Tandem drag brake

[andy156]

Hi just thought I would pick a few brains.

I have a Motobecane tandem with cantilever brakes worked from one lever which I find heavy to use ( twice the spring pressure to overcome ) and difficult to set up, the left hand lever working a rear drum.

Sheldon suggests using a friction gear lever for the drag brake with the handlebar levers set up as normal.

Anyone tried this? It seems a good idea and I have a spare bar end shifter. My only doubt is is the thinner gear cable up to the job? Or can I get a brake cable with a nipple small enough to fit the lever?

Cheers Andy

 

[SpenB]

Hi, Same issue here on a tandem trike.
The opinion is the drag brake is also classed as a parking brake (especially in the USA) hense the fricton lever.
Meaning when you stop and lean the bike up you can put the drum brake on - and leave it on so the bike doesnt roll away (my so on the trike). We have split the front and rear cantis to individual front levers. On eBay you can buy (£9) a straight lever with a parking brake button.
This is fitted to the stokers bars. this way if your have trouble stopping you can ask them to brake too.

 

[hamster]

You are not using the lever to modulate the brake in the same way with a drag brake, so the extra cable stretch is tolerable using gear cable However, in an ideal world drill out the lever a little to take the top of the 'pear' of the larger cable nipple.

 

[CTK]

Re:

I have a Magura brake with a massive long hose that I assume came off a tandem, it would fit on your canti mounts. I'll measure hose if interested?

 

[andy156]

Thanks for the input.

I think I'll give the gear cable ago as drum brakes are self energizing, cable load should be relatively low. It's got to be better than trying to adjust front and rear brakes on one lever.

Cheers Andy