Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
I'm not questioning the setup of 2 caliper brakes, and a rear disc. I am questioning using the rear disc constantly as a drag brake.
I'm not sure I'm following you. Is it your thinking that the drag brake is being used alone? That isn't the point of a drag brake.
Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
It would seem a better management of the heat issue to use the disc either in conjunction with the calipers, or alternating with the calipers
How else would you use a drag brake? Have you used one in some other way?
Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
not dragging it the whole way down.
Application of a drag brake is not a static thing any more than is the use of the calipers. The drag is used to scrub a bit of the speed while fine tuning with the calipers. I suppose that if the descent was a uniform grade start to finish, one could "drag it the whole way down", but I've never done a descent like that. We add and subtract drag as the grade varies and as we approach or exit curves and switchbacks. And again, the main point is to keep from overheating the rims and blowing a tire. We don't feather it as much as one would with calipers, but it isn't set-and-forget, either.