Rear facing front brakes
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- Posts: 44
- Joined: 2 Mar 2007, 6:37pm
Rear facing front brakes
I noticed a very tasty Condor bicycle for sale on eBay today that has rear facing front brakes. I have never come across this before and wonder if anyone has any comments. I guess they help improve the aerodynamics a little but otherwise what is the advantage?
Here it is : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Condor-Baracchi-1981-Reynolds-531-SL-Campagnolo-Classic-Road-Bike-updated-/222522819718?clk_rvr_id=1238916162008&rmvSB=true
Here it is : http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Condor-Baracchi-1981-Reynolds-531-SL-Campagnolo-Classic-Road-Bike-updated-/222522819718?clk_rvr_id=1238916162008&rmvSB=true
Re: Rear facing front brakes
I have rear facing front brakes on my tourer.
They work well.
The main advantage for me is that it leaves the area in front of the forks available for luggage.
They work well.
The main advantage for me is that it leaves the area in front of the forks available for luggage.
Re: Rear facing front brakes
As far as I know, aerodynamics are the main advantage, similar to why the rear brakes on time-trial bikes are sometimes near the chainstays rather than seatstays. There's a very small but obvious risk of a failed brake pad getting trapped between wheel and fork which makes it a strange idea if you've no other motive for it IMO.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Alf Engers aka the King in full flight. Note the front brake along with levers behind the bars. Later he changed them back to the normal position before doing the first sub 50 minute 25 in 78.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Rear facing levers run the risk of self actuating - as you start to apply the brakes your weight transfers onto them, applying them harder....
Similar to the reasoning for the ten to two driving position - as you turn into a corner your hands are 'thrown' outwards, so the ten to two is a neutrally stable, whilst twenty past seven would tend to magnify any steering input.
Similar to the reasoning for the ten to two driving position - as you turn into a corner your hands are 'thrown' outwards, so the ten to two is a neutrally stable, whilst twenty past seven would tend to magnify any steering input.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Pace used to do rear facing front brakes. Iirc they used to say that it improved performance as the brakes were pushed towards the fork rather than pulled away from them. Never noticed any difference myself.
- ChrisOntLancs
- Posts: 527
- Joined: 20 Oct 2016, 9:47pm
Re: Rear facing front brakes
ofc the forks could be on backwards
Re: Rear facing front brakes
We had them our Thorn Discovery tandem and the worked ok.
They're no different than rear brake which faces rearward
They're no different than rear brake which faces rearward
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Rear facing front brakes
all kinds of things have been tried and (temporarily) have won favour amongst time triallists. For example in the 1970s there was a fad for having the brake centre bolts brazed into a TT frameset, so that a few grammes could be saved, or something.... Reverse-facing caliper brakes were just another one of these things. They had (and indeed still have) the obvious disadvantage that the brake cable is liable to be closer to the frame and is likely to restrict the range of steering lock.
One thing that having reverse facing brakes will do is draw comment; at one time I had a bike with mudguards that regularly went into the back of the car, in pieces. It had double nuts on the brake bolts so that I could get the mudguards on and off without disturbing the brake alignment. I figured out that if I reversed the rear brake, I could more easily remove the mudguards. It all worked fine, but it did draw a surprising amount of comment from other cyclists...
cheers
One thing that having reverse facing brakes will do is draw comment; at one time I had a bike with mudguards that regularly went into the back of the car, in pieces. It had double nuts on the brake bolts so that I could get the mudguards on and off without disturbing the brake alignment. I figured out that if I reversed the rear brake, I could more easily remove the mudguards. It all worked fine, but it did draw a surprising amount of comment from other cyclists...
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Rear facing front brakes
I ran the brakes on my race bike behind the forks quite a bit as well as taping down the flying cables. I'm pretty sure these 1970's attempts at aero made all the difference at the speeds I raced at! Not enough space on most newer frames to play with stuff like this!
I currently have a touring frame set up with the rear brake ahead of the stays to stop interference with racks - seems to work okay.
I currently have a touring frame set up with the rear brake ahead of the stays to stop interference with racks - seems to work okay.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Doesn't a rear facing front brake need a longer reach, with the problems that implies? I'm using a rear facing front on my folder (Raleigh 20) as a temporary measure, since the only brake I can find in the shed is too long for the front facing position. The difference in reach between front facing and rear facing is more extreme with smaller wheels?
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Doesn't a rear facing front brake need a longer reach,
The most common rear facing brakes are on brazed on pillars which can be put at whatever height the manufacturers want.
I have them on one set of Thorn forks and not the other. I cant say I have noticed any difference other than I can fit lights much more easily with the rear facing brakes. The most likely justification that I have heard is to avoid brake squeal. Though the alternative question could be asked, what is the advantage of having them front facing?
Yma o Hyd
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Just been looking at Mercian .............
The brake arm would foul the downtube when steering to the left. It would hit at about 10deg left.
It's impossible on Moulton.
The brake arm would foul the downtube when steering to the left. It would hit at about 10deg left.
It's impossible on Moulton.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Rear facing front brakes
Yes they need a longer reach, which is why the brake pictured a drop to it like this oneRuadh495 wrote:Doesn't a rear facing front brake need a longer reach, with the problems that implies?
Re: Rear facing front brakes
tatanab wrote:Yes they need a longer reach, which is why the brake pictured a drop to it like this oneRuadh495 wrote:Doesn't a rear facing front brake need a longer reach, with the problems that implies?
I tried fitting those to my Rogers trike, but unfortunately they weren't long enough! Currently it has a canti brake on the front and a very ineffective drum brake on the the rear axle, I was wanting to add a back up to the canti that would have at least a chance of stopping me if there was a cable failure (it has happened to me, at the top of a long steep hill ). I've got a front drum brake hub now, just go to get round to building it into a wheel!
(Sorry for wandering OT...)