Tadashi

Hello,

I've recently bought a Schwinn Madison. I'm rebuilding it to be actually more like a track bicycle, changing all the cheap parts and stuff. I'm gonna take off the road bike styled drop bars and replace them with a NITTO track drop bars. I'm also taking off the rear brake, but keeping the front one, as I'm a newbie yet. I don't want to put an "aero" brake lever, it doesn't look cool on a track bicycle, and I tend to use the upper part of drop bars almost all the time. So, I thought about installing a lever next to the stem. What lever can I use? I thought about cyclocross levers, went to bike shops, they said that you can't put such lever without aero ones, 'cause they work like combo. They said it'd still work alone though, but "that's dangerous and they won't give a damn if something goes wrong, no guarantees". But I see many people on the streets with this kind of lever on their fixies. So, is it a cyclo cross one or what? What do you guys use? I heard, you can use a BMX lever with a road bike brake too.

Thanks in advance.

morbot

bmx

the pope

Specialized cross levers work and look great. I know. I use one as the only brake.

Hobartlemagne 

This is what I use.
I got it here:
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...6382&category=

Tadashi

What about the cable? On cyclocross levers it just goes through it to aero lever. But if I use it alone how do I fix it? Is there any danger of the cable falling out or something? Store clerks said that it's dangerous and "there's no guarantees."

And I think my Nitto B123 would be 24mm (the clamp is 25.4, but the rest of drop bars looks thinner). I haven't got the drop bars yet, so I dunno. So, what brake lever of this size would do?

Falkon 

I use what is posted up there. I just use a road cable and let it sit right in the end where the housing would run in. it works just fine.

Tadashi

Thanks, I'll try it.

One more question. How does it work/feel on thin pista bars. Like Nitto ones or similar ones? What size of brake lever should I get?

I ordered these drop bars.

Hobartlemagne 

hmmm. The salsa lever comes with shims to fit a 26mm bar. The bar you ordered is 25.4.
Sounds like its time for a beer can shim.

jol

I polished up this specialized cross lever. Had to file the end of the cable but seems to be working fine. (Don't use it THAT much though.)

orbThorn

Was that thing originally black? I split a pair with a friend but havent installed it yet. Looks pretty sweet polished like that.

Tadashi

For what size of bar is this lever? Can you give me a link to it? Thanks.

Looks really slick, btw.

orbThorn

If you are talking about the specialized lever, its right here.

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=25304

Mine were 32 shipped to ohio.

Tadashi

Thanks for the link. Too bad it's only in black though. I dunno how to polish it. Sandpaper? Guess not.

cc700

i saw someone riding fixed around oakland that had a cross lever brake on the top tube. it was pretty cool looking.

Moto-Velo

And is one of the stupidest places to put a brake lever.

ROACHTRAP

agree

zacked

Anyone know the clamp diameter on a snafu c-lever, or if it'll stretch? I'm guessing 22 and sort of.

cc700

didn't say it wasn't. i can't imagine it would be accessible in a panic situation and probably gives you problems with leverage. but since this guy is going for the track look, thought i'd mention it.

Moto-Velo

There's nothing track-like about having a brake lever on the top tube. It's just plain stupidity, and functionally dangerous stupidity at that. I know you didn't come up with the mounting idea, but I would actively discourage the propagation of it.

the pope

dutret?

Fig335

Worse then brakeless?

Moto-Velo

Yes, because at least riding brakeless you know you don't have brakes to fall back on and adjust your riding accordingly. Additionally, if you encounter a panic situation, your hands stay on the bars and you have more control over the bike, rather than grabbing at the top tube with one hand.

cc700

the handlebars don't have brakes on them, which looks like a track bike. i wasn't saying track bikes had brakes on their top tube, because obviously track bikes don't have brakes.

sorry, i guess i shouldn't have said it looked cool. things that look stupid can't look cool anymore i guess.

Moto-Velo

Nah, just a concerned citizen.

Moto-Velo

One can hope.