Originally Posted by
noglider
I really like modern brake levers such as Tektro. They are very well built and designed, and the price is good, at about $15/pair. But the leverage is slightly too low. Mine have two notches to adjust leverage, one for V-brakes and one for everything else. I'm using Mafac centerpull brakes, and when I squeeze the levers very hard, I get excellent stopping power. But a friend rode my bike and complained that the brakes don't really work. He didn't know to squeeze hard.
Is there an alternative which is about as good and about as inexpensive?
I will also shorten the yoke cable, because I know that will increase leverage, but my question stands.
Thanks!
Those Mafac brakes are great, but they are about the worse brakes out there to set up properly (so it could be the brakes and not the levers). As far as flat bar brakes go, my favorite by far (extremely sensitive, to the point that if you hit the front brake lever hard, you will be over the handlebars if you do not hit the back lever and/or go faster than 5mph) are the late 80s, early 90s Shimano STIs M500 and higher (but you got to commit your shifting to that group - and that is not a bad thing.) Modern cyclocross levers with dual pivot calipers might be the way to go. The old Diacombe flat bar levers worked well with Diacombe centerpulls as well (and will probably be the least expensive alternative). But, again, I think that the brakes might be part of the problem.