General Cycling Discussion - drop bar brake levers for v-brakes

I'm thinking about replacing my hybrid's straight bar with a drop bar. I will need road-style brake levers that work with v-brakes. I know someone makes levers for this but I forgot which company it was- does anyone know?

I see a Dia-Compe 287-V in the QBP catalog, item BR5062 on page 280. "For linear pull brakes." No price listed (I have the consumer edition), but you can ask your LBS or look for them online. :)

All you need is one of those little pulley devices to take up slack, then you can use any levers you wish. I forgot what they are called, I know Cambria Bike sells them.

Those are often called "Travel Agents" :)

Thank you my furry friend. There is a bit of info at Mountain Bike Review (http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Brake_System/product_20519.shtml).

cycletourist, What are you going to use for shifters? barend,downtube or you staying with radidfire?(I guess gripshift is out:) )

I will use bar end shifters. STI shifters don't work with MTB derailleurs.

BTW- the cable-pull-multipliers (travel agent, etc) are dangerous. Under certain conditions they can cause the cable to break.

Dia-Compe 287-V -- yep, those are the ones. Thanks.

Then why do they still make them? Heck, if litigation wiped out Bike E you'd think the company that makes those would be toast.

Originally posted by cycletourist
I will use bar end shifters. STI shifters don't work with MTB derailleurs.

BTW- the cable-pull-multipliers (travel agent, etc) are dangerous. Under certain conditions they can cause the cable to break.
This is true. The conventional stranded cables are prone to strand breakage at sharp bends such as the Travel Agent induces. Braided cables are more resistant to this due to their flexibility, but also seem more stretchy IMHO. And the Travel Agent already induces a little extra "mush" into the system.

For the record, Shimano's rear shifting is pretty standardized (possible exception: 2003 XTR), so anything that works with a bar-end rear shifter should work with STI, whether it's officially MTB or road. The front shifting is not quite so well ironed out, so I applaud the choice of bar-end shifters.

It's the front derailleurs that are the problem. Shimano road and mtb derailleurs require different amounts of cable pull- that's why I will use bar-end friction shifters.

Why can't you use the mountain bike brake levers on the drop bars? Besides, of course, that they would not look normal.

I think the bars are different diameters but maybe not. I know FOR SURE that the clamp areas are different- 26mm for road, 25.4 for MTB.

I like my travel agents but then again I use them in pulley mode not as a multiplier.