spesseh

Hi,

Due to a birth defect, my right hand misses half of the four rightmost fingers. Thumb is intact. However, this makes it problematic to use the rear brake leveler. It works, but not instantly, which is what you want with brakes
When I was a kid I had a bicycle mechanic make a thumb brake. However, I do not know how this was done. I assume it was a gear shifter that pulled the cable enough.
Does anyone know of some examples how this could be done, or have suggestions as to how I can fit a thumb brake for the rear brake?

First I really need this on my commuter bike, which I use a lot. This is a standard hybrid bike with shimano deore.
The other is a Trek racer bike with Shimano 105.

Any suggestions would be great.

rm -rf

Do you have flat bars on the commuter bike?

There are many styles of brake levers for aero bars. See this image search. They might be too far of a reach for a thumb. I assume the aero bars are the same diameter, but I don't know for sure. EDIT--see my lever pull comments at the bottom. These aero levers probably won't work.


Are your Deore brakes like this:


Maybe you can slide them around on the bar so your thumb can reach.

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For drop bars, search on "interrupter brake lever", normally used for riders that use the "tops" of the bars a lot, or for cyclocross.

This Park Tool page explains how they work. It looks like they could be mounted behind the current brakes, and angled for your thumb.

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Brake levers have different amounts of leverage, or "pull". I think that V-brakes need a longer cable pull than a road caliper brake. So the levers need to be compatible. A lever designed to pull less cable could bottom out before the brakes are fully applied.

fietsbob

Potentially a straight brake lever can be on top of a straight handle bar and you can press it down with the palm of your right hand


another idea: a motorcycle throttle grip can be rigged up to pull the brake cable as the grip is rotated.

3rd, If your left hand is fully functional a brake lever with 2 cables operating Both brakes with the same lever is a relatively easy thing to rig up.

Dave Cutter

Isn't some recumbent trikes set-up with both rear wheels tied to the one brake lever like that.

fietsbob

could be , there are the levers made .. QBP also makes an inline splitter available... 2 out from 1 in ..