Just ordered a T7

I had that exact brake mounted on mine just the way his is mounted, and the brake lever is always fine (T7 hits the ground first).
Also, to whoever wondered if the T7 could stand up to abuse, yes, it can. The T7 is a monster for the most part. Though the end caps usually get destroyed pretty quick and the bottle cage mounts are weak, the rest of its construction is practically bomb proof in my experience. I can’t tell you how many UPDs I’ve taken at 17+ MPH since I’ve gotten it, but no malformations yet.

The T7 arrived today, It is fitted, the brake is now on the T7, and so is a cycle computer.

It is quite strange using the T7 for the first time, freemounts were a bit different, and riding with both hands on a handle is going to take some getting used to. It was quite good when I got into a bit of a rhythm, I did get a little bit of speed up, but I will need a little practice to get used to it.

Innes

I would have to disagree with you Joseppi. My T7 snapped and I very rarely UPD with it, maybe 3 or 4 big UPD’s total in well over 1000kms of riding, plus a few that other people may have done. I think these impacts might add up and then over a long distance the metal fatigues as you use the handle for leverage. I would be surprised if your T7 could survive a Bomb-terror campaign. Tell George Bush your T7 is of Iraqi descent and ride it towards the White house and see how it fares against his bombs. Go easy on your handle if you want it to last though!

I think it is more the pulling and pushing on the handle that add up and fatigue the metal more than the UPDs. Many mountain bikes come with bars that are supposed to be replaced every 3 years to prevent this kind of breakage.

I have bent the rails on my handle a few times and have been wondering what the best way to strengthen it is. I think that the next version should have shorter rails and vertical walls where the front section of rail is now. This would increase the strength of the rails, front plate and increase rigidity.
It would make it more difficult to get the saddle on and off though.

edit: Has anyone tried mounting a break lever with a long curved handle in the center between the handles? I tend to hold the handle right at the corners and I think it would be nice to be able to use eather hand to break.

I mounted a normal brake lever between the handles, and I think it will work really well. It is out of the way if I crash, and you could use it with both hands if you wanted. I was a bit nervous of opening the brake lever enough to fit on the handle, as I couldn’t just push it down as you would on one of the handles.

I will try and get a picture sorted out soon.

Innes

Wow, what an interesting place for it to snap. I hadn’t heard of this kind of thing happening to anyone until you mentioned it. From the way you described it, sounds like your leaning on it was, for the most part, the only reason for it. Wow, that’s odd. I took my T7 on similar abusive distance rides (RAGBRAI) without such a problem. Has anyone else had that problem? Could that particular handle have just been poorly made? As an experiment, I’ll try giving my older T7 (laying around, useless) a few abuse tests and see how it fares.

My T7 hasn’t arrived yet :frowning: and it usually comes after two days of ordering it, and it’s been three :astonished:

Meh.

Kieron got his snafus on saturday (postage mistake, he paid for standard postage) , and he ordered them after me! Wtf! Im so impatient.

But it’s kool that you got yours though :smiley:

I had a quick ride with the T7 at dinner time today, just a couple of miles, but enough to get a bit more of a feel for it.

I am getting used to the handle a little more for freemounting, but still have some practice to do.

When I was riding along, I wobbled a bit until I realised that I should just lightly hold the handles, and not grip them like a bike, this helped a lot. It will take a few long road rides to get used to it, but I have planned on getting some miles in soon anyway.

Innes

I rode with mine last night, and it’s very comfortable. I found it made freemounting muc easier, if I did a rolling mount holding onto the front handle.

I’m going to try and kit it up with some gadgets, which should b kool :smiley:

I’m going to side with Joseppi on the T7 strength. Its been very sturdy over lots of riding and UPDs. I think the reason for the breaking at the rail plate may have been a bad batch since its only happened to a very small handful of handles.

It’s a steel plate that’s breaking; what exactly do you think is bad about the batch of steel plates?

It’s breaking there because that’s its weak spot. There’s a lot of leverage that goes into it, and I think it just eventually fatigues.

I’m not complaining since I got probably 1500-2000 miles (with LOTS of clmbing) out of it before it snapped.

2000 miles is how long your tire should last, not your steel.

I tend to use this middle section with my right arm rather than both on the handlebars also.

Your tire should last a lot longer than that (assuming a road tire) I have about 2000km on my TA and it just has the fuzzies worn off.

Next time I have access to a welding shop I might reinforce my T7.

ah, I thought it was breaking at the point where there was a weld or a drilled out area for the handle tube to be welded into place. If that were the case, I could see bad welds or faulty machining equipment to cause for rough edges and possible metal weakening. If its breaking at a solid area then that isn’t the case.