{"id":181592,"date":"2026-09-06T15:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T06:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelug.com\/blog\/?post_type=review-global&p=181592"},"modified":"2026-09-06T15:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T06:19:15","slug":"tips-when-installing-the-barely-there-brake-booster","status":"publish","type":"review-global","link":"https:\/\/bluelug.com\/blog\/review-global\/tips-when-installing-the-barely-there-brake-booster\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips When Installing The Barely There Brake Booster"},"content":{"rendered":"

I got the Barely There Brake Booster for one of my bikes! Look how beautiful it looks.<\/p>\n

\"OMM<\/a><\/p>\n

EVOO<\/a> \u00d7 Motolite<\/a> \u00d7 Brake Booster<\/a> (Shovel Research)\u00a0 a pretty irresistible combination.<\/p>\n

A brake booster is a part designed to reduce the reaction force transferred to the frame when you apply the brakes.<\/p>\n

The arch helps keep the frame from flexing outward under braking.<\/p>\n

So the obvious question is: does it actually make a difference?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Swift<\/a><\/p>\n

With disc brakes being so common these days, I\u2019ve still spent all this time riding alongside everyone on rim brakes.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken them out into the mountains and on forest roads, ridden MTB parks, and even raced around the wilds of Hakuba Village in pouring rain at OMM<\/p>\n

\"OMM<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Go<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m usually the one behind the camera, so the worse the conditions get, the fewer photos there are of me. But I\u2019ve ridden in all kinds of environments, through rain like this, through plenty of mud, and pretty much everything in between.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Go<\/a><\/p>\n

So, do they actually make a difference?<\/p>\n

At the risk of being misunderstood, here\u2019s my completely honest take:<\/p>\n

The EVOO \u00d7 Motolite setup already works so well and has more than enough braking power on its own, so I didn\u2019t feel any dramatic improvement from adding the brake booster.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say the booster didn\u2019t work. If anything, it says more about just how good the EVOO \u00d7 Motolite combination already is.<\/p>\n

Ron’s EVOO also has an aluminum frame with a steel fork, so there isn\u2019t a whole lot of flex to begin with. I think that\u2019s another reason why the benefits of the booster were harder to notice.<\/p>\n

\"OMM<\/a><\/p>\n

That said, I\u2019m still extremely happy with the EVOO<\/a> \u00d7 Motolite<\/a> \u00d7 Brake Booster<\/a> (SHOVEL RESEARCH) setup.<\/p>\n

A big part of that satisfaction may simply come from the excitement I get from the design of their products.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s also one undeniable fact: even when I\u2019m riding in a group where everyone else is on disc brakes, I can keep up without feeling like my brakes are holding me back at all.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re riding a frame that feels noticeably more flexible, I\u2019d imagine the benefits of a brake booster would be much easier to feel than they were for me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Now, about the Motolite<\/a> \u00d7 Brake Booster<\/a>\u00a0setup.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one small thing to keep in mind when installing it, so I\u2019ll leave a quick note here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before fitting the Brake Booster<\/a> to the Motolite, take a moment to appreciate the SHOVEL RESEARCH name etched into the underside of this ultra-thin booster.<\/p>\n

Once it\u2019s installed, this part is almost completely hidden from view. So this is pretty much your one chance to really admire it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

or installation, the brake itself and the booster are fastened together using the bolts circled in red.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also need the following hardware:<\/p>\n