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Break lever

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Old 01-23-11 | 04:04 AM
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Break lever

Hello so i got these great break levers and a drop bar but when i squeeze the breaks the levers dont pull back completely. Will this cause any problems??
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Old 01-23-11 | 05:29 AM
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Your post leave quite a bit of guesswork to the reader(type of bike? parts used? etc), but I assume that the heart of it is that your levers aren't returning all the way to their resting position. This is a so-so issue. Flat bar levers regularly have a feature that allows the rider to adjust their resting position to a preferred point within his/hers reach, but drop bar levers as a rule haven't got this.
My main concern is that while the symptom in itself isn't that bad, it's an indication that something in your brake system isn't set up properly - and then it's anybodys guess what that fault can lead to further on... Maybe the cable coming out of a cable stop, putting the brake entirely out of operation? Something chafing badly and getting ready to snap unexpectedly?
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Old 01-23-11 | 07:33 AM
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Non returning levers is usually symptomatic of excessive drag in the system, usually its the cable, either corroded or gunked up, but it could also be due to poor housing installation. Sometimes the calipers pivot points are gunked and in need of lube.
Hard to be more specific with such a vague post.
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Old 01-23-11 | 08:06 AM
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You said you also got drop bars. Did the bike have flat bars before? And does it have V-brakes? V-brakes, or cantilever brakes require a greater pull than caliper brakes. That may be your problem. If so, you will need different levers or a travel agent, which is an adapter designed to solve the problem.
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Old 01-23-11 | 10:23 AM
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Just re-read the original post.
Are you checking the levers before installation and they're not returning? The calipers return springs will provide the return action.
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Old 01-23-11 | 11:33 AM
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You need to give us a better description to clear up the confusion. Does "the levers dont pull back completely" refer to pulling back towards the handlebars when you're pulling on them or that they don't fully return to their normal rest positions? And is this on the bike with the levers hooked up to the cables and brake calipers or just the levers on a set of bars all by themselves? Your economy of words leaves a lot of guessing for us to do.

Also it's BRAKE lever. A BREAK is something you take at work or what a buddy gives you when he gives you a lift home when your bike broke down.
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Old 01-23-11 | 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Steev
Just re-read the original post.
Are you checking the levers before installation and they're not returning? The calipers return springs will provide the return action.
That depends on the make and age of the levers. Most aero road levers and brifters have return springs in the levers themselves.
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Old 01-23-11 | 11:58 AM
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Break Brake or Broke?
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Old 01-23-11 | 12:03 PM
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Are the brake levers hitting the bar? It sounds like it might just be an adjustment problem.
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Old 01-23-11 | 01:12 PM
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Sorry my bad guys... I have single speed break levers on a drop bar and the drop bar gets in the way of the break levers pullimg back completely. Maybe a dumb question haha
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Old 01-23-11 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Tristanh666
Sorry my bad guys... I have single speed break levers on a drop bar and the drop bar gets in the way of the break levers pullimg back completely. Maybe a dumb question haha
A possible cause is where you have the lever situated on the bar. If it's too low on the curve that could be the problem. Pics?
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Old 01-23-11 | 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Tristanh666
..I have single speed break levers
No such thing, but I'm guessing that you mean that they're brake levers only, no integrated shifters.

Originally Posted by Tristanh666
...and the drop bar gets in the way of the break levers pulling back completely.
Still not clear. Eventually the bar will stop the range of motion of any brake lever. Are you saying that the levers bottom out against the bar w/o giving decent braking? Either really poorly adjusted, excessive slack in the installation, or improper brake/lever combo.
Drop bar levers are designed to sit at the apex of the bend, if yours are placed too far away from there it can also lead to loss of travel.
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Old 01-23-11 | 03:44 PM
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Maybe he has interrupter BRAKE levers.
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Old 01-23-11 | 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by BCRider
Also it's BRAKE lever. A BREAK is something you take at work or what a buddy gives you when he gives you a lift home when your bike broke down.
Give the poor guy a break. He already has brakes.
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Old 01-23-11 | 04:48 PM
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I'm guessing he's running some of those levers that look like mini MTB levers on the tops of his bars. That's what singlespeed brake lever makes me think of anyways.

Got Pics, OP?

I'm gonna guess housing wasn't settled into all stops and now the lever bottoms out before actually applying brake pad to rim. If that was the case, loosen cable clamp on brake arm. Make sure all cable ends are settled in. Pull cable tight. Tighten cable clamp on brake arm. Adjust as needed.

Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 01-23-11 at 04:52 PM.
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Old 01-23-11 | 04:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Tristanh666
the drop bar gets in the way of the break levers pullimg back completely.
Hmmm, now that I'm reading this, I think my guess was wrong. Hmmm. Drops are in the way of the brake levers. Hmmm. Are you running some old-school 4-finger MTB levers on 38cm bars?

If that's the deal or you're having a similar problem, get some of those mini levers made for CX and SS/FG bikes.

Or some regular old style road levers.
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Old 01-23-11 | 05:09 PM
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At this point, its entirely guesswork what the problem is, but a quick picture of your handlebars would be worth a thousand posts about the difference between break and brake.
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