Tom Martin asked:
Is that an On Topic disc brake I see on the rear phil hub?
I consider it on topic. Unless my eyes and memory fool me badly (50:50 proposition), it is an early Shimano disc assembly, and I believe it is the model that Bill Boston (sometimes on this list) used on his prototype tandem, an incredibly elegant machine I first saw at TOSRV in 1975 or 76.
I never used that model, but its successor, the Shimano "E," was quite good when set up correctly; we used it on Schwinn Town & Country tandems and a triple, too. Certainly more durable than the Phil.
harvey sachs
mcLean va