Wanted

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Cable coupler

Stephen Price2020-08-17 12:04:41

Does anyone have a cable coupler for sale? A small lozenge shaped device which allows one cable from the brake lever to operate two brakes at the same time.

 

Jon Watt2020-08-17 13:34:08
Stephen Price2020-08-23 09:45:22

Yes that’s the thing.I’m just wondering if someone has a second hand one? They seem to be about £60 new and I understand that a lot of people are taking them off old tandems as they are no longer in vogue?

Jon Watt2020-08-23 15:31:09

Oh wow, that's insane. I didn't realise they were so much.

Jon Watt2020-08-23 16:52:35

A bit of research suggests this is a common requirement in bike polo.

might not be what you're after but much cheaper.

https://onecarless.net/en/brake-levers/1375-ocl-polo-double-brake-lever.html

Stephen Price2020-08-25 09:10:40

Thanks for that- very interesting. From an engineering point of view it has to be better and it’s cheaper than the coupler!

if I get one I’ll let you know how I get on!

Martyn Aldis2020-08-26 08:47:30

If the two cables nipples house into a single pivoted stirrup it should work like the yoke used for the handbrake in a car averaging out the cable travel over a very limited range, unlike the lozenge device. I would be interesting to know how much cable pull this lever gives. First guess it is for road brakes so low pull - high mechanical advantage.

 

Stephen Price2020-08-27 16:02:27

Well I’ve just fitted the double cable brake leaver suggested by Jon. It went on extremely easily and works brilliantly! I’m afraid I was a bit lost by your technical comments, Martyn, but the lever travels about the same amount as the previous one if that helps...

What’s more, there is a ‘hand brake’ button on the lever. The only reason I was slightly reluctant to change the lever in the first place was because I would lose this feature as the tandem came with an extra lever which operated the rear calliper as a hand brake only. It just didn’t make sense to me to have a separate lever for a calliper which was otherwise redundant! It seems to be a throw back to when tandems had a third brake lever to operate a drag drum brake which has now been replaced by a disc brake. Does anybody else think that having a calliper just sat there as a hand brake is pointless or is it just me?