"Old School" brake levers
 

Anyone know where I can get some old school brake levers for drop bars, the kind where the cable comes out the top of the lever and forms an arc as it heads off to the caliper? I got an older bike (Schwinn) at a great price (FREE!) with only one lever. Thought the old levers would look better than modern 'under-the-bartape' type levers. The bike is missing a few other parts, but I can probably get it up and running as a decent town bike for $100-$150. Thanks

old bike store. Old bike. Fleabay. guy with a parts box.

I might have some... lemme go look in the morning...

Check ebay for old dia-compe levers.

Yes to above^^^. You can find the Dia-Compe for cheap - around $15/pair - on eBay. New production, not fancy but good quality. And yes - the cables come out the tops! Amazing! LOL. Comes complete with rubber-hoods.

I have a pair, will let them go super cheap. email capwater@yahoo DOT com

If you're looking for cheap...

http://www.bikeworldusa.com/product_...oducts_id/1605

I don't have personal experience with these items but I buy stuff from these folks occasionally.

You'll have 2 problems with the old levers. #1 is that the rubber hoods are usually falling apart, if they even have them. #2 is that they don't stop as well as the newer ones, but I guess they stopped hundreds of millions of cyclists in the past so they do work.

would like to get rubber covers for old levers
got some weimman levers.

guess its easier changing the complete levers

Loose Screws should have them. Weinmann and Dia Compe would be the same.

Those ones at VeloOrange are nice. If you already have the levers, Cane Creek hoods are OK -- not the perfect gum color I'd like but they work fine. Maybe $10 a pair.
http://www.bikeworldusa.us/Dia-Compe...source=froogle

Thanks for the responses. That Velo-Orange site looks like the best place for older-vintage parts. Their SS fenders also look cool! Went to a bike shop in my area that had been recommended for its stock of older parts. They had the levers, but wanted $69.95 for the set! :notamused: I'll buy them by mail order and spend the rest on tires, pedals, chain and a few other parts.

BTW: The bike I got appears to be a mid-1980's Schwinn LeTour; the frame's been repainted and doesn't have any decals, but Schwinn emblem is still on the headtube. Took apart the BB and headset; both appear to be in good shape, just need a good cleaning and re-greasing. If I don't get the frame/fork repainted it should cost around $125 to get it back in shape. Deraillers won't work either, but might just put a SS freewheel and tensioner on it to solve that problem (got a few of those in the garage). It'll make a nice errand bike! :thumb:

Shimano Tiagra aero levers tuck the cables under the bar tape. They are said to work a bit better than the non-aero type, so you might think about doing that instead (I know they won't look quite the same, but they were common on '80's bikes).