Kylet5285

Hi everyone,
I am currently building a winter commuter bike based off the crosby swobo frame and I am using a Salsa 31.8, 42cm Woodchipper handle bar. I will be running front and rear disc brakes. I want to run brake hoods for brake levers that can be reached in more aggressive riding stances see example pic But I would also like to run brake levers parallel to the ground on the top bar such as this. Is there a way I can run both brake hoods and cross levers on a bike? I know I have seen it but have no experience building them up and do not know what components I need. also I am pretty sure mechanical disc brakes are my only route, but would hydraulics work with this setup?


If you are wondering why I am brake lever crazy...I found that when I start to slip or slide or lose control in the winter I do not want to have to move my hand position to reach the brake levers. I like to be able to immediately respond and thus avoid walking into work covered in slush, dirt, grime, and hopefully not, but probably blood.

Thank you for your time and help,
Kyle

FKMTB07

Absolutely you can run road levers and interrupter levers (the ones on the top).

With disc brakes, you can do a couple of different things:

1.) run mtb mechanical disc brakes, like the Avid BB7 (highly recommended!!), with long-pull road levers and long-pull interrupter levers. This option would be better if you already have mtb disc brakes, since long pull road/interrupter levers are harder to come by. For the road levers, Tektro RL520's are nice, and Cane Creek makes a version as well. For long-pull interrupter levers, there are very few options. Off the top of my head, these Paul levers would work: https://www.paulcomp.com/crosslever.html

2.) run road mechanical disc brakes, like the Avid BB7 Road (same brake as the mtb version, but with a different pull ratio). Then you can use any regular road and interrupter levers. This leaves you a ton of options for levers and is the better option if you're building the bike up and you don't already have mtb disc brakes.

So, as long as you match your pull ratio (long or short pull) across all three things (brake caliper, road lever, and interrupter lever), your brake system will play nicely.

A side note: on an offroad drop bar setup, like the Woodchipper, WTB Dirt Drop, Soma Junebug, On-One Midge, etc, I really prefer to have the bars high enough that I can stay in the drops all the time. I don't use interrupter levers on my Junebug setup and it's actually pretty rare to see a setup with both sets of levers on an offroad drop bar. You have a ton of control in the drops and you'll find yourself not needing to be on the tops very often.

pyze-guy

FYI, the paul lever isn't that great. It works but not enough to justify the price. I see no reasons however for top levers with dirtdrops either. I have my woodchippers set so I can ride the hoods, but spend 95% of my time in the drops. I personally don't see why one would get dirt drops to set them up like normal drops. Kind of defeats the whole point of getting them. Just my $.02.

fuzz2050

Dirt Drops like the Woodchipper are great, but I don't think they would work so well with interrupter levers. I have a pair of the Origin8 knockoffs, and there is just barely enough room on the tops for my hands. No way I could squeeze brake levers onto there as well.

pyze-guy

Tops on the woodchippers are wide, much more so than the gary bars. More than enough room for hands and interupter levers.

Kylet5285

thank you all for the help.

FKMTB07 you have cleared everything up for me thanks

FKMTB07 and pyze-guy your points about proper handle bar height to allow consistent and "constant" use of the drop position are true and this is something i need to look into. although i still plan on running a double lever set up but with your thoughts in mind i may modify the project and bit.

kyle

Saddle Up

because riding on the hoods is super comfortable, that's why



and when doing a steep decent off road it makes it easier to hang off the back of the saddle and move your weight rearward, and still be able to control the brakes