Paul Ebert

I only seem to be able to find flat bar type levers for hydraulic disc brakes. Anyone aware of some, not too expensive, hydraulic brakes with road type levers?

tsl

Not yet.

There are one-offs around, and you can buy conversion units--a cable-actuated master cylinder. But drop bar levers with integrated master cylinders aren't yet on the market. Expect the first ones to appear in 2014 and to be fairly expensive, as all newly-introduced technology is.

I've been using Avid BB7 (road) calipers with Shimano road levers on my four-seasons commuter for seven years now. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but it's a combination that I'm completely satisfied with. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about with hydros.

mconlonx

Soon, but not yet. Expect production versions to be introduced at trade shows this coming Fall.

There's workarounds like the TRP Parabox, with a cable actuated, steerer mounted master cylinder that hooks up to your extant cable actuated brake levers.

fietsbob

the not too expensive threshold has to be much higher than you may wish.

it, as you see , above, is a higher end feature. here at just short of $400.
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=4324

Sram is showing a combination master-cylander/brifter, its in big lump in the front of the lever
body hood

the other way of putting it in the brake lever is by having Di2 type electronic shifting,
un like the mechanical brifters, that does not occupy the lever body.
just the sensor paddles behind the brake lever.
so the hydro cylander can go in there.


want lower end hydraulics ?, as you said, , consider changing to straight bars..
Volume sales numbers favor the bigger, OEM, MTB market.. and volume sales lowers costs per ..

seeker333

Avid BB7 Road disc calipers work great with road levers - you can buy a set for $100. I've used them for years with Campy levers.

Why would you want the extra complexity, weight, cost and lower reliability of a hydraulic brake system?

acidfast7

https://www.trickstuff.de/en/products/Doppelmoppel.php

the biggest advantage to hydraulics on a commuter is that they can go years without any service (including freezing of the cable-driven discs seen in bad weather).

fietsbob

that is another cable to hydaulic conversion , and they only tell weight, not cost.
expect the cost like the TRP Parabox, will also be more than just using the Mechanical types ,
factor, of 2X at least..

Hope UK also have a mech to Hydraulic converter.. still not cheap.

OEM builds Of MTB by the million, bring the cost down on their Hydraulic brakes..

Road there is little motivation to drop from the Higher end, in just a couple years..

Post UCI saying Cross racing can use them , 1st season,
though the pros won this year without adopting them.

CliftonGK1

On a road bike, I don't know that I'd notice much of a difference.
On an MTB, I definitely notice a difference. The brake fade due to cable compression becomes obvious to me when comparing the stopping power on my Elixer-5 hydros on my enduro rig which I can stop and hold a position with a single finger, never worrying about brake slippage while hopping around to position myself on a technical trail section, versus my park/DJ bike with BB7 cable-actuated discs. When doing trials type hopping about, I have to be very careful to maintain a strong pull on the levers or I risk some brake slippage (part of the reason I'm looking to swap them with hydros.)

DogBoy

Complexity? Maybe, but its just an oil (Brake Fluid) resevoir and a tube. Brake fluid does not compress, so when you squeeze the lever there is no loss of effort like there is in a wire system. Prolonged braking is easier to maintain also. The system is not that complicated. Weight? maybe. Cost? sure. Lower reliability? Huh? Hydraulic brakes are used in pretty much every auto/motorcycle using disc brakes. Its a very simple system. The only real way to screw it up is to incorrectly bleed the system or to incorrectly attach the tubing such as to create a leak. To what are you attributing the lower reliability? Are the bicycle versions less reliable than the vehicle versions for some reason? Honest question.

fietsbob

Just dont hold your breath on cheap and road hydraulic, being in the same sentence..

car hydros are not being sold by how little they weigh, and bought separately.

do you get to choose the brand of brake Toyota uses in your Camry?

spare_wheel

hydros are the de facto standard for mt biking because they weigh less, offer better modulation/power, auto-adjust, and are far more reliable than mechanicals. they may cost a little more, but boy are they worth it. shimano and maguro mineral oil hydros are basically maintenance free unless the system is compromised. one of the major reasons i commute on flat bar road bikes is because i cannot stand mechanicals. and the quicker rim brakes die, the better as far as i am concerned. using a braking technology that structurally weakens the rim is nucking futz!

looks like the sram hydraulic brifters will debut this spring:

https://velonews.competitor.com/2012/...in-cxla_267379

grolby

Winner winner chicken dinner. It's hard for me to imagine Shimano's hydraulic road discs (word is they're coming, nothing else is really known) not being part of a Di2 system. There's just no room for a master cylinder in there with their STI mechanism. Even SRAM, with their much simpler mechanism, had to cram the master cylinder in at an awkward angle.

Literally every single one of these complaints is mistaken. The maintenance for hydros is definitely a bit more complicated, but should be required less frequently, or at least no more frequently, than a cable brake.

acidfast7

+1

woodway

Hydros = set and forget until you need to change pads or bleed. I won't miss screwing around with the pad adjustment knobs on my BB7's

spare_wheel

this is not true for brands of disc brakes that use dot fluid. it is hygroscopic and braking performance fades over time. even more importantly boiling temp decreases over time. i only buy brakes that use non-toxic and non-hygroscopic mineral oil

PDX Reborn

I'm going to miss the times when bicycles, once operated on cables, chains and human power. I can understand the need for hydros on MTB but why do road bikes need them?

kmv2

Ah but they are.

Usually anything after the master cylinder can be upgraded on a car, to save weight and increase braking performance.

example: https://www.brembo.com/en/car/Racing/...s/default.aspx

Even the non-performance aftermarket for replacement brake pads, calipers and discs is huge.

Sorry to be pedantic You are right though, OEM is OEM.

Same reason they add a speed to the rear cassette every few years. Marketing mostly I suppose.

Paul Ebert

I've read that hydros are better in snow and ice. I've also been told by my bike mentor that I'd find drop bars to be much better than my current flat bars. Hence, my interest. Sounds like wanting both is not in the cards, at least for a while.

All part of my typical slow and deliberate approach to learning something new - in this case, what my next bike should be.

GregTR

There are three viable options on the market today for cable actuated hydraulic brakes on drop bars:
- TRP Parabox
- Hope V-twin
- Trickstuff Doppelmoppel

There are other garage tuning setups utilizing MTB hydraulic levers and connecting cables to pull on such levers but nothing real for sale.

I went with the Parabox and I'm extremely happy with the setup. It wasn't overly expensive (everything is relative) and the brake feel is superb. I'm actually looking forward a bit of rain riding just to really test them out. You can see photos of my build over here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...essions-review

spare_wheel

i guess you don't ride up and down hills much during the rainy-grimy season in pdx...

PDX Reborn

Unfortunately, yes, now that I'm car free these days. My salmon pads on canti set up does alright in the wet hills, I just have to ride more cautious, as one should anyways in the wet.

grolby

I will never understand people who don't think technology should improve over time

PDX Reborn

Have nothing against technology, here. I have plenty of tech gadgets to keep me busy. I just like the idea of a bicycle being simple, much like my trail bikes and their carburators, I can field service them with simple tools if I get stuck 20 miles deep out in the woods. Just sayin

grolby

Right, but a fuel-injected bike is less likely to break down 20 miles deep in the woods. That's my point. And even with fancy modern tech, a bicycle is still a lot simpler than a car!

marqueemoon

For commuting? Nah.

Might be affordable and awesome in 5-10 years.