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The following examples of Mountain Bike Brake and Shifter
set-ups for Arm Amputees are only a few of the many possible brake &
shifter configurations.
You will see that it is possible to mix and match different
brake levers and shifters to suit your personal needs. Please note
that while buying a new bike or upgrading your old brakes, you can
swap or buy two right or left hand brake levers, which will make the
controls modification easier.
The best brake-shifter configuration is the one that suits your
disability along with your riding skills and style.
Recently, Sram, makers of the
original grip shift system, has developed a new drive train (XX1)
that uses a single front chain ring which eliminates the need of a
front shifter. Although the single front chain ring has been used by
down hill racers and free riders since the mid 1990's (see my 1999
Norco VPS set-up below), the new Sram system offers a wider range of
gears on the rear cog, which makes the system more suitable for
every day or cross country riding. Also the XX1 system comes with
your choice of grip shift or trigger shifter.
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The following pictures are of my (Victor on
History & Mission Page)
2009 Haro Sonix.
In order to accommodate all the controls, the handlebar was
changed to a wider 27" bar and the brakes were changed from Shimano
to Avid brakes, also the optical gear display was removed to
accommodate the controls. (Thanks to
Pacific Rim Bicycle
for doing the bike modifications) The controls feature
Shimano Rapid Fire
Plus shifters and Avid hydraulic brakes (Elixir R front brake and
Juicy 3.5 rear brake). A short stem was added for additional
stability and control (A shorter stem and wider handlebar slows down
the steering, making it more stable). Bar ends are used to keep the
prosthetic arm/hook from slipping off the handlebar and to rest and
relax your hand.
Click On Pictures To Enlarge.

The top shifter and brake lever operate the front
derailleur and brake. The bottom shifter and brake lever operate the
rear derailleur and brake.
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MTB-Amputee would like to thank Brodie
Bikes for supplying a 2004 Brodie Hurricane full suspension bike
for demonstration purposes.
The first picture shows the bike with original stock
parts with the exception of the bar ends and short stem. The second
picture shows the bike with the following modifications: The front
fork, rear shock, and pedals were changed from short travel cross
country style to beefier long travel free ride style, while the front brake was changed
to a Hayes due to
malfunctions caused by inverting the
Shimano hydraulic brake.
Click On Pictures To Enlarge.

The following three pictures feature
Shimano Deore 9speed
rapid rise shifters along
with Shimano hydraulic brake levers. The top shifter & brake
lever operate the front derailleur and brake while the bottom
shifter & brake lever operate the rear derailleur and brake.
Click on picture to enlarge.

You
will notice that the shifters have non removable optical gear
displays and the brake levers have remote fluid reservoirs. Although
it would be better to have the brake fluid contained in the brake
lever such as Hayes brakes and to have removable gear displays,
these pictures prove that you can use and easily adapt newer, high
end components.
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The following pictures feature the services
of Jason Place from
Pacific Rim Bicycle. Jason is seen here removing the optical
gear display from the same Shimano Deore 9spd shifter
(pictured above) as well as modifying the
gear display housing by sawing off the optical display window.
(please note, before you saw, remove the gear display indicator by
simply pulling off the small retaining spring.
Click on picture to enlarge.

Here, Jason replaces the modified gear display housing.

This picture shows the sawed off housing along with the display
indicator and retaining spring.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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The following pictures show the same
Shimano Deore 9spd controls as pictured above
except with
the optical gear display removed. (sawed off) You will notice how tightly and
close the controls fit together.
Click on picture to enlarge.

These pictures feature the same controls and set up as above
with the exception of the front brake which has been changed from a
Shimano to a
Hayes hydraulic brake. This was necessary because the
Shimano brake would occasionally develop an air lock from being
turned upside down.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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The following pictures show the controls for a right hand
set-up.
The controls feature Shimano 8-speed rapid fire shifters
& Shimano clone V-brake levers along with
Hayes
& Shimano cable actuated disc brakes.
The top lever& shifter (which are mounted upside down)
control the front brake & derailleur.
The bottom shifter & brake lever control the rear brake
& derailleur.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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The following pictures feature Hayes Hydraulic Disc Brake
Leavers combined with a Shimano XTR 8 speed shifter.
Although this set-up uses a single front ring, you
will notice a shifter pod mount included in the set-up to
accommodate a front shifter if desired.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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You can see by this picture how the hook-terminal clamps on
to the handle bar.
Click on picture to enlarge.

The following pictures feature a steering wheel adaptor made by Hosmer.
The adaptor allows you to ride with a conventional arm as well as
provides a basic release option while crashing (as opposed to being
locked on as shown above).
Click on picture to enlarge.

The following pictures show how easy it is to use a conventional arm
with the adaptor. Please note that the arm pictured below has had
several minor modifications made to it in order to make it safer for
riding. For more info on the arm visit the
Prosthetic
Modifications page
Click on picture to enlarge.

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The following pictures show a new 8spd
Shimano XT shifter with an optical gear display. In order to fit all
the controls on one side, you must remove the optical
display. Please note that not all shifters have removable display
units. Also you can remove the display unit from some, but not all, Shimano 9spd
shifters.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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The following picture and information was submitted
by Jeremy Gordon.
HI, I'm a one armed mtb biker and I use a PVC cup
puttied onto a bar end and just put my stump in the cup (I'm below
right elbow) . I've attached pictures of the set up I've got on my
flat bar roadie. In terms of bike tips, I have a Rohloff hub which
is a just a grip shift that provides full 27 speed gear range with
only one front ring and an internal geared rear hub. I can recommend
it. Cheers Jeremy Gordon, Sydney Australia
Click on picture to enlarge.

Stay tuned for more pictures and information.
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The following pictures and information were
contributed by Paco Diaz de León.
Here are some pictures of one of my mountain bikes,
it has hydraulic disc brakes, this set up works perfect, I brake the
rear wheel with my index finger and the front wheel with my middle
finger. As soon as possible I will send you more pictures of my
mechanical disc brake mtb and my road bike as well as my prosthesis
which I also designed.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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The following pictures and information were
contributed by Oli Sparrow:
I just came across your website and thought you may
be interested in a product I am currently developing.
Essentially, it is a hydraulic lever that operates in two planes to
give both individual and simultaneous control of the brakes.
Individual control being very important for more active riding
disciplines (DH XC Trials etc)
I am not at liberty to discuss the workings further but its ok if
you work it out for yourself.
I have attached a couple of pictures of the design as it stands.
For more information you can contact Oli.
Oli Sparrow I DESIGN PROFESSIONAL E-Mail:
oli.sparrow@ntlworld.com
Web: www.olisparrow.co.uk
Click on pictures to enlarge.

A quick update, I'm in the closing stages of
product development and prototyping of the brake lever i showed you
before.
Here is a link to my portfolio website and the preliminary info +
prototype pictures of the design:
http://olisparrow.co.uk/HTM/ProductDesign.html I should have a
perfect working prototype in a matter of weeks, I'll let you know
how it works out. Regards Oli
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Pyramid offers a single lever dual pull cable brake
that operates both brakes with one lever. They are available through
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The following pictures and information was
contributed by Raulillo.
Hi, I am attaching some pictures for upload in your
web; I have a disability in my right hand and use the brake levers
and shifters with my left hand in my bike.
Both brake levers are placed in parallel; a lever is on the
handlebar and the other is on clamp of a Cinelli Spinaci road
extension for time trial.
The front derailleur is operated by a trigger shifter and the rear
derailleur is operated by a twist shifter (grip shift type).
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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The following pictures and information was
contributed by Charles Holden.
Recently I started mountain biking again on some
pretty steep trails, having only a rear v brake was a limiting
factor, I bought a new Santa Cruz with Shimano disks to see how a
disk brake would help, I boiled the fluid and again had some
moments, after looking around and not finding any good solutions I
made up my own, and now run both the front and rear disks off of the
same lever, I haven’t ridden enough hills yet to know if I need to
adjust the front to rear bias, but if I need to, I think the best
solution will by changing rotor size and pad composition.
I have attached pictures as I have not seen this anywhere else and
was all over the web prior to attempting this. So far on the rides I
have been on this set-up has worked remarkably well, I will try the
Ridge Trail at Montano de Oro next week for the torture test.
Please pass this along as it may be of benefit to someone else.
Charles Holden
charlesholden@earthlink.net
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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If you are looking for hydraulic brake splitters,
you may want to check out R-One (manufacture of off road wheel
chairs).
http://www.r-onefourcross.com/
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The following information and pictures were
submitted by Ashley Smith.
I am a final year student at Birmingham city
University in the UK, I am currently working on a design project
based on designing a set up for a rider who only has the use of one
arm. I also work in a cycle shop (part time now, although i was full
time for 7 years) anyhow, last year i had a customer approach me
about finding a solution for his son (who had very limited use of
the left had side of his body) I i converted a profile design STI
adapter to allow brake cables to fit inside it, giving us a 2-1
adapter and also used the usual trick with the shifters. I have a
couple of friends who have similar conversions too, so this is a
subject that is close to my heart.
Many thanks Ashley Smith



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The following picture and information was
contributed by Jeff Cohen.
This brake splitter is used for racing motorcycles with doubled sided drum brakes, and is one cable in and two out. The cable ends used are 5/16 inch diameter.
Click on picture to enlarge.

As the input is 100% and the outputs are 50% each,
there may be suitability issues for use in a system operating front and rear brakes simultaneously. Perhaps someone may be able to work out some way of utilizing this with a spring mounting incorporated into the rear cable to lower the pull to prevent locking under emergency braking conditions.
(There are such devices used on comfort/touring style peddle bikes)
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For information on hydraulic brake splitters, you
can contact the people at:
http://www.r-onefourcross.com/products.html
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The following photos are of Justin Black along with
several engineering students that developed this bike for use with
one arm only. Their design recently tied for first at an university
engineering competition.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

For more information visit:
www.umd.umich.edu/univ/ur/press_releases/
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The following two pictures were submitted by Ky Nam Tran who is
featured on the Suggestions From
The Net page. If you would like more information on Ky Nam
visit: http://b2r.free.fr?lang=1

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The following photos were contributed by David
Green who is an above left elbow amputee. The modifications were
made by JT Cycles in Salisbury South Australia.
The right hand controls which include the stock
Shimano EF29 8 speed rear shifter that came with the bike, are
combined with a 3 speed trigger shifter that operates the front. The
tandem brake set-up, which uses a throttle cable joiner from a
Triumph motorcycle, controls the front & rear brakes and is operated
by a Shimano V-brake lever.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

Since I posted photos of my previous bike (stolen whilst
shopping) I have replaced it with an Avanti Barracuda which has shimano hydraulic disc brakes and 27 speed shimano gearing. I had the bike shop replace the left shifter with a 3 spd thumb shift fitted to the right hand bar end and also replace the left brake lever with another right hand lever which was fitted above the original right brake lever (2 RH brake levers)
The bottom for the back brake and the top for front brake.
I have found this system works very well and gives me independent braking from either wheel.
I have also purchased a fitness cycle (road hybrid) which is an Avanti Blade Elite I have also modified this bike in the exact same way as my Barracuda.

For more information you can contact David at:
halfarm@bigpond.com
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The following pictures were contributed by Barry
Simmons-Stuber, the father of Molly Simmons-Stuber who is featured
on the Arm Amputees page. If you would
like more information on Molly's arm or bike set-up, check out
Prosthetic
Modifications or visit her webpage at: www.amp-info.net/BikePros.htm
Click on pictures to enlarge.

Molly's 21speed bike features a Sram
7 speed grip shift
for the rear derailleur along with a ProMax single lever tandem brake
set-up pictured below, that works both brakes with one lever.

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The following information was submitted by Matthew Potts and
Michael Potts.
This adaption was made for my brother who Was in a motorcycle
accident and suffered from a Brachial plexus injury which completely
disabled his right arm from the shoulder down. I adapted his mtn
bike for him . Using the original Shimano xt hydraulic disc brakes
with rapid rise shifter brake lever combination for the left side
(front brake and shifter.) vintage 2004. For the rear shifter i used
a Sram xo grip shifter and turned it upside down to, allow mounting
on left side. For the rear brake i connected inline to the front
brake using a line slitter made out of an aluminum block with 3
holes drilled and tapped to accept standard shimano brake fittings
provided by our friend at 3 ring cycles in San Anselmo CA. I mounted
the splitter about 8 inches down the front and split it off to the
rear. Bleeding required some effort. I had to bleed the system about
3 times from the caliper up rear first then front then rear and so
on. Before delivering to my brother I tested it on ELDRIDGE grade on
the North side of Mt Tamalpais in Marin County . It proved to work
very well and the brakes worked even in steep rocky down hills . We
are exited to ride and this sight gives us inspiration. Thanks so
much for the inspiration. For more information you can contact
Matthew and Michael Potts at:
mvpotts1@yahoo.com
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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The following pictures were contributed by Stephen
Burke, who lives in Calgary and works with the Para Cycle program at
the Olympic Oval. He is also involved with the National Team and has
been coaching various Para Cycle athletes for over 10 Years now. The
pictures are of Jay Milley's Bike. Jay is a 4 limb amp who Stephen
has been coaching for 4 years now...he should be on the national
team in 1-2 more years, in time for London in 2012...he has 2 Below
Knee, 1 Below Elbow and his only hand has 2 fingers and no thumb.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

For more information you can contact Stephen Burke
at the Olympic Oval National Cycling Center in Calgary, AB, Canada.
Phone
403-220-8008
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If you would like to see more bike modifications for arm
amputees visit William Craig's website: http://www.prostheticarm.com
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For information on Mert Lawwill's riding hand and
handle bar adaptor visit:
MertsHands.org
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For information on the Hopey steering dampener
which slows down and stabilizes steering and control of the
handlebar. Visit Hopey Steering
Damper
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For double (bilateral) arm amputees looking for a
cruiser style bike with gears, Schwinn's Vera Cruz model offers a
coasting 3 speed with internal automatic gear shifting and rear
coaster brake.
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Hi,
Just a couple of photos of my brake setups.
Cheers, Ed
 
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Asama bicycles offers a single lever dual stop
linear pull brake lever for cable actuated brakes.
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News & Events
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Sram has designed a new drive-train that uses a
single front chain ring and a single rear shifter/deraileur. The
system is called XX1, and includes either a grip shift or trigger
shifter. For more info visit
Sram
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SureStop has developed a single lever ABS
(anti-lock) brake system for bicycles that operates both brakes with
one lever. For more information, visit
www.surestop.bike
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The following examples of Mountain Bike shoes and pedals for Leg
Amputees are only a few of the many different possible shoe-pedal
configurations.
You will see that it is possible to mix and match different
shoes and pedals to suit your personal needs.
The best shoe-pedal configuration is the one that suits your
disability along with your riding skills and style.
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Kurt Yaeger, a former professional freestyle BMX rider who has
competed in the X-Games, and a recent below knee amputee, has been
using and highly recommends a new pedal system that uses magnets to
hold your foot on the pedal.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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Mountain Racing Products (MRP) manufactures Power Grip Pedals, which
is a pedal system that uses a single strap that attaches diagonally
across the pedal. The pedals are much easier to get in and out of in
comparison to standard toe clips or most clip less pedals.
Click on picture to enlarge.

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Dan Mead along with fellow Prosthetist Bill Buston,
have come up with a hinged crank arm that allows leg amputees and
those suffering from limited range of movement in their knee to
pedal.
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The following photos were contributed by Jan
Barlage, who is featured on the
Leg
Amputees page. He created this device to assist above knee
amputees while going down stairs or steeps. The device, which was
made by Tony Barela in Luxemburg, allows the rider to lock or hold
the crank arm and pedal in a level position.

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The following pictures are of Steve Middleton. Steve, an avid outdoorsman and runner, was cycling home from work on Sept 11/2000. A truck
traveling towards him in the wrong lane struck him head on.
You can see by these pictures that it is possible
to mix different pedals and if you wanted, different shoes. Steve
uses a clip less pedal & shoe system for his prosthetic leg and
an old fashion toe clip for his good leg.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

You can email Steve at: saam@shaw.ca
or check out his website at: More
Than Mobility
for more information on Steve's leg and knee components.
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The following pictures are of Alexander
"Yankee" Malyshev who was born and lives in Moscow,
Russia. Although Alexander lost his leg in 1999, he has been an avid
mountain biker and cyclist since 1993. As you can see by the photos,
the only modification Alexander uses is a toe clip for his
prosthetic foot/leg.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

If you would like more information on Alexander you
can email him at: kiborg-yankee3000@yandex.ru
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The following picture and information was submitted by Susan
Murray.
I am an above the knee amputee road bicyclist. I road for 15
years with my prosthesis on, hating every sitting minute. I wanted
the freedom to stand up, to get the power from standing and thus
designed this adaptation for my bike. Now I wear a prosthesis with a
Ferrier coupler and before getting on the bike, take off the bottom
half of the leg. This way I can "stand" on the platform I built and
really power for miles and miles. I LOVE biking now! Susan.
Click on pictures to enlarge.

For more pictures and information check out the Leg Amputees
page or email Susan at:
smurray039@aol.com
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I am Howie Cohen, consultant for Rotor System Cranks of Madrid, Spain. Rotor Cranks eliminate the dead spot in the pedaling rotation of a
bike. The dead spot is that position wherein no power can be delivered to the rear wheel. The dead spot occurs twice in each 360 degree rotation of the cranks; when one crank is pointing straight down at 6 o’clock & the other crank is pointing up at 12 o’clock. The dead spot impedes the performance of all bicyclists but can be more debilitating to a cyclist with an amputated portion of the leg. It has been proven that the Rotor System Cranks enable bicyclists to enhance their athletic
performance. In addition to enhancing performance through the mechanical innovation, Rotors eliminate knee soreness caused by pedaling with the dead
spot. The Rotor requires that the cyclist use the larger muscles in the upper thigh & almost eliminates the use of the knee muscles & tendons for applying power to the rear wheel. Pedaling while standing is very smooth & powerful in comparison to the traditional crank systems.
Mr. Joe Sapere, an amputee bicyclist from Chesapeake, VA wrote, “The cranks are turning and I couldn’t be happier and I am excited about being able to stand in the pedals on our ride next year”. Joe is a member of the Amputees Across America group.
We are a small company with a passion for bicycle & bicycling. We can offer financial assistance for our product when such assistance is needed.
There is nothing like having first hand “on the road, trail and/or hill” experience. Rotors are always sold with a 100% satisfaction or money back
guarantee and come in crank lengths 155, 165, 170, 172.5, 175 & 180. We can and do mix the crank length sizes to custom fit bicyclists with special
needs. You can see more information on these two websites:
Rotor-America.com-collections-road-cranks (one of our online
resellers) Rotorbike.com (our factory website in Spain)
Sincerely, Howie Cohen, Rotor USA howie@rotorbike.com
telephone (970) 453-2989 or cell (970) 389-7082
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The following suggestion was made by Ricardo Rueda.
Dear sirs,
A few days ago I met this guy who invented this double traction bike and thought it might help some amputees. Take a look at the link:
http://patmarinvent.com/index.php?mi=2
Cheers,
Ricardo Rueda.
PS: I think the website is not very clear telling how does it work, but the upper part of the fork swings a little bit and that’s how traction gets to the front wheel.
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The following suggestion was contributed by Alan
Roberts who has 20+ years of technical/medical fabricating
experience and has been riding bikes off-road long before they
started calling them 'mountain bikes'. Alan recommends visiting the
following website which contains information on a company that
produces the 'mountain drive' bottom bracket gear reductions which
could be very helpful for leg amputees. http://www.schlumpf.ch/md_engl.htm
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The following photos were contributed by Stacy Kohut
from R-One, makers of off road wheelchairs. For more
information visit;
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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The following information was submitted by Ben
King.
I've just completed a bike for my brother which I
think could be useful for some people who may visit your site! It is
a 3 wheeled recumbent which combines a normal sports chair as the
seat and the wheelchair wheels as the bike wheels. The wheels are
braked by fixed discs which stay with the bike when the chair is
removed. I have also built the brakes so that when actuated sideways
the back wheel is braked and when you pull, both front wheels are
actuated. If you pull up hard, all 3 wheels will be braked.
Anyway...lots more features, just thought the idea may be useful for
some others too?
Cheers
Ben
Click on pictures to enlarge.

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Berkelbike
recumbent & hand cycles
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Stay tuned for future updates and additions.
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