New Brake Lever for Off Road Handcycle
Spent the late afternoon and night working on a prototype brake lever that folks with limited hand function (specifically limited grip strength) could use. The proto is archaic but the idea shows some promise. 
Spent the late afternoon and night working on a prototype brake lever that folks with limited hand function (specifically limited grip strength) could use. The proto is archaic but the idea shows some promise.
hey, Jake I have thought of this before too – how about a disc routed to a thumbshifter? tandem bicycles have used this as stoker option for years…….
I guess as long as the thumb shifter lever could be replaced with a longer lever that could work great (as long as I’m understanding you). I’m sure I’m not the first to come up with some of this stuff. The recumbent off road handcycle we are building is going to require some “trick” components for all the different levels of injured riders.
yes, exactly. or maybe a twist shifter to a BB-7? Adaptive stuff is as custom as it gets, huh?
From Sheldon Brown: QUOTE: Friction Control Drag Brake
The most common, and most satisfactory system is to set up the rim brakes, one to each conventional brake lever, and operate the hub brake by a friction-type derailer shifter. This may be a “Barcon”, a mountainbike-type thumb shifer, or a Sun Tour Command Shifter.
A friction-type shifter allows the captain to set the hub brake to apply the desired amount of drag, even once he or she has let go of the hub brake control. the captain then uses both hands on the rim brakes to modulate the bike’s speed, and to stop if it becomes necessary.
……….END QUOTE – and it works as a parking brake, too…..