re: [CR]Campagnolo tandem brake levers? and Phil Brakes

(Example: Humor:John Pergolizzi)

Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:21:21 -0500
From: "Harvey Sachs" <hmsachs@verizon.net>
Subject: re: [CR]Campagnolo tandem brake levers? and Phil Brakes
To: leonarddiamond@verizon.net, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


Len Diamond wrote:

On the 1979 Claud Butler tandemI recently acquired there are Mafac cantilever brakes and a Phil Wood rear disc. The three brakes are controlled by 2 brake levers. Not unusual for the time. The weird thing is the brake levers are Campagnolo Nuovo Record. They appear to be factory made and not a modified set from a half bike. I know of Campy tandem cranksets but this is a new one for me. Anybody else ever see one? If not I will assume it was somehow locally modified.

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Several comments: 1) I really, really, dislike "siamese" brake levers. Too easy to lock up the rear wheel by applying both levers (rear hub on one, both rim brakes on the other, or other configs with two rear brakes). We darned near slid into a big car this way once in Oregon, riding a borrowed Jack Taylor tandem.

2) The Phil brakes are really elegant, fine eye candy. However, they MUST not be used, because they are subject to catastrophic failure. I have one disk with the engagement splines ground off (two big guys, one steep hill, myself at the brake control). The later disk design sandwiched brake material around a metal core. I have one of these, too, burnt out completely. For those who haven't seen the Phil Disk, it is a lovely machined piece whose design is much more akin to a single-plate clutch than a conventional disk brake (360 degree brake surface contact). Lots of little pieces, and muust have been ferociously expensive to make. FWIW, I love Phil's other products, which have given us great service.

The upshot is that I have inherited Phil Brakes and parts from a couple of friends. I keep the box for show-and-tell, but don't feel strong attachment to them. Our own (off-topic) tandems now have heavy, clunky, and reliable Arai brakes.

harvey sachs
mcLean va.