Originally Posted by
rdtompki
This arrangement has been used on tandems, but it's difficult to get the two completely different brake configurations balance. Plus, as previously stated, unless you're doing some really loaded touring on steep terrain, why would you need brakes on either end of the bike? - more likely to cause a skid up front (very bad) or in back (not so bad)
The dual brakes on Tandems typically use a drum brake in the rear along with a caliper brake but operated by different control levers. The purpose of the drum isn't to stop the bike or even to reduce stopping distances (it won't). The drum is used as a drag brake to moderate the bike speed on long downhills without overheating the rim.
The drum is sometimes applied using a downtube-type lever and often is in control of the stoker.