Why are break levers/shifters so expensive?

DipLloyd

I don't claim to know much (anything) about bike parts but why are the levers so expensive?

desweller

Market forces.

DipLloyd

If building my own bike would it be wise to just use a more downmarket lever like apex or tiagra?

rolf_f

Probably because they brake so easily.........

No practical point buying the expensive levers - do it because they are fractionally lighter, look better or tell people about the sort of kit you like to buy. Don't buy them because they'll make you a better/faster cyclist.

NickintheLakes

Rolf F wrote:

Probably because they brake so easily.........

Very good! Does my head in every time I see break when it should be brake. Easy exams have a lot to answer for.

neeb

Well, they are by far the most complex components in the groupset with the most parts. Not that all the components aren't over-priced of course.

DipLloyd

Yikes! Normally I'm a stickler for spelling errors. :oops: Off my game today...

vorsprung

reasons road levers are expensive

1) all the clever stuff with ratchets that does the "indexing" for the gears happens in the levers.

2) all road parts from all manufacturers have "groupsets" of sets of parts. They all have a cheap groupset, a slightly more expensive but still basic and a top of the range

With Shimano for instance the low end one is called "Sora", the slightly better one "Tiagra", then there is a slightly better again one called "105". There are two top of the range groupsets "Ultegra" and "Dura Ace". The "Ultegra" stuff doesn't have absolutely all the weight saving measures and might not include everything from "Dura Ace" but it is pretty much top line.

Although all the parts are similar in design the top of the range shifters will contain more expensive alloys and bits of carbon fibre. This will only save a tiny amount of weight but will put the cost up by a fantastic amount

In theory the top of the range parts are more durable than the lower end ones. Although my 105 shimano stuff seems to last approximately for ever so it's difficult to see how the Dura Ace could top this.

The top of the range stuff will be slightly better engineered too and this will cost more. The extra care in the engineering means that they might well work a bit better. It's a common opinion with bikes that if you want to build your own bike and fit your own parts it's easier to get it all set up nice with the more expensive groupsets.

SaintMark

Mountain bike brake/shifters appear to be similarly complex and have similar levels of quality/function but do not carry the outrageous price tag of their road equivalents. Are road shifters in some way more labour-intensive to put together in the factory? Probably not. I suspect they just carry a big premium for marketing reasons.

t4tomo

mountain bike brake levers just operate the breaks, the gear selector is a separte part. Road bikes have intergrated brakes and gear selectors hence more expensive. Also more middle aged dentists ride road bikes so the price of components goes up.

rolf_f

NickintheLakes wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Probably because they brake so easily.........

Very good! Does my head in every time I see break when it should be brake. Easy exams have a lot to answer for.

Why thank you sir! I was quite pleased with that myself!

I see t4tomo is covering his back by using both in one sentence!

neeb

t4tomo wrote:

mountain bike brake levers just operate the breaks, the gear selector is a separte part. Road bikes have intergrated brakes and gear selectors hence more expensive.

Although even when you add together the cost of, say an XTR brake lever and gear shifter, it is still a lot cheaper than a Dura Ace STI.

t4tomo wrote:

Also more middle aged dentists ride road bikes so the price of components goes up.

This is probably a major factor... I recently found out that my own dentist rides road bikes... At least it gives us something to talk about while he scrapes my teeth!

neeb

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