Tandem Cycling - brakes fo a co-motion speedster

I am wondering if the stock breaks would be sufficent for loaded touring (AVID single digit 7) or should I spring for the disk upgrade(avid mechanical disk) . Or should I add the wieght of the drum---- (ARAI--- no longer made but they have them - so parts down the road would be near impossible)

this is our first tandem---- we are ordering it in the near future

we did borrow a Santana a few years back for about 6 months... so we know we like the tandem.

so which brakes should I go with.....

How much will your tandem weigh fully loaded?

What type of terrain will you be encountering?

Note on Arai drum brakes: The hard-core tandem speciality dealers have been stock piling these things and the more commonly needed parts and they rarely wear-out if they're properly maintained. Moreover, there are hundreds of these things sitting unused as they were bought by teams who really never needed them. Therefore, I think almost anyone should be able to get any parts that might be needed.

it should weigh 37 pounds plus 40 pounds of gear .... I am 225 and wife 135 so all told with riders about 437 pounds....

first big tandem tour would be Vancouver to Los Angeles...

we rode cross country on single bikes last summer.... so not new to touring... just tandems

it is a coupled bike so .... I am cautious putting the disks on knowing I will be boxing( in the case) and traveling often with it

thanks for your input

A bit of a learning curve if this is your first tandem and first tandem tour. Not at all like going it solo. Bit of diffference in handling/braking a loaded tandem than single. Suggest a couple days practice in Florida's 'hill country' (Sebring area?) with the loaded tandem.
With your total up weight, would suggest an Arai brake rather than a disc. Arai is longtime proven + nearly foolproof and works extremely well on scrubbing speed on long/steep descents.
Just our input.
Welcome to the world of riding TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

thanks for the insights....ray & Judy....

We will definately do some shorter tours prior to a big one on the tandem... I am reading all I can and am open to help...

We did a week tour in Maine then an 10day sanfran to salt lake ---prior to the cross country

so I will enjoy learning in this new arena of TWOgetherness

We run XTR V Brakes on the front and Avid disc on the rear of our speedster. We have it setup to run a drum and vbrakes in the back if we want as well.

... about 437 pounds.... first big tandem tour would be Vancouver to Los Angeles...

Your total gross vehicle weight is definitely in the drum brake realm.

There are two things that an Arai drum brake can do that a disc can't (unless you disregard the long-standing recommendation to not use an Avid disc brake as a drag brake) and they are:

1. Be controlled by the stoker or captain using a friction lever that can be set in a fixed position during long descents to provide constant braking while mitigating hand cramps / fatigue and allowing full use of the front & rear rim brakes for further brake control.

2. Be used as a parking brake when stopped (a bit more sophisticated vs. clamping a rim brake with a cycling glove or rubber band wrapped around the brake lever) to ensure your loaded tandem stays put when it's leaned up against something during stops. Note: Make sure you remember to release it when you mount-up, as many a team has found itself unintentionally doing resistance training.

There are only two draw backs to drums:

1. They add about 2 lbs of static weight to the rear end of a tandem, about .4% compared to your tandems gross travel weight.

2. They look rather obvious and heavy given the expansive cooling fins that extend out and away from the actual brake drum.

You can reduce that weight to about 1.6 lbs and reduce the visual impact by purchasing a shaved Arai drum from www.tandemseast.com for about a $30 premium. I've yet to hear of anyone having an overheating problem with a shaved drum that was any worse or that came on any faster than an overheating condition with a full-fined model. You can also find these for sale second hand by posting WTB ads on Tandem@Hobbes (listserve with 2k name subscribers), this board, or www.tandemmag.com/classified.

The disc brake will add about 1.3 lbs of weight to a tandem, less any weight savings that would come from removing the stock rim brakes. The disc will work better than a rear brake if it's properly adjusted, mitigates rear tire blow-offs from rim heating during prolonged braking, and will handle a lot more heat loading before it begins to outgas and fade vs. a rim brake. However, as already noted, back before Avid was acquired by SRAM they gave the thumbs up to use their 203mm discs as primary brakes on tandems; however, they said no to drag brake applications.

Bottom Line: You could certainly make the journey without a disc or drum brake, adjusting your descent techniques as appropriate for the conditions and based on how you're feeling at the moment, e.g., add a few stops on the way down to enjoy the views and to let your rims cool. However, for a very small weight penalty you could add a little insurance / peace of mind by fitting a rear drum brake. If you find that you didn't need it by the end of the ride, take it off and save it for a future trip where more challenging terrain may be encountered or sell it.

We run XTR V Brakes on the front and Avid disc on the rear of our speedster. We have it setup to run a drum and vbrakes in the back if we want as well.

how or what did you do to set it up to use a drum when you want??

I was thinking v-brake in front and disk in back....but the drum option is interesting....

I am a novice to tandems other than riding one for about 6 months a few years back