm), wide rims like Zipp Firecrest (27mm), and everything in between. And you don't have to modify your brake pads, because the Omega can open to 32mm when using full-size, 6mm-tall brake pads.

  • What is the weight?
    The Omega weighs 142g, complete with brake pads. Weight has not changed since the previous version. This is actual weight on our gram-accurate scale. It's a very light caliper.

  • How strong is the brake? Is it comparable to other rim brakes like those from Shimano/SRAM/Campagnolo?
    Omega One brakes have passed the world's most rigorous braking safety tests, from CEN and CPSC, with flying colors. They are proven performers in both dry and wet conditions, both on the front and rear of a bicycle. They have been ridden down the steep descents of the Rocky Mountains successfully and without issue. Thay have more than enough power to lock up a wheel, and can modulate that power with ease, going from a light feather to a fast emergency stop with ease.

  • How aerodynamic is Omega One? Do you have any data?
    We've collected quite a bit of data regarding the Omega's prototype forms, using that data to improve the design along the way. It's truly a wind-tunnel-developed product. For all the data and our corresponding article on the original Omega, see the Omega White Paper.

    Omega One is also the fastest brake we have ever developed. While it is not substantially faster than its predecessor, it is faster across all yaw angles by a small amount. And it achieves that feat while offering all of the other improvements over our earlier models such as improved strength and modulation, improved tire clearance, increased pad reach, improved weather sealing, and more. This is, truly, the pinnacle of aero braking.

  • I've heard most new bikes are moving to disc brakes. How does Omega One compare to disc brakes?
    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 caliper 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).

  • How do I install the Omega X? Do I have to use the integrated cable hanger? Do I have to use a steerer tube hanger? What comes with the brake?
    Please see the installation page via the tab above. Omega comes with everything you need to install the brake.

  • What kind of brake pads does the Omega use?
    The Omega's integrated pad holders use full-size Shimano/SRAM-compatible brake pads. This means you can use any standard pad from SwissStop, Kool Stop, ENVE, Zipp, etc. Each Omega comes stock with Kool Stop Salmon pads, the industry-best pad for use on alloy rims. For carbon rims, we recommend buying SwissStop Black Prince pads from your local bike shop.

  • Do the brake pads have any toe adjustment?
    No. Toe adjustment was eliminated from the Omega for a couple reasons. First and foremost, eliminating toe adjustment allowed the brake to get slimmer by about 6-8mm, saving a significant amount of frontal area. Second, toe adjustment is usually unnecessary. Toe adjustment is an attempt to solve the (relatively rare) problem of pad squealing, which is caused by arm flex in the direction of the wheel's rotation. However, with stiffer brake arms, squealing usually isn't a problem, and the Omega's arms are some of the stiffest there are. From front to back, they have more material than most brakes, and therefore have very little flex.

  • Can I use a third-party pad holder if I want to achieve toe-in adjustment?
    The official answer is no. TriRig does not condone or recommend the installation of third-party pad holders, because the Omega was not designed to hold them, and therefore they may present a safety concern. It may be possible to mount a third-party pad holder, but you do so at your own risk.

  • What is the best way to do fast tire changes? Can I install a barrel adjuster, or use a brake lever with an integrated barrel adjuster or quick release?
    Do NOT use a barrel adjuster with the Omega. This essentially deploys the brake, ruins the aerodynamic profile, and limits the brake throw. But the modern trend is for road bike rim widths to exceed tire widths, meaning you can remove the wheel without adjusting the brake stance, and so a quick release is unnecessary. For narrow rims, you have several options. First, you could simply set the Omega One wider than your tires, and use its long travel to allow braking performance and easy tire removal. On the other hand, if you want to keep your pads closer to the rim AND still use a large tire, you can either use the set screw adjusters to gain clearance whenever you want to switch wheels, or leave the brake as is, and simply deflate the tire when changing wheels.

Fit Guide

This Guide shows you how to set up your TriRig Omni with the TriRig Alpha One or Alpha X aerobars. This Guide can help you replicate your current bike position, or set up your bike based on numbers from a bike fitter. The Fit Chart below shows the actual X/Y coordinates of your arm pads measured from the bottom bracket. This coordinate is the most important number that bike fitters use to determine your position on a triathlon bike. Be aware that some fitters use a coordinate to the top/back of the pad, rather than the top/center. In that case, you can subtract 44mm from all of the reach numbers in the Fit Chart, which yields the back of pad number. The steps below provide an easy-to-follow system for making sure you have the perfect fit with your Omni.

Step 1: Determine your current fit numbers

What we want is the X/Y coordinate to the top/center of your aerobar pads, measured from the bottom bracket. Most bike fitters can provide this number to you when performing a bike fit (although some provide it to the top/back of the pads rather than top/center). If you already know these numbers, you can skip this step. Otherwise, follow the steps below to determine these numbers for your current bike setup:

1-Place your bicycle up against the corner of a room, with the back tire abutting the wall.

2-Next, measure the vertical distance from the floor to the center of the bottom bracket. We'll call this measurement Floor Offset (FO).

3-Measure the horizontal distance from the wall to the center of the bottom bracket, we'll call this measurement Wall Offset (WO).

4-Measure the vertical distance from the floor to the top of your aerobar pads. This measurement will be Pads-To-Floor (PTF).

5-Measure the horizontal distance from the wall to the center of your aerobar pads. This will be called Pads-To-Wall (PTW).

6-Subtract Floor Offset from Pads-To-Floor (PTF minus FO). This is your Pad Stack.

7-Subtract Wall Offset from Pads-To-Wall (PTW minus WO). This is your Pad Reach.

Step 2: Review Frame Geometry

Small Medium Large
Frame Stack
(BB to Headset)		 490mm 525mm 560mm
Frame Reach
(BB to Headset)		 375mm 405mm 435mm
Front Center 560mm 600mm 640mm
Rear Center 400mm 400mm 400mm
Seat Angle 79° 79° 79°
Head Angle 72.5° 72.5° 72.5°
Fork Offset 48mm 48mm 48mm

Step 3: Select Size, then find your position on the chart

The chart below shows the stack and reach information for the TriRig Omni with the included Alpha X aerobar, complete with the number of extension spacers and stem spacers used for each setup. Here's how to use the chart:

1-Use the dropdown box in the upper-right corner of the chart to select a bike size.

2-Find your Stack in the left-hand column of the chart, or the row that most closely matches your stack. Every cell in this row represents a way to set up the Alpha X on your Omni that will produce this stack number.

3-Each cell states the amount of Pad Spacers as well as Stem Spacers to use in order to hit your stack number.

4-In most cases, there will be multiple cells that can hit your stack. The best setup for your position will generally be the one with additional colored cells above AND below your selected cell. These cells represent room to move up or down in the future, merely by adding or removing Pad Spacers, which is generally the easiest way to make a position change.

5-Cells in blue represent a standard setup with the extensions over the bar. Cells in green represent the special undermount position, where the extensions are mounted below the bar.

6-Once you have selected a cell from your Stack row that represents your preferred position, look at the bottom of that column to the Reach section. The three rows of Reach cells show the reach to the center of the pad based on the three different adjustment positions available on the Alpha X arm cups. Select the one that most closely matches your Pad Reach number, and set up your pads/cups accordingly.

7-Note that fit numbers for the Omni w/ Alpha X are measured from the top/center of the headset to the top/center of the pad. All measurements for overmount hardware include the integrated BTA mount.