As I mentioned under ‘Initial Modifications’, my 0136 bike was set up for caliper brakes vs. the standard cantilevers when I purchased it. I used that brake arrangement on my Avatar’s maiden cross-country ride in 1985 from Portland, Oregon to the Big Horn Mtns in Wyoming. The brakes performed satisfactorily with the exception of handling the long, sometimes 7-mile descents from some of the passes. I felt that the brakes/rims were getting too hot and as a precaution, found myself stopping several times to allow them to cool to a degree.
That following winter I decided to try adapting a Phil Wood disc brake for the next year’s ride. With the bulk of the weight of a loaded recumbent on the rear wheel putting more braking requirement on the rear brakes, I decided to retain the rear caliper in addition to the disc brake. This had the added benefit of eliminating the front caliper entirely. This resulted in less clutter up front.
My 1986 ride from Colorado to Virginia was not the best test considering the lack of huge mountains. But, the brake set-up seemed to work great and subsequent trips out west proved to validate the combination. Now, I could cruise down long grades and simply alternate braking to help slow the descents without fear of overheating.
Over the years, of course, the industry has developed much lighter disc brake set-ups and perhaps more efficient. I’ll be the first to admit that I really know nothing about modern disc brake arrangements. As I’ve said, I tend to be one that sticks with what works. And, I suppose the Phil Wood brake may be a collector’s item by now! I have two complete units, so I personally have no reason to consider changing. These two units will long outlast me.
……Back