Originally Posted by
nlerner
So would both brakes pull at the same time? Interesting. I saw a friend's 70s tandem this morning, which had a rear canti brake plus a rear sidepull brake, but they operated from two separate levers.
Neal
As I see it, the brakes would pull evenly if their springs are equally tough; otherwise, the brake with the softer spring will engage first. As soon as that happens, the brake with the stronger springs will engage. Neither brake will put much pressure on the rim until both do.
The problem, I guess, will be the amount of cable travel. This system will require twice as much cable travel as one brake. So as long as the wheel is (very) true, and both brakes are adjusted pretty tight, the lever should have enough travel to engage both. But if the lever bottoms out before both brakes are fully engaged, this will be worse than a single brake.
Cool idea, either way, though!