buellfooll

Building a recumbent, trike, beach cruiser and need some parts I haven't been able to locate. I'm trying to build it around the parts on hand as much as possible. Which necessarily raises some issues in both dollars and availability. First on the list is brakes. I have devised a differential, of sorts, so I'll need brakes for both rear, drive, wheels. I have decided on mechanical disc brakes but would like to find a set off a mountain bike with dual disc on the forks so the calipers would mirror image themselves side to side rather than have one ahead of the axle and one behind. I realize I'm nitpicking but they would look more like they belonged. Having said that, one ahead and one behind is perfectly acceptable. Hydraulic would also be OK. Second is a shifter. Last bike I owned was a state of the art, 3 speed, "English Racer". So now you know how old I am. I will have a 3X6 shifter on under seat steering. I really want combo shift/brake levers but can't fine it specifically for that set up. The internet overflows with 3X7, 3X8, 3X9, etc. but no 3X6. A 3X7 would be fine if it will work, without excess hassle, on my 3X6. Will it?? Or am I relegated to finding a 7 cog freewheel.

I've down sized my projects what with my advanced stage of old and all. My last was a LS1 Corvette powered Pontiac Fiero GT. THAT was a money pit.

Thanks for any help,

Bill

hueyhoolihan

if the "combo brake/shift levers" you are referring to are also commonly known as STI levers, then, AFAIK, they were popularized after 6-speed freewheels became obsolete.

OTOH, there were some MTB's, that until the late 90's at least, had some brake levers and trigger shifters that were one unit. the ones i am familiar with mounted on a MTB handlebar that is smaller in diameter than a road bar and WERE designed for 7-speed, IIRC. (a '97 Gary Fisher Tassahara).

FBinNY 

There's a significant functional difference between mechanical and hydraulic brakes which becomes important when using 2 bakes on the same axle.

With mechanical brakes shoe pressure is determined by the distance the cable travels, and it's hard to split and balance the brake force without a splitter that's able to transfer movement from one to the other. Without a proportioning splitter, the brake with the slightly closer adjuster will do most of the work, and can cause torque steer when braking.

Hydraulic brakes are responsive to the hydrostatic pressure in the line, so both brakes on a split line will always be applied equally.

Of course none of this matters if using separate levers for each brake. Also be aware that splitting hydraulic brakes increases the lever throw, so it can make adjustment/throw issues if parts aren't matched carefully.