Wow that’s realy cool! I don’t know how that might work with a magura brake lever though. It would definitly be too wide the way it is but it could posibly be modified to work. I don’t know how well it would work in real life. I would like to try it though.
It seems to me all that all the brake set ups talked about here are similar in action to bicycle brakes.On my muni I dont have maguras just a fairly simple caliper set up,I first set it up the lever similar to most shown here and with spring release type of action,I found it difficult to use accurately and of course you have to compromise your balancing ability by taking one arm out of action.So I set my brake up with a friction lever (old style gear changer),I can now go down most hills with a single flick of the lever at the top of hill and release as the hill levels out.The friction lever is ten times more useful to me than the bicycle style.Also my preference is to set the drag to slightly more than the hill requires so that a slight positive pedaling action is needed to maintain speed,I can comfortably maintain my flat ground speed on most downhills without using more energy than flat ground.I reckon the ultimate brake setup would be dual levers acting on the same brake,the drag brake for those long constant downhills and the bike style for quick stops and incidental braking.
I think most people are talking here about muni brakes, when you’re riding technical muni, 99% of the time you have your hand on the handle anyway, so it doesn’t matter that you have to use that hand to brake too.
The problem with drag brakes for muni, is that when you’re riding a really steep downhill and you hit drops or roots, or jump, you often want to loosen off the brake quickly to avoid locking up. Having control of the brake is vital when it gets technical.
I’ve known a few people with drag brakes on cokers, which maybe make some sense for long descents, although I don’t know how you deal with the control for riding fast, I find riding fast downhill needs quite close control of the brake, to let myself freewheel until I’m going as fast as I can and then keep it just under control, if I just drag the brake constantly, I go down hills slower as I’m still using my legs to stay in control rather than the brake.
I think the drag brake must be slower, as you’re saying you can ‘maintain your flat ground speed’ on downhills, whereas on some of the descents we did in the Alps last summer, we were going easily 1.5 times our flat ground speed on some of the easier bits.
Joe
Could you please post a picture of your setup?
I have this idea for using a drag brake on a 36er:
Use a friction shifter on the T7 handle to set a base level of drag, then use a cyclocross-type interrupter brake handle so that it’s accessible when using the KH seat handle, and use this for fine control.
that’s a very clever idea. but you would definately need a big handle like the t7, just a normal seat like the KHs probably wouldn’t have enough room.
I’m assuming your talking about these:
I see. I’ll have to see if it’s something Magura can custom make or sell the parts to custom make the crossover line.
By the way, you didn’t happen to be the unicycle rider at the Seattle Bike Expo few years ago riding with other bike trials rider were you? I was there with few buddies and we were doing a demo and the guy on the uni did few moves during the show. I think I have a picture or two from that day.
Glad you like it. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.
here are few photos
lever with brake off
lever with brake on
custom bracket
weird wedge and roller style brake
Very cool and inventive, dangerdog. Thanks for the pics.
Unicycle.com has Magura making custom crossovers for them. But the Unicycle.com ones are longer than is necessary.
The rider you likely saw was Dan Heaton. Dan is from Bellevue (just East of Seattle) and much much much much much better than I am. I’d be embarrassed to demonstrate trials publicly.
Is this him? I found the picture! People had fun watching the demo 
Deff. not Dan Heaton. Not even a trials uni or tyre for that matter.