A brake on the flat bars?

barrowmatt
barrowmatt Posts: 104
edited July 2014 in Pro race
Apologies if this was picked up in the Stage 5 thread but I don't want to read 1700 posts to check!

Seems a Belkin rider today had a brake on the top flat bars? Is this common? In Paris roubaix?

I'm only part way through the highlights btw!

Comments

  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    Reasonably. It's hard to shift your hands on the rough parts and more comfy on the tops so 'cross interrupter levers are handy.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • barrowmatt
    barrowmatt Posts: 104
    Haven't noticed any others doing this? Anyone more observant than me?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,031
    Yes it was certainly common a couple of years ago so I presume it still is - it's something you see a lot of in cyclo cross.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    I think they're pointless in cross but it would have made sense yesterday
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,810
    Seb Turgot finished second in PR in 2012 with this type of brakes on


    314b6.jpg
  • barrowmatt
    barrowmatt Posts: 104
    I did spot another rider with both brakes on the bar. I just hadn't seen this setup in a pro race before.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    I've seen quite a few French riders with cross style brakes rising in Paris-Roubaix so probably not *that* unusual. Never understood why more don't do it.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    I use an interrupter as emergency brake... very handy if you want to ride on the bars in traffic
    left the forum March 2023
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I missed this in the coverage - but yes - common at PR and some guys used their PR bikes for this stage. Looked brutal.