sapporoguy

I'm toying with the idea of swapping in a hydraulic caliper for the rear of our S&S coupled Co-Motion Speedster Co-Pilot. Does anyone have hydraulics on your coupled tandem?
I'm not looking for a discussion on how well the brake works but how well it travels:
-How do you handle the brake line when you've got the bike apart? Perhaps remove the caliper and coil the line with the handlebars/master?
-How do you affix the line to the frame so it's easily removed and reattached?
-Has the setup caused trouble when packing, unpacking--leakage, breakage, etc.--or is it relatively trouble-free?
Thanks.

DangerousDanR

My tandem is setup as a flat bar touring bike. I am using Hope V4 brakes, which are their downhill mountain bike brakes. I remove the complete brake system (front and rear) and put it in a leak proof container even though I have never had a brake fluid leak. Takes very little time. I do run external hoses with Velcro straps to keep them in place, and I don't care what they look like.

For a drop bar bike you might need to pack the whole brake assembly with the handlebars. I would put them in a kayaker's dry bag just to make sure that any leaks are contained.

There are also a lot of quick connect dry brake couplers in the motorcycle and auto racing world. I have used similar couplers on a "Jaws of Life" in my fire / rescue days, and they work very well, with very little fluid loss when connecting or disconnecting. That might require a bit of machine tool work to create the correct fittings for bicycle brake lines.

act0fgod

I just bought di2 hydraulic shifters and brakes for our coupled tandem last week. I think I'm going to buy some hydraulic brake line couplers.

HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE COUPLER — TI CYCLES FABRICATION

Universal Cycles -- TRP Hydraulic Hose Coupler Kit [ABOT000757]

Haven't tried them yet so can't provide input on how well they work.

Alcanbrad

I believe the couplers in the links are for just coupling lines together. Thay are are not intended for quick disconnect .

I have been on the lookout for a viable solution to run hydraulic on our coupled tandem and have not found one yet. Removing the entire brake subsystem as DangerousDanR does is doable, but having to futz around to align the calipers each time is too much of a hassle for me.

OneIsAllYouNeed

Here’s a packing video for a coupled Chinook tandem with hydraulic disc brakes.
https://fb.watch/49e-Si23lD/

Note that coupled Chinooks use an IS rear disc mount plus IS to post-mount adapter. By removing the adapter to pack the bike, the caliper alignment isn’t affected.
Removing the hose clips, coiling the hose, and Velcro strapping the caliper to the handlebar takes a few minutes more than unscrewing a cable disconnect. I haven’t had any trouble packing or traveling with a coupled bike with hydro brakes.

As an aside, the previously linked hose couplers are used to lengthen a hose. They don’t seal when disconnected. No 22 bikes use some proper sealing disconnects for hydraulic hoses.

fooferdoggie 

this guy though I noticed the price has doubled works fantastic to get them lined up fast. push the pistons in a little bit clamp it in place with the lever and tighten the bolts and your done.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SQTRXK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

LV2TNDM

It seems pretty straightforward:
1) Remove caliper(!) and coil up the line and store with the handlebars. Storing in plastic bags seems prudent. As would a disc brake pad chock to prevent lever and piston motion while away from the rotor. (Heck, just visit the LBS and pick up a used, broken rotor and cut into convenient "chock-sized" pieces!)
2) Use zip ties. Cut when packing, attach fresh ones when building (or if you cut the proper end, combine two used ones to save on extras). Or velcro tape.

This seems like it should make hydraulic pretty straightforward, if not a bit more work at packing & unpacking time.

longpete

I
*remove calipers
*roll up the hose and attach it with tape
*put something(littlle plastic thing comes with the brakes most of the time, but anything will do) between the pistons
*close the levers with a gummi ring attached to the bar so that when turning the bike upside down no air can get in the system)
*take two seringues and a bit of oil with u, in case air gets in the system

DangerousDanR

I forgot to mention that I block the pads with some little plastic spoon thingies that are included with fruit sorbet we buy at Costco. I turn into a weight weenie when we fly with the tandem, because our cases get very close to 50 lbs. each.

act0fgod

Thanks. I also saw the No22 version that is referenced in the thread but those are $250. Rolling them up with the handlebars seems like the way I'll be going, when we get to travel again.

akexpress 

Rolled up with handlebars at least 20 times on our coupled tandems (Di2). Reusable velcro straps are your friend. Calfee has hose guides that allow removal of the lines. Remount Caliper squeeze the brake lever and tighten bolts. Ride Never an issue Actually makes packing the bike easier as the handlebar with lines coiled on it is completely free of the rest of the bike and fits in the cases better.

sapporoguy

Thanks, and to others who responded. This is just what I wanted. I could guess that rolling with bars was the best way to do it, but I wanted testimonials from tandemers who'd actually done it to see if there are any unexpected gremlins. I'm a big fan of velcro and have a roll of it I cut off to keep straps up and down my bike tubes.

DangerousDanR

I use these. You can carry a few spares on tour. Hardware stores, Wally, Amazon. No cutting needed. Each tie is one piece.

Alan_F

We have Shimano Di2 w/ hydraulic disks on our coupled DaVinci. It was built with open cable/hose guides that secure the brake line with a zip tie. When packing the bike I cut 3 zip ties along the bottom of the bike, remove the caliper from the frame, and roll up the hose. The caliper stays with the front triangle, stuffed in an old sock that is then placed in one of the front bottle cages. Our bike only breaks in half and travels in a single-bike case, so we have lots of room to spare and don't have to remove the bottle cages for packing.

These are post-mount brakes, and I remove the two bolts securing the post to the frame when removing them, not the two bolts that secure the caliper to the post. I did that the other way one time and regretted it when it was time to reassemble. There isn't that much range of motion for the post to frame connection, so everything lines up pretty easily if I just loosely reattach the caliper, apply the brakes, and then tighten the post to the frame. When I removed the other bolts it took a lot longer to get everything lined up again as there is a lot more adjustment possible in the caliper to post connection on our setup.

PeakBoy

Leakless couplings are available. I recall seeing this being suggested, but have not seen it done in the wild.
One option:

https://www.staubli.com/en-gb/connec...ngs/hydraulic/

Certainly some weight penalty and cost.
Removing the calliper and rolling up the hose is going to be cheaper!

fooferdoggie 

yes but would they all little air when you put them together?

DangerousDanR

We had quick connect lines on the Jaws of Life tools we used for our fire department and they did not let air in or fluid out. But all fire and rescue equipment is built with performance in mind first, and cost somewhere down the line in terms of requirements.

rocknrollin

As OneIsAllYouNeed pointed out, there is a bike-specific version sold by No22: https://22bicycles.com/products/brak...lic-disconnect
Theoretically there should not be any air influx during reconnection. Practically the small amount that gets in can be neglected (at least for several uses).

Any other, not bike-related connectors (e.g. the ones from Staubli) should be matched to the correct brake line diameter and fluid. Otherwise you risk that your brakes don't work properly, or the seals are dissolved by the fluid.
If somebody figured out a reliable combination, i would appreciate the information.

Philly Tandem

I have the TRP HY/RD mechanical-hydro brakes on my coupled Co-Motion single bike. I think they are the best of both worlds: hydro power and modulation, with mechanical ease of setup and the ability to still run cable splitters for easy disassembly and use with standard road levers. I definitely recommend them! https://trpcycling.com/product/hyrd/

PeakBoy

As I understand it no. These connectors are used for bleed free changes to the likes of F1 brakes and racing sports car engines.
Probably needs someone to test the theory. It’s also worth considering that travel in an aircraft hold is quite demanding on fluid systems (low pressure and temperature).

fooferdoggie 

ya but it may work. though I wonder if they go down that small? fit may be an issue.

twocicle

We have traveled plenty with our Shimano Di2 Hydraulic brakes. IMO, using a mineral oil based (non-toxic) system is by far the least headache and safer all round.

The key things to avoid:
- do not disconnect your hoses from the brake levers or calipers. Doing so is prone to leaks and getting air in the system. Leave the system closed/sealed.
- do not kink the hydraulic hose
- prevent the brake pads from getting squeezed together by inserting some form of pad blocking (usually provided with each caliper).

Removing the brake calipers from the frame is a simple task, as is re-aligning them upon install. Just get your caliper mount bolts close to snug then back off 1/4 turn, squeeze and hold the brake lever, tighten the caliper mounting bolts, test spinning the wheel.

If your rotor gets a little warped in transit, use a crescent wrench (adjustable spanner) or an actual rotor tool to bend the rotor back to its original flat shape.

I always take a small bottle of brake fluid in our travel kit of tools and parts, plus a bleed kit and at least 2 sets of extra pads. You just never know when you'll need it or may just want to adjust the lever feel.