Harvey Sachs wrote:
> http://ebay.com/
>
> The item for sale is a front wheel with Phil Disk Brake. My
> experience argues strongly against the use of these on the front,
> in the way it was done. The standard application wound up with
> a dished front wheel. I was very surprised when riding one on a
> fine day, starting up a hill. I suddenly had to turn the wheel
> hard, and it just crumpled. The experience (and others) left me
> with the strong belief that road front wheels need widely spaced,
> symmetrical flanges. Fronts have significant sideways loads that
> backs rarely see.
A "me too"; I watched a couple take delivery of their new tandem and buckle the front wheel within 10 seconds of climbing aboard. They turned to get off the sidewalk and into the street, and sproing, instant taco. This was a dished wheel for Phil disk, the first tandem we'd made for the Phil front at Rodriguez, I wanna say about '80-'82? We rebuilt the fork and wheel with 110mm spacing and had no more problems.
I built a tandem for Mr. Wood himself, unique in that he insisted it *not* have cantilever studs or drilled crown or brake bridge - no provision for any brakes other than the F&R Phil disks.
Harvey, can you tell if the one on ebay is the newer one with the thicker, less strippable interface between the fiber disk and the aluminum piece on the hub? Those were interesting brakes.
Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA