Classic & Vintage - When did aero brake levers hit the mainstream?

1980-something?

yes

Looking at the 1985 Raleigh catalog (http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/catalogs/1985/index.html#4), you can see that all the racing bikes had aero levers, while all the sport tourers had the old style levers...

I think Dia-Compe brought out the first ones in 1985. Shimano followed a little later (I had an early '86 all Shim 600 bike except for DC aero levers). and Campy resisted until about 1988 or so. Interestingly, Trek introduced aero brakes from the bottom up, and their top models went aero last.

The first aero brake levers still took the cable straight up and then had it make a 90° bend before coming out of the rear of the lever body. These had a well-deserved reputation for having poor leverage and too much drag so they gave aero levers in general a bad rap.

The first design (Dia Compe??) to take the cable straight out the back of the lever body is what put them in the commanding position they now hold.

Looking at the 1985 Raleigh catalog (http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/catalogs/1985/index.html#4), you can see that all the racing bikes had aero levers, while all the sport tourers had the old style levers...

Interesting. Well the bike I have is a 1982 and could probably fit in either category and I have both kinds of levers sitting in the parts bin. I have to switch out the bars and stem anyway because 38cm bars and a 70mm stem are definitely not a good fit for my big self.

I'm considering the non-aeros (Universals) but the hoods are pretty shot. The aeros are grey Shimano 600, which while older probably wouldn't look too terrible.

Alexi Grewal rode a Pinarello with Dura Ace AX in his 1984 Olympic win. I had a Panasonic with Tange aero tubing and DA AX components that was either an 84 or 85 model. I still use the components today. The frame and myself were on the receiving end of some Motown metal, and the mangled frame was last seen hanging from the ceiling of a Detroit area bike shop. The components are now on a Cinelli the insurance Co bought to replace the Panasonic.

So full aero brake levers were available by 1984, mainstream by early 1985.

The pro peloton made the bulk of the transition around '86-'87, I'd say.

I bought my Aero Gran Compe levers in 1986, they were out prior to that, but I only wanted the levers, and did not want the brakes. Great levers.

The initial C Record Campagnolo (actually Colbalto, as the delta brakes were withdrawn) had a provision for aero routing, but not a good solution, so most bought the Dia Compe's or went back to traditional.

The "breakthrough" Shimano SIS index group did not have aero routing at the onset.

There were guys messing around with aero routing, way back in the mid 70's, shade tree conversions.

The first Trek to have aero levers was the 560 in 1983. It was the only Trek to have aero levers that year. Unlike all other aero levers I've come across, these do not have a flexible (rubber) boot, the levers on my 560 are all alloy. They have excellent mechanical advantage, performing as well as any aero style brakes I have.

I didn't put aero hoods on until about '84 or '85. I still wore clip pedals. Mid late 80's were clipless.

In 1983's Paris Nice or some other early season stage race, Eric Vanderarden, an "young, upcoming neo-pro sprinter", was heavily criticized for using aero brake levers. The writers claimed that the lack of a cable could cause the rider to accidentally let go of the hoods when hitting a bump. He wasn't the only ones using the levers at the time.

cdr