Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Track drops with aero lever

Can one put an aero brake lever on track drops? I want to get a pair of B123s or 125s and I'm not really a fan of the little bmx lever, but I've heard that aero levers don't really fit well on track drops. I've also never seen a picture of track drops with an aero lever on them, which only increases my worries. Is it unethical for some reason or is it just not stylish?

Can one put an aero brake lever on track drops? I want to get a pair of B123s or 125s and I'm not really a fan of the little bmx lever, but I've heard that aero levers don't really fit well on track drops. I've also never seen a picture of track drops with an aero lever on them, which only increases my worries. Is it unethical for some reason or is it just not stylish?

Well yeah the main problem is that that sounds ugly as hell.

Functionally though, I would say that unless you spend > or = 50% of your time in the drops, the brake should be on the tops.

you can do it... but why? i remember my buddy did this a little while back with normal specialized road drops and tektro levers. it felt really unstable braking at any decent speed with my hands in that position. now a panic stop!? i couldn't even imagine. i don't know if you're ss or fg or not... but i would seriously consider function over form when it comes something like braking. (actually, anything on your bike for that matter but i'll save that for another day...)

Well yeah the main problem is that that sounds ugly as hell.

Functionally though, I would say that unless you spend > or = 50% of your time in the drops, the brake should be on the tops.

except that with hoods... you can also spend your time in the hoods.

Yeah that's what I figured. I'm probably in the drops 90% of the time and I just bought a new brake lever last week (shimano 600, but it was only $10 so maybe I could part with it?) I hardly ever use it but whenever I need to in an emergency I instinctively grab in the drop position.

Well yeah the main problem is that that sounds ugly as hell.

Functionally though, I would say that unless you spend > or = 50% of your time in the drops, the brake should be on the tops.

Wait...track drops have a position other than the drops?

you can do it... but why? i remember my buddy did this a little while back with normal specialized road drops and tektro levers. it felt really unstable braking at any decent speed with my hands in that position. now a panic stop!? i couldn't even imagine. i don't know if you're ss or fg or not... but i would seriously consider function over form when it comes something like braking. (actually, anything on your bike for that matter but i'll save that for another day...)

it sounds like you've never ridden a road bike

you can do it... but why? i remember my buddy did this a little while back with normal specialized road drops and tektro levers. it felt really unstable braking at any decent speed with my hands in that position. now a panic stop!? i couldn't even imagine. i don't know if you're ss or fg or not... but i would seriously consider function over form when it comes something like braking. (actually, anything on your bike for that matter but i'll save that for another day...)

I ride fixed, and it's worked just fine in panic stops every time before.


except that with hoods... you can also spend your time in the hoods.

The other 10% that I'm not in drops, I'm in the hoods (or hood, actually)

Wait...track drops have a position other than the drops?

Don't be a jackass, how many people do you know with track drops actually spend most of the time in the drops and not right next to teh stem

except that with hoods... you can also spend your time in the hoods.

Well if you have hoods on your bike (good idea) and you are considering installing aero brake levers on your drops then you are in a whole 'nother realm of stupid.

oh well... maybe i wasn't used to the geometry at all and it was a 61 and i ride a 58. i stand corrected. i will shut my internetz down now.

Is it unethical for some reason or is it just not stylish?

no, it's just stupid. get some road bars.

it sounds like you've never ridden a road bike

x2 i set my bike up witch a cross lever and it seems awkward. road levers are second nature to me and suited me fine in panic stops and docents down mountain roads...

it can be done but i don't see how it would be comfortable at all to actually ride the hoods. it would be nearly impossible to position the hoods to have a flat section and then also be able to ride the drops comfortably. just get some road bars if you want to put on hoods.

it can be done but i don't see how it would be comfortable at all to actually ride the hoods. it would be nearly impossible to position the hoods to have a flat section and then also be able to ride the drops comfortably. just get some road bars if you want to put on hoods.

i agree. if you want hoods, pick up some ergo bend bars.

I like it. Stock Pista bars, aero levers. I spend equal amounts of time on the "shoulders", on the hoods, and in the drops. I like them WAY better than regular road drops.
I admit, I generally have my hoods a little lower than most people, and these are still a little lower than I'd like (maybe he had the bars tilted up). Previous owner put them on.

Compared to my ideal height on black Bianchi
http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs226.snc1/7319_669893830606_37505218_38317605_6334597_n.jpghttp://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs226.snc1/7319_669893825616_37505218_38317604_1196413_n.jpg

aesthetically that actually doesn't look tooo bad. i know that it would kill my hands though.

i did about hte same thing. i have shimano internal route levers with hoods on Deda Drops. love it

Track drops are shaped very similar to old style road drops. I don't see any reason you can't run hoods. What the hell are all of those people talking about it being less stable or uncomfortable?

http://www.bikecult.com/works/archive/07bicycles/motobecaneJSrs.JPG

http://www.propellingsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ss851783.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif

oh... i was under the impression that he wanted to put the lever at the base of the bars. i feel stupid now.

Well if you have hoods on your bike (good idea) and you are considering installing aero brake levers on your drops then you are in a whole 'nother realm of stupid.

What? It sounds to me like he has nothing on his bars right now and wants to add aero brake levers (and the corresponding hoods). Thus adding a new hand position.

I've read your sentence five or six times now and I still can't figure out what the hell you're trying to say.

I think he might be confusing Aero brake levers with something else???

I think the common confusion here was that aero lever meant time trial levers, like seen on the brown bike with camo wrap above. That is what i thought he meant at first until I read the whole thread. Thought he wanted to install at the bottom of his drops. Weird idea, but if your drops weren't too long at the bottom, maybe if you cut em a little, I guess it could work.

i think the common confusion here was that aero lever meant time trial levers, like seen on the brown bike with camo wrap above. That is what i thought he meant at first until i read the whole thread. Thought he wanted to install at the bottom of his drops. Weird idea, but if your drops weren't too long at the bottom, maybe if you cut em a little, i guess it could work.

+1

I think the common confusion here was that aero lever meant time trial levers, like seen on the brown bike with camo wrap above. That is what i thought he meant at first until I read the whole thread. Thought he wanted to install at the bottom of his drops. Weird idea, but if your drops weren't too long at the bottom, maybe if you cut em a little, I guess it could work.

Are those called aero levers? I've only ever heard that applied to hooded brake levers that route cable under the tape.

Maybe I just spend too much time in C&V.

I think he might be confusing Aero brake levers with something else???

I think you guys are right. I was confusing them with the bar-end brake levers that go on bullhorns/TT base bars.

Track drops are shaped very similar to old style road drops. I don't see any reason you can't run hoods. What the hell are all of those people talking about it being less stable or uncomfortable?

There are several differences between classic track drops and classic road bars. I will compare the Deda Pista to the Cinelli 64 Giro d' Italia: both of these bars seem to be pretty representative of their respective categories

Deda Pista
http://static2.biketiresdirect.com/ImagesLarge/devat-1.jpg
Cinelli 64
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/hndlbars_jpg/m1m_cinelli_64_bar.jpg

Ignoring the big difference in how much drop each bar has (this has nothing to do with aero lever placement), there are two big differences between track and road bars. First is the tops. The Cinelli bar has a flat section that turns sharply at the shoulders. This provides a place to put your hands.

Second, check out the bend at the shoulders into the drops. You'll notice the track drops turn down at a steeper angle than the road drops. On the road bars, this type of curvature provides a position to place a brake lever where it will follow the curve of the bar to make a pretty flat or gently curved section. On a track bar, this setup will result in a valley that puts the hands in an uncomfortable positon. It is possible to make hoods comfy on track bars by changing the angle at which they are oriented but then the position of the drops become uncomfortable

Thanks for your analysis, so you think that it will be hideously uncomfortably.

Have you tried it?

here is a photo of a traack drop with a lever on it (just one, which is stupid, but whatever).

looks alright to me,

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/kingcutter/BIKES/track2002.jpg

And here is one that looks pretty awful. I guess it depends on the bars, would seem better if the levers had been set a bit lower where the angle increases.

http://image.rakuten.co.jp/twin/cabinet/00846105/img56141966.jpg