Originally Posted by
TiHabanero
GamblerGORD53, I'll take that bet. This coming summer I will be loaded going through the UP of Michigan. The hills are short, but steep and I will have ample opportunity to test it in a non-mountain region. Speeds on those hills with an unladen bike can reach 50mph, albeit for a short distance.
The question is, when the drag brake proves successful, what is the payout?
Note, when we sold tandems we stocked Santana. They had a 200+mm rear rotor to be used as a drag brake, and the other two brakes were rim brakes intended to stop the bike.
Drag brakes are not a regular "third" brake as they are not in service to be used to stop the bike. They are only there to help control speed, and are very effective at doing the job.
I did a tour around Lake Michigan that included a part of the UP on the bike below (about 100 lbs for bike and load with an additional 240 lbs for me) and I never ran across anything that the cantilever brakes couldn’t handle.
A map of the route never really goes over about 4% grade.
I’ve done tours with a similar load on a similar bike (different color but same brand and model and same components) that have included 40+mph descents on 9% grades in the
Poconos like this one without feeling like the brakes weren’t up to the task.
Even when I hit 55 mph on a rainy (drizzly at that point)
downhill in North Carolina with a similar load and that similar bike, I never felt out of control
Honestly, I haven’t used a drag brake on tandems in decades. There really is no need for one on a single bike…even when loaded.