The Lewis BB2-Ti is a titanium dual-piston flat mount brake caliper that weighs 76g. A Dura-Ace caliper is around 97g without pads. That’s 20g per caliper from a part most people never think to swap. I’ve been running them on my Aethos build and they work, but the braking is noticeably worse than Shimano.
Overview
Weights are per caliper, without pads.
| Lewis BB2-Ti | Trickstuff C22 | Shimano Dura-Ace (BR-R9270) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (per caliper) | ~76g | ~81g | ~97g |
| Price (per caliper) | ~$119 | ~€300 | ~$190 |
The Trickstuff C22 is the obvious lightweight alternative. Only 5g heavier, brakes better by most accounts, but nearly triple the price. The Lewis is the cheapest and lightest of the three.
The braking problem
The stock pads squealed like crazy on longer descents. I swapped to SRAM pads which quieted them down, but the braking itself is still the issue. The lever feel is very on/off. There’s not much between “not braking” and “braking hard.” Shimano brakes are way more progressive. You can feather them. These, not so much.
They overheat on long descents too. If you’re dragging brakes in the mountains, these will fade. On flat criteriums or shorter climbs it’s fine, but on anything with real elevation it’s a concern.
Pad clearance is another problem. One of the selling points of 12-speed Dura-Ace was improved pad clearance over the previous generation — less rub, more forgiving of rotors that aren’t perfectly true. The Lewis goes in the opposite direction. Any minor warp or wheel flex out of the saddle and you’ll get pad rub. I noticed it on hard efforts right away. Your rotors need to be close to perfect or you’ll be chasing noise every ride.
Setup notes
- Pad compatibility: The BB2-Ti uses the SRAM road pad shape, same as SRAM Red, Force, and Rival AXS. Shimano L03A/L05A pads won’t fit — different form factor entirely. The stock Lewis pads squeal badly and fade on descents. SRAM organic pads are better but still noisy under heat. Even with the swap, these aren’t reliable on anything with real descending.
- Bleed process: Lewis calipers use mineral oil, same as Shimano. If you’re already on Shimano levers, the bleed process is identical. I had a mechanic swap mine over and it was straightforward.
- Rotor compatibility: Works with both 140mm and 160mm rotors. I’m running them with Galfer Wave rotors in 160/140 front/rear.
- Gold finish: The gold color is paint, not anodization. It has a matte look that won’t match anodized gold parts elsewhere on the bike.
Verdict
Race-day only, and even then only on courses without serious descending. You save 20g per caliper over Dura-Ace, but the on/off lever feel, heat fade, and tight pad clearance add up to a brake that’s genuinely annoying to live with. Hill climb bike or flat crit where you barely touch the brakes? Maybe. Anything else, Dura-Ace brakes better and isn’t much heavier.
The Trickstuff C22 at 81g is probably the smarter call if you can stomach €300 per caliper.
Disclosure: I purchased this with my own money. I have had no communication with the manufacturer and all thoughts/opinions are my own.
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