Two brake calipers & one lever

[YahudaMoon]

I like the idea though I would not have this model myself.

Theres a normal single brake lever that I'd consider purchasing if my old MKS give up working and the products looks like quality stuff though not cheap.



http://www.paulcomp.com/duplexlever.html

[YahudaMoon]

Nice hubs



Can't say I've seen these before.

[Rhys W]

Looks like a Campagnolo-style locking collar to adjust the bearings, which is a really neat idea.

[citoyen]

I like the idea

I don't like the idea at all.

Generally, I use the front brake much more than the rear, but there are times when I use the rear and not the front. It's rare that I would use both at the same time with equal pressure.

Admittedly, there are times when I would like to be able to use the brakes other-handed (eg wanting to use the front brake while signalling right) but I'm not sure that's the right solution.

d.

[Charlotte]

That's odd.  I have a single front caliper on my Mercian, attached to a set of levers that can be pulled with my left or my right hand, depending on which one's on the bars at the time...

[citoyen]

I was just thinking that something like that would be a preferable set-up.

d.

[greenmeansgo]

Have you got any images of that Charlotte? Sounds like an interesting set up!

[clarion]

It's frightfully clever, and involves a pulley* IIRC.

Don't like the twin levers myself.  I'm with citoyen.


* almost typed 'pullet', which would have ended up with a very different braking set up

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Not one of these then?

[clarion]

I believe I was thinking of someone else's bike (Geoff Boxall of E Sussex CTC).  I think you're right, LWaB.

[Ian H]

Older touring tandems were often supplied with one lever operating a third/drag brake, and the other both rim brakes for normal braking. It was always a bad system.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Older touring tandems were often supplied with one lever operating a third/drag brake, and the other both rim brakes for normal braking.

Usually with Mafac tandem brake levers.

[Charlotte]

Not one of these then?

That's exactly what I've got.

It's not quite as urgent as a really good single brake lever, but the added utility makes up for the slight loss of braking power.

Also, it's dead pimpy 

[Ian H]

Older touring tandems were often supplied with one lever operating a third/drag brake, and the other both rim brakes for normal braking.

Usually with Mafac tandem brake levers.

Yup. The later versions had full hoods. I still have at least one lying around somewhere.

[clarion]

I had one tandem which came with a double lever (I can't remember if it was the Orbit or the Dawes).  It was a nightmare to balance the brakes so you got even braking.

[Kim]

That's a barakta-brake, innit.

[hubner]

I like the idea ....

On a tandem, you might want to use the other lever to operate a third brake. But why would you want front and rear brakes operated by one brake lever on a fixed?

You can't control the front and back separately and you don't have two brake levers to hold onto (if it's that type).

[greenmeansgo]

In case anyone else (like me) didn't quite follow the set up, it's shown more clearly here. From the initial description, I thought it was two separate "normal" levers which had some fancy connection to operate the same brake caliper. It's not, it's a double sided lever which clamps in just one place, so it needs to be mounted next to the stem if you want to brake using either hand. Not enough control for my liking. Eeek!

[hubner]

And the lever itself is too short, both of them in this case.

[nuttycyclist]

The windcheetah has two brakes off one lever.



I snapped the lever.....

Glad I was on the drive and just hit the garage door.   It could have been much worse.

[andrew_s]

Trying to work front and rear brakes with one lever is never going to be any good as it's impossible to get them balanced. The required balance varies according to how hard you are braking so you can only get it right at one point.
Double levers should only be used if both brakes are at the same end of the bike - both on the front wheel of a trike or a tandem, or the two front wheels of a tadpole trike.
If you've only one hand, operating two levers with one hand is probably a better idea (eg regular flat bar lever plus a time-trial reversed lever).

[itsbruce]

Two levers, one brake.  Safe to click on, honest

[LEE]

I don't like the 2 brakes:1 lever idea at all.

It very important to know which brake is providing the most braking, never more so than if you are braking whilst cornering (on a loose surface).

It's taken Honda decades to get its linked braking system accepted by motorcyclists (and even then some won't go near it).  The principle is the same, it's better to use mainly front brake in a straight line but sometimes better to use mostly back brake when cornering, because locking a front wheel on a corner is catastrophic (unless you actualy enjoy the taste of tarmac).