Tandem Brakes

[Alan]

I'm going to be getting some wheels for a tandem soon. Someone mentioned
those shimano nexave roller brakes in some context earlier. They look so
easy and are cheap. Do these things have stopping power, will they overheat?

I really wanted to go with disk brakes on this project, but they're a
bit more than I want to spend.

Alan

[Torsten Lif]

I have a rear wheel for my Linear LWB with one of them "roller brakes"
from Shimano (don't exactly remember the model name but I built it a
couple of years ago).

I'm not impressed with the stopping power. The Magura hydraulic rim
brakes are a lot more efficient. Not that I have any problem with
overheating, of course, the Linear being a single.

The roller brake has a kind of cooling disc which may compensate for its
poor power if it works to prevent fading but I haven't had occasion to
test this. For regular riding, I find it lame. I wanted to move away
from the Maguras because I'd had one too many brake line ruptures when I
folded the bike, but this wheel has proven a disappointment. I'm still
looking for the "perfect" brake. Maybe I'll look into a disc one day.

/Torsten

Alan wrote:
>
> I'm going to be getting some wheels for a tandem soon. Someone mentioned
> those shimano nexave roller brakes in some context earlier. They look so
> easy and are cheap. Do these things have stopping power, will they
> overheat?
>
> I really wanted to go with disk brakes on this project, but they're a
> bit more than I want to spend.
>
> Alan
>

--
Torsten Lif, Cyberspace Cyclist
Stockholm, Sweden

http://www.ihpva.org/people/torsten/Torsten.html

[Torsten Lif]

I have a rear wheel for my Linear LWB with one of them "roller brakes"
from Shimano (don't exactly remember the model name but I built it a
couple of years ago).

I'm not impressed with the stopping power. The Magura hydraulic rim
brakes are a lot more efficient. Not that I have any problem with
overheating, of course, the Linear being a single.

The roller brake has a kind of cooling disc which may compensate for its
poor power if it works to prevent fading but I haven't had occasion to
test this. For regular riding, I find it lame. I wanted to move away
from the Maguras because I'd had one too many brake line ruptures when I
folded the bike, but this wheel has proven a disappointment. I'm still
looking for the "perfect" brake. Maybe I'll look into a disc one day.

/Torsten

Alan wrote:
>
> I'm going to be getting some wheels for a tandem soon. Someone mentioned
> those shimano nexave roller brakes in some context earlier. They look so
> easy and are cheap. Do these things have stopping power, will they
> overheat?
>
> I really wanted to go with disk brakes on this project, but they're a
> bit more than I want to spend.
>
> Alan
>

--
Torsten Lif, Cyberspace Cyclist
Stockholm, Sweden

http://www.ihpva.org/people/torsten/Torsten.html

[Chris French]

In message >, Alan
> writes
>
>I'm going to be getting some wheels for a tandem soon. Someone
>mentioned those shimano nexave roller brakes in some context earlier.
>They look so easy and are cheap. Do these things have stopping power,
>will they overheat?
>
I've got a Shimano Nexus roller brake on the rear of my upright
'utility' bike (paired with a Sachs drum brake on the front). The
stopping power is fine, but nothing to write home about, but I don't
really like the feel of it at all. I much prefer the drum brake on the
front. As for overheating, I suspect that might be a problem, though
I've no evidence for this.

I use it because I like the very low maintenance and the reliable
stopping in the wet enclosed hub brakes. I used to run a coaster brake
rear on Sachs hub gear, but for various reasons changed that for a
Shimano hub gear, so tried out a roller brake.
--
Chris French, Leeds

[Chris French]

In message >, Alan
> writes
>
>I'm going to be getting some wheels for a tandem soon. Someone
>mentioned those shimano nexave roller brakes in some context earlier.
>They look so easy and are cheap. Do these things have stopping power,
>will they overheat?
>
I've got a Shimano Nexus roller brake on the rear of my upright
'utility' bike (paired with a Sachs drum brake on the front). The
stopping power is fine, but nothing to write home about, but I don't
really like the feel of it at all. I much prefer the drum brake on the
front. As for overheating, I suspect that might be a problem, though
I've no evidence for this.

I use it because I like the very low maintenance and the reliable
stopping in the wet enclosed hub brakes. I used to run a coaster brake
rear on Sachs hub gear, but for various reasons changed that for a
Shimano hub gear, so tried out a roller brake.
--
Chris French, Leeds

[Parker Swanson]

"Chris French" > wrote
>
> ...
> I've got a Shimano Nexus roller brake on the rear of my upright
> 'utility' bike (paired with a Sachs drum brake on the front).
> ... I much prefer the drum brake on the front.
>
I have no experience with the roller brake, but will second Chris's praise of the Sachs front hub brake. I have one on my
1996-vintage Bike Friday (upright) Family Tandem. It has very good stopping power, doesn't cause rim heating, and works well in the
rain. I took it apart to lube the bearings a little while ago, and found no observable wear on the linings after several thousand
miles of use. I wish US bike manufacturers would consider use front hub brakes more often. Possibly disks are as good or better; as
yet I have no experience with them. I noticed that the recumbent EZ tandem, designed by Easy Racers and manufactured by Sun, has
disk brakes front and rear, also beefed-up 20" wheels and tires: quite impressive for a recumbent tandem selling for less than $2K
USD.

Parker Swanson