Dual pull brake lever + brake lever throttle?

[drewdiller]

It occurred to me the other day that I almost never brake with one wheel more than the other (yes, I know that the front does most of the work).

The exception is I use hand signals, I can only use the back brake. I don't like that. Google to the rescue, I found there are options for the completely unoriginal idea of a dual cable brake lever. Cool.

So, that leaves my left hand free.

I want to have a left hand brake lever act as a throttle. So, what level of sophistication...

A) Bind a brake cable to a regular throttle. Would look wonky and take up space. Within my means.
B) Make a cable actuated standalone throttle and mount it on the top tube or down tube. Beyond me.
C) Modify a brake lever so that all the throttle components are held within the housing, no steel cables visible. Beyond me.

Any other ideas?

 

[John in CR]

Bump something with that brake handle and get full throttle...pass. I like having 2 separate brakes, and adjust front and rear use depending upon conditions. eg With loose rocks or other slick conditions I use little if any front brake. Also, a single failure can't leave me with no brakes. I've broken a brake handle before, but the odds of breaking 2 at the same time are small enough to give no consideration. Lastly, squeezing the brake handles is now so instinctive for me that there's too much chance of hitting the gas in an emergency using a brake handle throttle. You could never allow someone else to ride your bike.

 

[dogman dan]

How about just use a left handed throttle?

 

[drewdiller]

I could get over the instinct thing, and I don't really want anyone else riding my bike, period.

But, the full-throttle-on-brushing-up-with-something problem is, yeah, I didn't think of that, f'n scary.

I'm thinking about how to solve my problems from over the winter. Some of the snow I encountered is _really_ choppy. It would do one of two things:

With a half-twist throttle, I'd get unexpected spikes of acceleration. Not fun when some of the bumps are actually made of snow lumps that have changed to lumpy ice.

I like the thumb throttle a bit more, but I feel like I'm going to lose my grip on the handlebar on accident.

Hm.

Abandoning the lever throttle idea, at any rate.