A question of practicality

gtvlusso

So, due to my various knee injuries I am converting the 'fixie' into and SS.

As I am adding a rear brake I need to ask a question of practicality and use of the style hive mind. I use drop handlebars at the moment.

A, Add a left dia compe BMX lever to the handlebars, kinda like this:



B, Replace the current BMX lever with Aero brake levers on the drops, like this and tape up:



I can't decide....

cookdn

gtvlusso wrote:

So, due to my various knee injuries I am converting the 'fixie' into and SS.

As I am adding a rear brake I need to ask a question of practicality and use of the style hive mind. I use drop handlebars at the moment.

A, Add a left dia compe BMX lever to the handlebars.

B, Replace the current BMX lever with Aero brake levers on the drops and tape up.

I can't decide....

My vote is aero brake levers as they give you an additional hand position by riding on the hoods I have suicide levers on the CX and almost never use them in preference to the brake levers on the drops.

Regards

dhope

I'm not sure the pink fork and stays will go with the sports jacket.

I've got normal levers on my fixed rather than cross levers. Have got two levers despite just a front brake because I think it looks odd with just the one. I'm not a fan of the BMX levers simply because I prefer being on the hoods or drops even when filtering.

bigmat

Depends how much you like riding on the tops. I'd go with the aero brakes I think as do most of my riding in the drops / on the hoods.

veronese68

cookdn wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

So, due to my various knee injuries I am converting the 'fixie' into and SS.

As I am adding a rear brake I need to ask a question of practicality and use of the style hive mind. I use drop handlebars at the moment.

A, Add a left dia compe BMX lever to the handlebars.

B, Replace the current BMX lever with Aero brake levers on the drops and tape up.

I can't decide....

My vote is aero brake levers as they give you an additional hand position by riding on the hoods I have suicide levers on the CX and almost never use them in preference to the brake levers on the drops.

Regards

This.
Oh, and bad knees? You old git.

gtvlusso

Advice accepted; Aero brake levers it is.

Another decision is required, which handlebar shape and should I go for vintage levers or 'new' levers? I use a MEX shape on my racing bike.....so, this is more a question of style!

options:

Mex Shape:


Ergo Shape:


Vintage levers have the cable exiting the top of the lever - New levers have the cable exiting at the back of the lever and need taping.

markchalmers

I don't think I could ride without hoods anymore. And also If you ride with drop bars I could not imagine having to drop back to the brakes at the top of the bar crazy!!!

iPete

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

rjsterry

Ergo bars are an abomination [unjustifedprejudice/]. Old-style bars every time, especially considering your penchant for vintage. Ergo bars with vintage levers would look as wrong as upward pointing stems.

notsoblue

iPete wrote:

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

Out of interest, do bull horns have any benefit over just using the hoods on drop bars?

jedster

i reckon that cross bar levers on a drop bar bike are an absurd affectation rather like having flat bars narrower than your shoulders or neon coloured deep rims - fine if you want to look like a Hoxton Hipster Tw@t but otherwise best avoided

veronese68

notsoblue wrote:

iPete wrote:

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

Out of interest, do bull horns have any benefit over just using the hoods on drop bars?

I'd think you'd be able to pull the brakes harder as you're hand is working at a better angle.

markchalmers

I got Aeros and cross bars on my bike (came with them) but I never use the cross bar EVER.

On that note how easy would it be to remove these and would there be any real benefit to removing them?

ddraver

^just a question of new cables and outers. It's not a hard job...

Origamist

I'd only get cross-top levers if you ride mostly on the tops. If you get standard aero levers, you get more braking options from different hand positions.

On my touring bike I have cross-top levers and STI levers, but this is because it's good to change hand positions if you're riding for 7 to 8 hours + a day.

dhope

notsoblue wrote:

iPete wrote:

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

Out of interest, do bull horns have any benefit over just using the hoods on drop bars?

Looks cooler

wgwarburton

notsoblue wrote:

iPete wrote:

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

Out of interest, do bull horns have any benefit over just using the hoods on drop bars?

I rode flipped & chopped "bullhorns" for a while on my commuting fixie, mostly because I had a bent set of drops I wanted to re-purpose(!).

There's not much difference, TBH, you lose the flexibility that drops offer but gain a bit of leverage (it's more effective pulling up on a bar than the underneath of a brake-lever) and there's a mental shift in that you're more committed: more of an attitude thing that goes well with riding fixed... You don't faff around changing position but just Get On With It, like not having any gears.
I had the brake levers (yes, levers) mounted right under the horns, which meant plenty of accessible leverage there, too, but that's probably less of an issue if you have modern brakes. If running old Weinmann's it's reassuring.

Cheers,
W.

tgotb

I put bull horns on my Brompton (actually an old TT base bar) and works great with TT levers. Very comfy and secure, similar hand position to being on the hoods of a road bike.

iPete

notsoblue wrote:

iPete wrote:

I seem to own them all [Aero, TT, top lever] due to comfort issues, aggressive track frame and or weak wrists! Have stuck with bull horns and TT levers as the comfiest and best stopping power.

Out of interest, do bull horns have any benefit over just using the hoods on drop bars?

What everyone else said. My horns are raised quite a bit, would look daft using bars at that angle + the leverage on the brake is waaaay better, has taken loads of strain off my girly wrists.

The only downside is naff leverage when climbing.