German company Tr!ckstuff showed off the clever Doppelmoppel, a mechanical-to-hydraulic converter that allows 'cross riders to pair their current levers with hydraulic disc brake callipers (James Huang)

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The UCI's unexpected announcement to allow disc brakes on cyclo-cross bikes has caught many manufacturers off-guard but smaller outfits such as Germany's Tr!ckstuff have been quick to develop interim solutions for those fortunate enough to have compatible frames.

The new Doppelmoppel straps underneath the stem and incorporates two small master cylinders, each actuated with mechanical arms to which the conventional brake cables are anchored. Hydraulic lines feed off from there to the respective callipers and it's then business as usual but with far more powerful and controllable braking than typical cantilevers. 

The CNC-machined prototypes that were on display were a little chunky looking and it'd be nice to have a more elegant method of stem attachment than a couple of black rubber straps. But with that being said, it seems to work (we weren't able to test ride the setup) and it isn't as heavy as we'd have thought at just 160g for the bare unit without fluid, hoses or other fittings. 

The folks at Tr!ckstuff tell us that they expect the final production version to shed another 50g or so, and it'll likely take on a more shapely form by then too.  Testing will continue through this 'cross season and Tr!ckstuff hope to have the Doppelmoppel available for sale sometime in the winter for about €190, not including hoses, fittings and callipers.

Tr!ckstuff will offer their Doppelmoppel in various anodised colours (and with a tidier appearance) when it becomes available later this winter

Tr!ckstuff say the Doppelmoppel will work with a wide range of disc brake callipers including popular models from Shimano, Hope, Magura, Avid and Formula, although braking power, modulation and feel will obviously vary with the wide range of piston diameters encompassed in that list.

Not surprisingly, the Doppelmoppel will work best with Tr!ckstuff's own Cleg2 two-piece callipers, made of CNC-machined aluminium and available in nine different anodised colours. The company have also revamped their Cleg4 four-piston calliper design, shedding a few grams while also increasing stiffness for better feel and power.

Tr!ckstuff paired their clever Doppelmoppel with their own Cleg2 two-piston calliper body

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