To brakes from one lever

[GrumpyGregry]

Moto Guzzi motorcycles have linked brakes, where the pedal operates front+rear disc, but the handlebar lever operates the second disc on the front, so you can balance front/rear braking. I think some tandems have a similar arrangement with two cables operated from one lever?

edit: some suggestions on the ctc site:

http://www.ctc.org.u...aspx?TabID=3804

guzzi linked brakes are split with a differential master cycling iirc 70 percent front 30 percent rear.

and the first mod anyone every does on a guzzi is to ditch the linked brakes; but i think that is more to do with being used to 'conventional' setups. i have had a few guzzis and never felt the need to touch the brakes

 

[Zoiders]

Try Longstaff Cycles.

One of the leaders in disability conversions.

 

[Cubist]

Email Hope. One of their guys has a linked brake setup. There was an article in MBR that mentioned it early this year.
info@hopetech.com

 

[Fiona N]

Windcheetahs have both brakes (that is, both front hubs) operated by a single lever and ensuring equal 'pull' on both sides is a major fiddle.

I guess it wouldn't matter so much with front and back on one lever, apart from the risk of locking up the back brake.

 

[Oddsos]

Another vote for two levers with one hand. One of the local roadies races at a decent level with this set up after losing an arm in a motorbike crash. He is one of the better bike handlers in the bunch and having two STIs on one side allows him to brake and shift as well as any other riders.

 

[mickle]

Windcheetahs have both brakes (that is, both front hubs) operated by a single lever and ensuring equal 'pull' on both sides is a major fiddle.

I guess it wouldn't matter so much with front and back on one lever, apart from the risk of locking up the back brake.

Bikes and trikes are so very different dynamically though. I've tried two brakes via one lever on my mountain bike - it was truly horrible. I'm willing to accept that a big part of it may have been the mental difficulty of riding a bike with one brake 'missing' - but I never got on with it. It was impossible to feel the ground contact patch, very hard to modulate and made it impossible to adjust the front rear bias according to the steepness of the terrain - which we all do automatically. And it wasn't much better on the road.

 

[Gareth]

I use a fair few of these when I am building quads, and pedal powered vehicles:


You just have to remember to order either the left or right hand lever when using just one lever on a bicycle.


http://www.missioncycles.co.uk/disdetail.asp?Products_Action=Find('ProductID','64')&Products_Position=FIL%3ACategory%3D%27TrikeSpare%27ORD%3AABS%3A15KEY%3A64PAR%3A



I have a left hand dual brake lever on my polo steed controlling both the front and read brakes, but after going over the bars when braking hard at speed back in March I now have the bias adjusted to brake harder on the rear wheel:

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Bikes and trikes are so very different dynamically though. I've tried two brakes via one lever on my mountain bike - it was truly horrible. I'm willing to accept that a big part of it may have been the mental difficulty of riding a bike with one brake 'missing' - but I never got on with it. It was impossible to feel the ground contact patch, very hard to modulate and made it impossible to adjust the front rear bias according to the steepness of the terrain - which we all do automatically. And it wasn't much better on the road.

If you have cable operated brakes and two brakes one lever on an mtb what the heck happens when you ride down something so steep and technical that a sane rider would have their saddle in their gut and their arse on the back wheel and would only be using the rear brake and riding down the slope at the point of rear wheel lock up?

 

[mickle]

If you have cable operated brakes and two brakes one lever on an mtb what the heck happens when you ride down something so steep and technical that a sane rider would have their saddle in their gut and their arse on the back wheel and would only be using the rear brake and riding down the slope at the point of rear wheel lock up?

Izackly.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Izackly.

The consequences of trying it don't actually bear thinking about. Or at least thinking about it makes my teeth and nose tingle.

 

[ufkacbln]

Let's start at the beginning


As pointed out, in severe extremes, use of a twin system may have issues, but with he average cyclist, a carefully set up system will make no difference. Setup is easy with a slightly different tension on each cable allowing a difference between front and back brakes

St John Street amongst others do a lever that allows this

Hydraulics are different as there needs to be sufficient fluid movement, which may not be achieved with standard reservoirs and pistons

Magura used to do the "Big" a dual hydraulic operated from a single lever which found limited popularity with recumbent trikes

This will be a personal choice and assessment with the risks of poor application of brakes due to poor grip setting off any disadvantages of a dual system.

I have some experience with a dual cable system, if you want more detail or links I can provide

 

[Dan B]

Magura used to do the "Big" a dual hydraulic operated from a single lever which found limited popularity with recumbent trikes

used to? Ulp. Please don't tell me this has been discontinued. I need to get a set for our quad bike (left and right rear discs from one lever)

 

[02GF74]

As pointed out, in severe extremes, use of a twin system may have issues, but with he average cyclist, a carefully set up system will make no difference. Setup is easy with a slightly different tension on each cable allowing a difference between front and back brakes

Hydraulics are different as there needs to be sufficient fluid movement, which may not be achieved with standard reservoirs and pistons

Magura used to do the "Big" a dual hydraulic operated from a single lever which found limited popularity with recumbent trikes

this came up on another forum, pretty sure it was on here too.

as has been said, the bias varies immmensely but for the averga cyclist not doing steep descents, a compromise could be worked out and would work.

about one lever not being able to push enough fluid. I have thought about this and it may not be the problem you'd think it is. when you release the brake lever, if goes back by means of a spring in the master cylinder and will pull fluid thus moving the pads off the disc. if you have two callipers off the one master, all that will happen is the pads will move out less so the pad-disc clearance is less than if one calliper was connected.

now different make/model of brake lever and calliper have different piston diameters (I am using Shimano XT lever with Magura calliper, the Magura calliper having a larger piston area that the lever is designed for) but it works - there is no excessive travel as you would expect since the pads don't move out as far.

so mix and match the lever and calliper could end up with a working system - the smaller clearance means that any warp in the disc would mean they will drag on the pads.

 

[mcshroom]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Apparently this thread is being watched by the man concerned (just sign up and post instead of lurking

).

With single lever hydraulics, I'm assuming you would have to change one of the pistons otherwise the brakes are naturally going to be applied at about equal pressure.