You'll probably get more than one reply to this, but here's my two cents worth:
Yes, these levers are for tandems. They are usually used to connect both
cantilever brakes to the same lever so that a drum- or disk-brake can be
connected to the other lever by itself. Of course a tandem with no hub
brake won't need this lever at all. My personal Santana tandem has this
set-up, and for years I've thought that if I ever do a complete overhaul
of this bike that I would like to put a brake lever (or two) on the
"stoker's" bars so that each brake has only one lever. Just think, it
takes about twice as much force to actuate two rim brakes by the same
amount it would with one lever per brake. Try removing the cable from
one brake sometime and see how much better the other brake works, I did.
I think that having a little bit of trust in your "stoker's" ability to
know when to use the brakes, and when not to, could prevent you from
being run into by someone who the "captain" has failed to see. I have
personally had a few close calls where I didn't see a car or something
coming, and my "stoker" did, just in time to tell me to stop or slow
down.
> Bicycle content: Bought a set of Mafac brake levers for _two_
> cables/lever today.
> Was said to be for tandem use. Bought them mostly for fun,
> experience somebody?
>
> Olof in Uppsala
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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