The detangler, Gyro or rotor is an invention for the

freestyle BMX Freestyle BMX is bicycle motocross stunt riding on BMX bikes. It is an extreme sport descended from BMX racing that consists of five disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, and flatland. In June 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced t ...

bicycle, allowing the handlebars to turn a complete 360° rotation without the brake cables getting tangled up. A detangler is usually only used for the rear brake cable. The front brake cable can be routed through the

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

, via a hollow stem bolt known as a Pott's mod bolt, and fork steer tube to avoid the tangling problem.

How it works

The single

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

from the handlebar's rear brake lever divides into two cables which are routed to opposite sides of the

or fork steer tube and into cable stops. The inner cables connect to metal tabs on a disc attached to the upper side of a

thrust bearing A thrust bearing is a particular type of rotary bearing. Like other bearings they permanently rotate between parts, but they are designed to support a predominantly axial load. Thrust bearings come in several varieties. *''Thrust ball bearings ...

placed around the stem or steer tube. Squeezing the brake lever pulls the inner cables and causes the bearing assembly to rise. A second disc is attached to the bottom of the thrust bearing such that the entire assembly moves together up and down the steering axis while each disc can rotate independently around the axis. A second set of cables are attached to tabs on this lower disc and pass through cable stops mounted on the either side of the

head tube The head tube is the part of a cycle's tubular frame within which the front fork steerer tube is mounted. On a motorcycle, the "head tube" is normally called the steering head. On bicycles the manufacturer's brand located on the head tube is kno ...

. The two lower cables merge back into one and then are routed to the rear brake. The cables are split in this way to ensure that the detangler mechanism moves equally on both sides. A simpler, less common variation of the system, termed a "dual cables" brake, does away with the splitters for the upper and lower cables, instead simply running two cables from the brake lever to the detangler and from there to the brake. While this may improve reliability, it may need more maintenance.

Advantages

*Cables do not get tangled which allows bike tricks such as the tailwhip or barspin to be performed. *If a dual-cable setup is used, mechanical friction is reduced.

Disadvantages

*Harder to set up than a single, continuous cable. *More cables to lubricate. *Dual cables decreases the flexing, but can give a rigid feel that some people do not like. *It is slightly heavier and more expensive than a conventional configuration.

References

{{reflist Bicycle parts BMX

How it works

Advantages

Disadvantages

See also

References