Originally Posted by mtseymour

Congratulations on finishing Mt Washington! I might be able to talk my stoker into doing it if we were closer and she lost her mind Coincidentally, we sold our Co-Motion to a couple on the East coast. Their daughter and son-in-law finished Mt Washington twice on their racing tandem. Can't remember if they rode a Cannondale or Calfee but they're a nationally ranked tandem team.

Cable stretch is not be an issue with TRP Hy/Rd (or any brake) if you use high quality cable and compression-less housing. We use Nokon housing on our Calfee and the Hy/Rd feel close to a full-hydraulic brake. It's a significant improvement over a mechanical brake like the BB7 because it's so easy to dial-in and it's quiet! The Shimano RS685 hydraulic brake would be an ideal choice. It's powerful, requires less hand pressure, and will allow the use of 180mm rotors. It's the same as the R785 but it's packaged with mechanical shifters.

The FSA Orbit should be fine. The cartridge bearings are durable and easily replaced. Frankly, we just use the Chris King because of the bling factor. Allocate your budget to powerful brakes and light wheels if you want to go fast.