Current Projects chat and miscellany

I remember the classic instructions from the organiser of the Circuit of the Cotswolds - "some of the climbs are pretty steep, so you'll be needing 39/23"; anybody taking that advice without realising who the source was ended up walking. In other words, you can only give yourself gearing advice.

Why does he operate the brake on his hillclimb bike with a gear cable? Is that a very drastic WW solution?