michaelm101

I have a drop bar bike that's designed to be a bikepacker. I'm fine on the road and on flat trails. However, when I'm descending in rougher stuff, I prefer mountain/flat bars where I have good control using the readily available, conveniently located brakes. With these drop bars, I don't like having to be in the hoods to access braking during these descents.

I want to install cross levers, but there's not a lot of info about cross levers and mechanical disc brakes. Can anyone give some advice on this (lever type, manufacturer, etc)?
Thanks in advance!

dsaul

Any cross or interrupter lever designed to work with road brakes will work with your mechanical disc brakes. If it were me, I wouldn't want to have my hands that close to the center of the bar on a rough descent.

You should be in the drops when descending, in order to have the most leverage on the bars and best access to the brakes. For off road riding, I've found that the bars need to be higher and closer to me than I normally have them on my road bike. With the bars higher and closer, I don't feel like I'm going over the bars and I'm in a better position to lift the front wheel over obstacles. An off road drop bar with flared drops, like the FSA adventure bars, will also help with a more comfortable hand position in the drops.

michaelm101

I hear you about hands being that close to the center and indeed, the best access to the brakes is in the drops. I have a BMX/MTB background, however, and on fast descents, I get my body way back on the bike---Physically impossible to do this in the drops. It's one of the reasons I'm considering a riser flat bar with Ergon GP5s for all my touring, on & off road...I do love the drop bars for road, or "flat only" riding, though.

redlude97

I have no problem tucking behind the seat on the drops on descents, sounds like maybe you have a fit issue. Its also not necessary on a road bike the same way on a mtb bike and the fastest safe descending position is actually sitting on the top tube.