Brake power modulating noodle???? WTF?
 

I've been wondering why my front brake has a spongy feel to it, and why my back brake pads wear out faster. I found that my front brake noodle has a spring action and I think it's got one of these.

A power modulator? I've never heard or it before this. I bought the bike brand new 2 years ago (Giant CX3). Does anyone know about this? Do you think maybe they put this on the front of bikes with v-brakes to reduce the likelihood of endos?

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...Modulator.aspx

they put them on the front brake for inexperienced riders

I'd never heard of 'em.

Almost seems more like a power attenuator rather than a power modulator.

Perhaps it is easily removed from the noodle.

Haha. That's like having training wheels for your brakes.

We got some of the police bikes delivered with these. Silly, IMO. Still, there's a substantial number of riders who seem terrified of their brakes, especially the fronts.
Often, when I get an old bike to work on, the front pads will look like new....

You'll get an AMEN from me on that brother.

Its like index shifting, lower the skill level to make it less complicated,
do stuff for you so you don't have to think ahead,
so there is a wider market to buy the stuff..

Having seen enough customers test ride hybrid bikes on our parking lot, using halfway decent linear pull brakes for the first time, I can pretty much see the need for such a device. Often, the first time the brakes are applied, the front end does an unexpected nose dive (if the bike has a suspension fork) and the bike comes to a sudden, ill-timed near stop. Scary to watch from the sidelines, I can assure you. I try to warn them, but when all you've used before is some type of crappy, cheap brake, you don't expect such little effort at the lever to bring the bike to a sudden stop. The good thing is that it only takes one time and they usually get it.

The "idiot spring" should be removable. Lose it and re-adjust your cable. My prior commuter came equipped with the Shimano variation and I hated it. The braking was improved dramatically once I took it off.

Yes, these devices are a way to try to "idiot proof" the brakes so that people don't do a flip over the handlebars.

+1
They seem to be intended for inexperienced cyclists. They do allow for quite good modulation, up to about 50% or so of the brake's potential (i.e. lockup).