Just a quick update here:
Cables
- I bought some Yokozuna "Reaction" cable housing, after reading numerous rave reviews about the stuff. I had to buy a whole set of shift/brake housing and cables, but I am just using the brake housing (on the rear brake) for now. The housing is compressionless, using co-axial wires (like shift housing), but then wrapped with spirals (like brake housing), and has a cool clear sheath to show off its black/silver construction. It also is "jet-lubed" inside the housing. The reviews say this stuff is super stiff, and very very low friction.
Brake Power Booster
- I
eliminated the Brake Power Booster (aka BPB). My theory is that: Sure you get a longer pull on the caliper end for a given pull on the lever end, but that you lose a great deal of mechanical advantage. For example, imagine having to tighten an already tight bolt an additional 90 degrees. If you did it with a short stubby wrench, the amount of movement you hand would move to achieve the 90 degrees is smaller than if you used a long breaker bar. However, you have to really put some effort in with the short wrench, while it turns easily with the breaker bar.
----- So BPB setup = more caliper pull per lever pull, firmer lever due to LESS leverage, oh and.... ugly
----- Non-BPB setup = less caliper pull per lever pull, softer lever because of the leverage you have, and much prettier
Pads
- After thoroughly reading every review I could about the brake pads I have here (EBC Gold and Avids), I decided to give the EBC another shot, since they are supposed to be much more fade resistant, and longer lasting than the stock Avid pads.
- I thought that, perhaps, we hit a little too steep/long of descents early in the break-in process (during our double century on 8/1) and the pads might have glazed over a bit. I know that in the world of automotive disc brakes, improper break-in can lead to this result. I have done MANY automotive brake jobs, including race setups (autoX - SCCA CSP and SM2). With that said, I decided to lightly sand the friction surfaces of the EBC pads, and to clean all the braking surfaces (rotor and pads) with alcohol.
Results
- Wow, It took A LOT of adjusting to get it just right, but it works
great. I am able to lock the rear tire with both the stoker and I riding at around 15 mph on flat ground!
... and without a He-Man grip... nice lever feel.
- No fade, even being heavily used on a twisty decent off Mt. Tam. Including a full stop at the ranger station to get water on the way down.
- Plenty of power, more than the front, for sure.
- Looks SO MUCH better, and feels much better (more importantly) without the BPB
- The cables live up to the hype. Very low friction, feels super light prior to pad/rotor contact. Yet feels pretty firm once you hit it. I felt the levers of some stock Co-Motion tandems, equipped with the BB7 at Bicycle Outfitter (LBS known for tandems), and mine felt much better than all of them. 3 out of 4 bikes, the lever could touch the bar almost immediately after pad/rotor contact. The fourth was acceptable, but could be better. I know they could probably use adjustment, but still, I have to say my lever feel is great. So definitely a good purchase in my book!
Issues
- Won't stay perfectly adjusted. After a while, I get rub and have to re-adjust... I think either the caliper is moving slightly, or the rotor is changing shape. Perhaps those additional thin washers that I have added to the calipers (under the positioning washers, as to not interfere with those), to fit the Hope rotor, are allowing caliper movement? Or, maybe the Hope rotor is just out of whack. Either way, I am going to go ahead and order a new Avid Clean Sweep G3 203mm rotor, remove the washers, and give that a try. I have a feeling that it will work fine after that. I could have received a dud Hope Rotor, but rather than gamble on getting another one, I will just get the Avid.