Just about a year ago, I was openly questioning why anyone would still want to discuss rim brakes. Compared to disc brakes, that older technology simply can’t compete when it comes to reliable stopping power in every kind of weather.
But then I laid eyes on a brand-new rim-brake model from Firefly, and I’m perfectly willing to admit I was mistaken. This is one rim-brake bicycle that absolutely deserves the spotlight.
For starters, the build quality is flawless – a genuine masterpiece of titanium craftsmanship. On top of that, it accommodates tires up to 40mm wide, which makes it a legitimate all-road machine. As Firefly describes it, this bike is built to tackle “Good roads, bad roads, dirt and light gravel.”
What makes this particularly impressive is that Firefly managed to pair that 40mm tire clearance with one of the most refined rim calipers ever produced – Cane Creek’s incredibly light eeBrakes.
So why circle back to rim brakes?
Kevin Wolfson from Firefly explains: “Our goal is always to build the best possible bike for each rider. Custom component selection is a big part of that.
“Disc brakes will continue to be the right choice for most people. But we think there’s still real value in good rim brakes for some riders, particularly people who prioritise the simplicity and classic design of rim brakes, especially if we could use rim brakes while still offering the versatility that comes with bigger tyre clearance. We realised designing and building a new Ti fork gave us the opportunity to fill that gap. So we went for it.”
The All Road isn’t merely a custom titanium frame paired with fancy brakes – there’s far more engineering involved. Firefly wasn’t confident in off-the-shelf quick-release skewers for either the frame or the titanium fork. So the company created its own proprietary thru-axles, along with custom 3D-printed dropouts at both the front and rear.
Modern performance, vintage spirit
Although the bike carries a nostalgic vibe, it works with contemporary drivetrains thanks to Growtac’s Control brake levers. These levers skip the hydraulics while remaining compatible with Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS, and there’s even an option for Campagnolo mechanical groupsets.
The bottom bracket uses a 68mm BSA standard, though T47 is also available. Buyers can opt for internal brake and Di2 routing, and a 3D-printed chainstay yoke is offered to boost drivetrain rigidity. Rack, fender and pump peg mounts come at no additional charge.
As with every titanium frame Firefly produces, the All Road features the company’s signature adaptive butted tubing and a three-piece tapered head tube. Firefly provides fully bespoke geometry and tube selection tailored to each rider’s requirements.
I asked Wolfson about choosing eeBrakes – specifically, a modified version of the lightweight, premium ee unit that Brompton uses, since small-wheeled Bromptons typically have larger tire diameters than 700c rim-brake bikes.
He explains: “It is very important to us that the bike really performs well. It isn’t just a throwback bike for the sake of using older components, so we wanted to build it around brakes that we knew would work consistently, yet be easy to set up and adjust.”
Another recent Firefly custom build was designed around Paul Components’ minimalist Racer V-style brakes.
Nobody was requesting this
When I asked Wolfson what kind of demand he anticipated for the rim-brake All Road, he was candid. “We honestly had not seen any specific demand for this bike. No one was asking for it,” he says.
That’s precisely what draws me to this exquisitely built machine. I’ve always admired brands that create bikes simply because they feel inspired to. It’s the same reason I own oddities like Cannondale’s Slate and the Sven Cycles Swift – both are bikes their makers genuinely wanted to build rather than products designed to fill a gap in the market.
Kevin adds: “At the very least we wanted it for ourselves, and we knew it would be a fun project. We thought that some people would be interested, of course. But we had no idea how positive the response would be. It really seems like there is a hunger for a bike like this that prioritises simplicity and versatility.”
If the Firefly All Road catches your interest, frames are built entirely to order starting at $7,200. Paired with the matching titanium fork, complete custom builds begin at approximately $10,000.
