Bar top/interrupter/cross levers - for and against??
#2
Team Beer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 6,339
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 114 Post(s)
Liked 159 Times
in
104 Posts
Depends on what you are doing. I would use them on a non race bike, they are useful and don't effect performance of the main levers. I don't like for racing personally. I'm working on not using the brakes while racing so I don't need additional access to levers.
__________________
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,744
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 525 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3230 Post(s)
Liked 3,868 Times
in
1,439 Posts
The main problem I've had with them is that they can make the cable routing difficult. If you flub the cable routing, your braking performance will definitely be impacted. This is probably less of an issue if you use a fork mounted cable hanger. With a stem mounted hanger, there's not a lot of room to get the cable going in the right direction.
Once you get the cable routing perfect, I don't think these levers hurt main braking performance, and my experience is that the cross levers themselves offer a bit more leverage than the main levers.
Once you get the cable routing perfect, I don't think these levers hurt main braking performance, and my experience is that the cross levers themselves offer a bit more leverage than the main levers.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,119
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bartops rule.
Andy_K is right about the cable routing. Basically, build in a bit more cable housing than you normally would, because when you brake with the bartops you are not pulling cable but pushing housing. If your run to the front cable stop is tight, try running it up and over the bar and stem before going to the cable stop.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post12324570
Andy_K is right about the cable routing. Basically, build in a bit more cable housing than you normally would, because when you brake with the bartops you are not pulling cable but pushing housing. If your run to the front cable stop is tight, try running it up and over the bar and stem before going to the cable stop.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post12324570
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,119
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#6
Senior Member
Do they make bar top levers for V brakes? I thought only Pauls made them, and they were too pricey for me.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,744
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 525 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3230 Post(s)
Liked 3,868 Times
in
1,439 Posts
I've got bar tops on my Cross Check with a V-brake (Avid SD7) and Travel Agent. The bar tops "pull" a different amount of cable than normal levers, but it seems to work well with the Travel Agent. Without a Travel Agent, you're looking at mini V's anyway.
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,033
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks. I won't be racing - the doc is very definite that my trick ankles make the running-up-a-hill-with-a-bike part would probably be a disaster. (I'm now stuck with boots that weigh almost as much as my bike for just *walking* on rough ground! It's like having an exoskeleton...) And I will be running cantis - with a fork mounted hanger, of course.
#9
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 21
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I had interrupters for a while and was not a fan, but I rarely ride the tops and felt like they used up a lot of real estate (or forced computer & hrm & light to use up too much real estate), but there's no functional reason against them.
#10
Fred-ish
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,800
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I've had no problems with them and cantis, and like them for urban riding, esp through parking lots. I don't see the need for them for most road riding though.
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 20
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I just installed a set on my bike. I would like them better if I had wider bars (running 44's) but they work well and are useful. They didn't negatively effect the braking power at all. I mostly installed them to give my back a break from riding in the drops on trails. It's really nice to have a third braking position. I will eventually get wider bars to make them even more useful..
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
zeta
Bicycle Mechanics
9
02-01-16 03:45 PM
peterw_diy
Bicycle Mechanics
0
05-10-11 10:02 PM