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General Category >> Technical >> Longer-throw disc brake levers?
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Message started by FlyingLaZBoy on Oct 6^th, 2012, 7:58am

Title: Longer-throw disc brake levers?
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Oct 6^th, 2012, 7:58am

As mentioned elsewhere, I find the ever-present disc brake rubbing problem irritating, a little bit on my Xstream front, but especially on our Seavo tandem. It's got Avid BB7 brakes with 203 rotors, and Avid 'Digit 7' levers... anybody know enough about disc brakes to recommend a compatible lever with a longer throw?

Title: Re: Longer-throw disc brake levers?
Post by Bud_Bent on Oct 6^th, 2012, 8:26am

The Avid disc brakes I've seen were either BB5's or BB7's (unless you have Elixir hydraulic discs). The BB7's have an adjustment on the non-moving side that the BB5's don't, so you can better tweak the adjustment on them. Avid Speed Dials are good levers to use with either. You'll adjust the Speed Dial levers for the longest pull, using them with disc brakes.

I've seen Avid Single Digit 7 v-brakes, but never Single Digit 7 levers or disc brakes. Where are you reading the Single Digit 7?

Edit: The RANS page on the Seavo says BB7 disc brakes and "Avid Digit 7 Aux". Does it have both a disc and v-brake on the rear wheel, like the photo suggests?

Title: Re: Longer-throw disc brake levers?
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Oct 6^th, 2012, 8:54am

Bud_Bent wrote:

I've seen Avid Single Digit 7 v-brakes, but never Single Digit 7 levers or disc brakes. Where are you reading the Single Digit 7?

Edit: The RANS page on the Seavo says BB7 disc brakes and "Avid Digit 7 Aux". Does it have both a disc and v-brake on the rear wheel, like the photo suggests?

Yep, my mistake, the "Digit 7" is for the emergency "honey you're going too fast" drag brake...

Title: Re: Longer-throw disc brake levers?
Post by Bud_Bent on Oct 6^th, 2012, 1:07pm

Ah, I've never seen a rim drag brake before.

The key with adjusting BB7 disc brakes is getting the non-moving side adjusted. Pull the brake lever while watching the disc brake and see which side moves. Now, go to the other side and adjust it in until it starts rubbing the rotor, then back it off just enough to clear. If that non-moving side has too much clearance, it's hard to get good brakes without having the other side rub all the time. That's what makes BB5's so hard to adjust (and makes them not worth buying, IMO), the fact that there is no adjustment on the non-moving side.

Title: Re: Longer-throw disc brake levers?
Post by Opus the Poet on Oct 8^th, 2012, 5:13pm

The trick is to adjust the adjustable to just touching the disc, then back off the bolts holding the caliper to the adapter a quarter turn so the caliper can move and pull the brake handle to get the caliper re-centered on the disc. Hold the brake handle while snugging the bolts back up and you get zero drag with a short lever pull. That's from the manual that came with my brakes (that I need to install on Blue).