Touring - Salsa Cyclocross Drop Bar Brake Lever

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any experience with these Salsa brake levers (they mount on the horizontal bar of drop bars)? Are they really efficient?

Thanks!

I have some and really like them. Haven't toured with them though and I'm sure they'll get in the way of a handlebar bag.

I have them. They are very nicely made, but essentially identical to any other CX inline lever out there. The salsa ones come in 31.8 OS size with shims down to 26.0 so that makes them a bit more versatile. They are also drilled and look kind of cool. They do what they are supposed to and have good mechanical advantage. One of the things I like best about them is the barrel adjuster so I can adjust my brakes without even taking my hands off of the bars. They prevent me from using a handlebar bag or aero bars, so you'll have to make a choice if you use those.

I don't know what you mean by efficient though... they are really light and they activate your brakes which kills your speed (and is very inefficient...). The tektros and other options are basically identical but cheaper. I like riding on the bar tops so I get a fair amount of use from them. Other people ride the hoods mostly and don't have a use for them. The majority of cyclocross racers don't even use them...

I had some inline brake levers when I first built the LTH. I ended up taking them off b/c I road with my hands on the hoods 99.9% of the time. I didn't miss them.

I have a pair and like them quite a lot. I ride with my hands on the top bar to let me see over top of cars in the city. It lets me bleed off speed at intersections without dropping to the hoods and losing my view. I don't like cornering with them, but it's a control issue with my hands that close to the centerline. Mine didn't fit the bar with only the shim, so I put a bit of old tube around the bar and they fit nicely. Wrapping the bartape again was a strange exercise too.

I just bought a pair of inlines from performance for like, $14. When I install em I'll let you know if I like them. Although, to be honest, I completely forgot at the time that I wouldn't be able to use my handlebar bag...