I commute with a KH36er with standard Nimbus rim and nightrider tire.
I feel quite comfortable in the tuck position with balance control from hips and spend the most time cycling like this.
On intersections where I can see it’s clear, I approach in the tuck position with both arms on the forearm rest and holding aero bars. Thru the turn I indicate by stretching out one arm, ( other arm still in tuck position) leaning to turn, then after the turn I straighten up and bring the indicating forearm back onto aerobar rest… back in tuck position.
Long winded way of explaining the actions that lead to the feeling of flying like a bird at intersections and around round-a-bouts.
I’m even considering putting the brake lever at the end of the aero bars. Or maybe having two brake levers, (aero bar and non aero bar position) and two clippers one on either side of disc. It would have to be a custom frame with two brake tabs. Anyone done this before? Or has any comments on this?
That’s a good idea. I know that on my custom frame I have two brake tabs, but it is one on each side, so I can install a wheel with KH cranks or with an inner disk like I currently have. And there is some unis wich have that.
To put two brake tabs on the disk, you would need a second “leg” on your frame in order to attach the brake, because they are designed to have the disk on the right. I think that you don’t need a custom frame, you could just get a support welded on your frame, but it might be quite hard.
The other solution might be to transform your brakes tubing by adding a T in order to have two brake levers controling the same brake. I don’t know how efficient/resistant it would be, but it seems like a not too bad idea.
For cable brakes, not a problem. There are different products to add in-line brake levers, also referred to as cross levers that allows two brake levers mounted in different locations to independently operate one brake. I run a good quality cable brake on my 36er and it works fine.
Also can be done with a SHIMANO GRX - Hydraulic Disc Sub Brake Lever. Here.
Duff,
Because if you pull one lever it puts pressure in the line and that would push fluid into the reservoir of the second lever. Normal brake levers are not designed to hold pressure when not actuated.
But the reservoir is sealed. There shouldn’t be any place for the fluid to be displaced to.
Unless there’s some sort of inline valve, (which would create its own issues), I would think a split is doing the exact same thing as a secondary lever.
I think that there is air in the reservoir, so with two levers it might pressurize the air in the second reservoir, and the brakes wouldn’t be properly pressurized.
I don’t believe there is, as that would allow air to enter the system when the bike was inverted or lying on it’s side. Pressure could indeed be an issue though.
I’m pretty sure there was zero room for air last time I bled my shimano brakes as it involves having a reservoir that screws in above the master cylinder and leaves it completely full when removed. My experience is confined to shimano however. Also, one other thing that makes me think it would work is that they specify that it won’t work with two brake calipers. That makes sense considering the master cylinder would have to displace twice the fluid in that instance. That they don’t say the same thing about two brake levers makes me think there haven’t been reports of it not working and I’m sure it has been tried.
Former bike mechanic, air in the line is considered a mechanical issue so if you do the splitter it should work in theory. When you pull the lever the lack of space pushes on the pads to stop the wheel. Air in the system means the fluid and be pushed there mailing them ineffective and that’s why we bleed breaks when this happens.
