Bicycle Mechanics - I give - how in the heck do I do this

I've tried searching Google, youtube, and here, but can't find jack about installing dia-compe brake lever extensions on an old Schwinn (i think they are called 'suicide levers' or something)...

I've got the old cable housing, and have the lever installed, but can't, for the life of me, figure out how to have both levers work... super confused right now.

Any directions on the internet anywhere? I've tried Sheldons website, and Park Tool website as well, but nothin'.

There's a part on the old cable housing that I've never seen before either, can't really describe it. It's not a ferrule or anything. It's spherical shaped, that fits at the end/beginning of the housing.

I guess I should have paid more attention when I took the bike apart :-( I think I'm just tired.

Post pictures of what you have, please.

Does this help at all?
http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1338&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1338&g2_serialNumber=2

it's probably the housing stop. Does it have a shoulder on one side?

Like #94 on this page (http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=28909&g2_imageViewsIndex=1)

That piece sounds like the classic Schwinn cable stop (which always gets lost when you replace a brake cable).

I'm curious as to why you'd need to mess with the cable when adding Suicide levers.

Suicide turkey wings FTL.

That piece sounds like the classic Schwinn cable stop (which always gets lost when you replace a brake cable).

I'm curious as to why you'd need to mess with the cable when adding Suicide levers.

Not adding them, I'm replacing the nastied up brake cable. I want to leave the bike as it it's supposed to be.

Would anyone here by chance know if those types of brake levers are still sold? I mean the ones were you can brake if your hands are gripping the area close to the stem?

That seemed like an idea what went away for nothing, rather odd. :)

That piece sounds like the classic Schwinn cable stop (which always gets lost when you replace a brake cable).

I'm curious as to why you'd need to mess with the cable when adding Suicide levers.

Yeah, I think it probably is the cable stop, and yeah, I did lose the piece for a day or so till I stepped on it.

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That seemed like an idea what went away for nothing, rather odd. :)

Is that sarcasm, or did you fail to wonder why they're called suicide levers and turkey wings?

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I'm not sure I'd want to trust that quick release; it may not have been designed for use with turkey wings by the look of it.


I've got the old cable housing, and have the lever installed, but can't, for the life of me, figure out how to have both levers work... super confused right now.

Can you explain, as explicitly as possible, what's happening and what's not happening when you pull each lever?

I don't see anything wrong. Install the cable and try them out.

I'm not sure I'd want to trust that quick release; it may not have been designed for use with turkey wings by the look of it.


It is, way back I had a set of levers like that, "saftey levers" with that kid of QR.
Those levers work well; IF your brakes are adjusted close to the rim AND, your rims are dead-on-balls true AND you don't have steel rims.
Good luck.

Rather than the add-on "turkey wings" I've found guidonnet-type levers to be much more satisfactory:

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/bumby/build3.jpg

Velo-Orange offers Dia Compe's guidonnet levers, and they're even on sale right now!

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/brakes/levers/br-0024.html

Would anyone here by chance know if those types of brake levers are still sold? I mean the ones were you can brake if your hands are gripping the area close to the stem?

That seemed like an idea what went away for nothing, rather odd. :)

Suicide levers went away for good reason as others have pointed out. If you want brakes near the stem on a road bike, get a set of cyclocross levers, aka interrupter levers that work inline with your current levers. They will actually stop the bike and can be handy if you ride on the tops a lot. I only have my hands there when climbing and simply not pedaling any more seems to bring my bike to a halt quite quickly in that scenario.