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ARE BRAKES COMING BACK?! - THE ECLAT SNIPER LEVER

Read what brakey boy Yuma Oshimo had to say on. the subject.

21 Nov 2023

Photos courtesy of éclat and Yossy Tomotaka

For the brake check set, the redesigned éclat Sniper lever is created for dead-on accuracy. Cold forged, for a stronger, stiffer lever, the Sniper is the gold standard of stopping devices and will stand up to the grip of the strongest hand. Not only that, it looks fantastic doing it. Get acquainted and then see what éclat's Japanese brakey boy Yuma Oshimo had to say about it.

"The first goal was to create a fully cold-forged 1pc lever, rather than casting like most BMX brands use. The cold-forging process creates a much stiffer, stronger and durable lever capable of withstanding more impacts and fatigue than your average lever.

The second goal was to create a more modern and contoured shape with the body and the blade which would fit your hands better and feel better on tricks where your hands come off the bars. By using a hingeless clamp we were able to not only make a slimmer and ergonomic shape, but massively increase the overall strength and durability of the lever itself as there are no more critical breakpoints or areas which can be over-tightened.

Available with a medium-shaped lever blade in both Right and Left side options, the new Sniper lever is a new éclat classic." - éclat

SPECS

Material: 6061-T6 alloy cold forged

Colors: black

Features
• fully re-designed
• ergonomic low-profile shape
• cold-forged for superior strength
• perfect shaped lever geometry
• improved knuckle space

MORE INFO

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YUMA OSHIMO INTERVIEW

In a time where most riders are brakeless, why do you choose to ride brakes?

Riding brakes simply gives me more freedom and more trick choices and helps me learn some new techniques. I started using brakes in the beginning just to be safe since I was always on the road and using my bike to travel from place to place. Then I started to watch more and more videos and see photos from the 2000s when everyone rode a brake, and I was fascinated by brake tricks like fufanus, so I keep using them to try and learn as many brake tricks as I could. Once I started using the brakes, I found something new, and I keep using the brakes because it makes it possible to do things that I could never do without the brakes. For me it’s just more fun and allows your riding to evolve further.

What do you like about the Sniper Lever?

I like the bracket/clamp shape the most. The hinge/clamp on most brake levers is always larger than the grip diameter, which hurt me when I hit my fingers and when I took my hands off for Barspins. On the new Sniper Lever, the bracket is about the same diameter as the grips and also narrower, so I can ride without stress and without finger pain. This for me is such a good feature and makes the place where I put my hands some much forgiving.

What features makes this lever special?

This thing is strong! It features cold-forged manufacturing for strength and durability. While in Europe over the summer, I hit my old brake lever on a ledge and broke it off the hinge of the bracket. I'm very glad to see the increased strength and durability on the new Sniper Lever, because if I ever broke a lever it was always on the hinge part.

Why is having a good feeling brake lever so important

I think that having the right feeling brake and lever is one of the most important things for any riders who are using brakes. It's hard to put into words, but I think it's similar to pedal preference or grip preference - it can change the way your bike feels so much as it’s a contact point. I often do tricks by using two fingers on the brake lever, and the new Sniper Lever has a wider lever and gives you more room between your knuckles and the trigger part which helps with this greatly. For me this is the best feeling brake setup I’ve ever had.

So safe to say the brakes are staying on?

For sure! The brake is one of the most important parts that make up a BMX, I can't imagine a bike without them!