Adding top mount brake levers to drop bars with STIs?

Todd Sweeney
Posts: 117
Hello - any advice that you can give on the below would be greatly appreciated.
I am looking to buy my son one of these:
http://www.ashcycles.com/site/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4873&language=en
However, as he is only 8 I would like to add some cyclocross style top mount brake levers to the bars, in addition to the 8-speed STI shifters it comes with (more for my piece of mind than anything else!)
Is this doable? If so, can anyone recommend some top mount brake levers that I should use, and also advise on whether installing them is something that I can do myself, or whether I should take it to the LBS? I do basic maintenance on my bikes, and have changed chains, cassettes, chainsets etc, but nothing more complex than that.
Thanks in advance.
I am looking to buy my son one of these:
http://www.ashcycles.com/site/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4873&language=en
However, as he is only 8 I would like to add some cyclocross style top mount brake levers to the bars, in addition to the 8-speed STI shifters it comes with (more for my piece of mind than anything else!)
Is this doable? If so, can anyone recommend some top mount brake levers that I should use, and also advise on whether installing them is something that I can do myself, or whether I should take it to the LBS? I do basic maintenance on my bikes, and have changed chains, cassettes, chainsets etc, but nothing more complex than that.
Thanks in advance.
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Comments
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Yes, it is doable, all cyclo cross bikes have them.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cane-Creek-Cros ... =Froogle01
this is an example, but you can find cheaper ones. All you need to do is to cut the outer cable and put a couple of ferrules. As you are dealing with brakes, make sure you try them out before considering the job done. In particular squeeze the brakes hard to make sure the ferrules have gone all the way down the outer cableleft the forum March 20230 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:Yes, it is doable, all cyclo cross bikes have them.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cane-Creek-Cros ... =Froogle01
this is an example, but you can find cheaper ones. All you need to do is to cut the outer cable and put a couple of ferrules. As you are dealing with brakes, make sure you try them out before considering the job done. In particular squeeze the brakes hard to make sure the ferrules have gone all the way down the outer cable
Excellent - thanks very much!0 -
I don't think I'd bother, it's great that you're wqilling to spend a reasonable amount on your son for a "real" road bike but if sti levers with built in brakes work for everyone else then why wouldn't he manage with them?0
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Keith, 8yr olds struggle to reach full size drop bar brake levers, unless they have huge hands. even the inserts for pushing the levers closer are not that good and take away some of the range, so likely to bottom out.
I'd fit the cross-top levers. at least they are a bail-out position if he is trying to user the normal brake leversRecipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.0