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Tried a regular braking system on road bike was a disaster

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Adaptive Cycling: Handcycles, Amputee Adaptation, Visual Impairment, and Other Needs Have a need for adaptive equipment to ride to compensate for a disability or loss of limb or function? This area is for discussion among those of us in the cycling world that are coming back from traumatic circumstances and tell the world, "No, you are not going to beat me down!"

Tried a regular braking system on road bike was a disaster

Old 04-16-18, 02:52 PM
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BANNERMKR
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Tried a regular braking system on road bike was a disaster

So my bike coach is going to modify the road bike for one handed braking.
My cerebral palsy got in the way of using brakes normally I wound up taking a very nasty fall.
I'm nervous about one handed braking for me it will be the right hand that is used to brake. After several attempts to ride the bike two handed it became obvious that setting up for one handed braking is the only solution for a road bike. I feel like a failure, does anyone have experience with one handed braking. It seems kinda dangerous to me.
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Old 04-20-18, 04:14 PM
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jlaw
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Sorry - no experience here with one-handed braking.

But, keep on trying and hopefully you'll find something that works for you!!

Perhaps a coaster brake of some sort?

Or, maybe a 3-wheeled recumbent (2 wheels in front) would work better? This would take the balance issue out of the equation - perhaps there is a foot-actuated brake for recumbents.. ? I've seen some pretty racy 3 wheeled recumbents online.

Best of luck!
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Old 04-20-18, 04:31 PM
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Oneder
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Do they still make cranks were pedalling backwards slams on the brakes?
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Old 04-20-18, 05:10 PM
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prathmann
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I don't have any physical limitation, but hardly ever use my rear brake. Only use it on steep and long downhills if worried that the front rim&brake might overheat and on sand or other loose surfaces where the front wheel would lock easily. Of course it's also good to have a second brake in the event of an equipment failure (such as a cable snapping) that disables the primary brake.

I'd be inclined to move the front brake cable to the right lever so it's operated by your better hand. And then have a second lever (bar-end shift lever is sometimes used for this on tandems) also operated by the right hand connected to the rear brake for use on long descents or if there's a mechanical issue with the main lever.
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Old 04-21-18, 01:20 PM
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fietsbob
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a double cable brake lever was common on Tandems, front person had 3 brakes 1 lever had the rim brakes,

the other worked a drag brake, that kept the 2 people from getting too fast on long down hills ..

the trick would be the adjustments having the rear come on first, and then followed by the front

would entail the cable adjusters being set up to facilitate that..


Brifters are not so good at being set up that way But QBP does offer a cable splitter 1 cable pulls 2,

but then there remains the fitting of inline cable adjusters to make the progressive brake application functional.








....

Last edited by fietsbob; 04-21-18 at 01:25 PM.
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Old 04-21-18, 01:45 PM
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It depends on your right hand strength and coordination. If it is essentially "normal", then the one handed brakes may well be a good option. Either cable splitting, or using a "tandem" lever.

Are you using drop bars or flat bars?

I'm with @jlaw that a coaster brake may well be a good option. However, it can't be used with a derailleur, so you'd be using a coaster brake with an internal gear hub. For example, the Shimano Nexus has an 8-speed internal gear coaster brake hub.
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Old 05-20-18, 04:15 PM
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Can you not use something like this :
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Alloy...er+for+bicycle

I built a gas bike once, and used this lever for both V-brakes - You have a clutch lever on the left, with a gas bike.
It seemed to work fine - You can adjust it to balance front and rear
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