Kommisar89

With the recent threads on brake lever position and riding position I've been surprised at how many people say they ride the hoods. I do that on my Bianchi with Campy Ergo and sometimes on the Panasonic with Shimano Aero levers but it is not at all practical on my bikes with real vintage brake levers like Universal or Mafac. They just don't lend themselves to that very well. So how many of you have aero brake levers or STI/Ergo levers?

mixtemaniac

my daily rider is a noodle bar + aero.

cyclotoine

When I talk about my hand position I am refering to modern style levers.. you may notice from looking at old photos of racers the way they ride the hoods is different. The do not ride so much on the hoods as they do holding them. Their hand position is more on the outside of the bar with their thumb wraped up and over the hood. A don't find it nearly as comfortable as modern set-ups but it makes sense that we not on the hoods with wider bars as opposed to holding on from the outside. That is how I see it, I think back then they spent the majority of their time on the upper bend and/or "holding" the hoods as descriped abover.

scozim 

I have aero levers on all my friction shifting bikes and ergo on my one index bike. I just prefer the aero look.

Kommisar89

I often ride with my hands on what I call the ramps - the forward extending part of the bar - and from that position my thumbs sometimes rest on the hoods and my index finger rests on the side of the hood. But I can't get enough leverage from there to effectively squeeze the brake levers the way I can with the aero style. The modern Campy Ergo levers and dual pivot brakes on my Bianchi only require light pressure and I can lock up the wheels if I want from the hoods but the old style levers require a "manly" squeeze to slow the bike down. I'm surprised at how many people I've seen mention in other threads that they run modern levers. While they work well they seem completely out of place on a pre-80's bike, to me anyway.

txvintage

Nothin' but Ergo/STI or Aero. None of my bikes predate 1980 though.

roccobike

I have a lot of bike, but I only ride about 6 or 7 road bikes. All but one have either aero levers or STI shifters. The lone exception that does see some ride time is an 87 Raleigh Record.

Rabid Koala

I have STI's on my Waterford Paramount, no aeros on anything. I am not really fond of aero levers for some reason.

John E

I put Shimano aero levers on the Bianchi because the original Modolos provided significantly less leverage and required an uncomfortably long reach. When riding on the hoods, I do not see/feel any significant difference between my modern Shimano aeros and my vintage Weinmann 999 levers -- am I missing something in this discussion? Do you actually put your hands in a position which would be precluded by old-school brake cable routing?

bikerosity57

I mostly ride on the hoods. What can I say, I'm an old turd. I still get out and try my best, but I look like Bruno the bike riding bear from the circus, you know? I use both sti, and aero levers on some of my bikes. I originally thought I wouldn't like aero levers, (this was "back in the day" mind you), but I have always liked them from the first time I used'em. I never personally asked for STI, didn't see the need for it, and *****ed about it at first, but now I like it a lot. You know, someday when everyone has electronic shifters, STI will be "old school" so it's all good.

Reynolds 

Ergo on a bike, 105 aero on the other. Both are comfortable for me.

Kommisar89

No I suspect it's what you just mentioned - my Universal and Mafac levers have a long reach and generate significantly less leverage than a Shimano aero lever. As a result, I can't effectively use them from the hoods position. Not because my hands don't fit but simply because it doesn't generate enough braking force. In the drops I give them a firm squeeze and all is well. In order to do that however, I have to position them lower on the bar such that I can't comfortably reach them from the on top. This picture shows where I have them positioned.

RobbieTunes

All of mine are aero or STI/Ergo, but I rarely ride the hoods.
I've learned to fit the drops, and ride them.

Hasek

I have aero levers on my Miyata. I do believe they are stock. I ride the hoods at times, but since I am all decrepid, I prefer the flats.

CV-6 

Aero on three bikes...Merckx Corsa, 3Rensho SRA, Lejeune Pro