Backwards front brake?

"renormalize" wrote in message
om...
Front side-pull brakes on SWB recumbents can interfere with the chain
path. On a bike equipped with road calipers, one might naively think
this could be solved simply by flipping the brake around and mounting
it behind the fork. (After all, the rear brake on a road bike is
mounted "backwards"!) But, to quote from an old Cyclo-Pedia catalog,
this could be dangerous:

"My first thought was to mount the brake to the back side of the front
fork, but I realized that if I applied the front brake very hard the
wheel might be pulled from the front fork dropouts by the braking
action. The front brake must be mounted on the front of the front
fork."

But how likely is this? Does moving the braking "grab point" back on
the rim a mere 3 or so inches really alter the various braking torques
enough to lead to dropout disaster?

So my real question is: how much risk do I take by reverse-mounting
my front brake to improve cable routing?

Ron

No risk at all for caliper brakes, at least of the wheel pulling out. You
could have problems with the brake fouling the down tube if the bars get
turned right round, but this isn't likely to happen whilst riding.

It is possible for disk brakes to pull the front wheel out, as the normal
mount position is the equivalent of reverse mounting, but much further round
the wheel. Lawyer lips normally prevent this, although the movement of the
axle as the wheel is pulled against the lips, and then pushed back, can
cause the QR adjuster to loosen. Alternatively the brake could be more
safely mounted on the front of the RH fork leg.

"renormalize" wrote in message
om...
Front side-pull brakes on SWB recumbents can interfere with the chain
path. On a bike equipped with road calipers, one might naively think
this could be solved simply by flipping the brake around and mounting
it behind the fork. (After all, the rear brake on a road bike is
mounted "backwards"!) But, to quote from an old Cyclo-Pedia catalog,
this could be dangerous:

"My first thought was to mount the brake to the back side of the front
fork, but I realized that if I applied the front brake very hard the
wheel might be pulled from the front fork dropouts by the braking
action. The front brake must be mounted on the front of the front
fork."

But how likely is this? Does moving the braking "grab point" back on
the rim a mere 3 or so inches really alter the various braking torques
enough to lead to dropout disaster?

So my real question is: how much risk do I take by reverse-mounting
my front brake to improve cable routing?

Ron

No risk at all for caliper brakes, at least of the wheel pulling out. You
could have problems with the brake fouling the down tube if the bars get
turned right round, but this isn't likely to happen whilst riding.

It is possible for disk brakes to pull the front wheel out, as the normal
mount position is the equivalent of reverse mounting, but much further round
the wheel. Lawyer lips normally prevent this, although the movement of the
axle as the wheel is pulled against the lips, and then pushed back, can
cause the QR adjuster to loosen. Alternatively the brake could be more
safely mounted on the front of the RH fork leg.

On a rim brake? Hardly. I've seen tandems with dual calipers (one in
front, one behind) a very beefy looking fork.

The issue of wheel expulsion is in regards to DISC brakes, which put the
brake pads almost directly behind the dropout. ASA rim brakes are
concerned, three inches further back would not do this. The brake/rim
interface would still be above the dropout.

- -
"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

On a rim brake? Hardly. I've seen tandems with dual calipers (one in
front, one behind) a very beefy looking fork.

The issue of wheel expulsion is in regards to DISC brakes, which put the
brake pads almost directly behind the dropout. ASA rim brakes are
concerned, three inches further back would not do this. The brake/rim
interface would still be above the dropout.

- -
"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner