What kind of brake levers are these?
06-02-25 | 08:30 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
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What kind of brake levers are these?
These mountain bike levers are stamped TK, early Tektro I presume. The levers are slanted / angled down, cool look but for what purpose? I've never seen this. Are they factory or homemade? The bends are identical. Does anyone know? Much appreciated!
06-02-25 | 08:42 AM
#2
Old fart
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Appleton WI
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
I suppose if you positioned them adjacent to bar-end handlebar extensions, as are often used on off-road bikes for an additional hand position, the levers would be accessible when gripping the extensions. But I suspect that the unusual bend is a user-modification, not factory.
06-02-25 | 01:05 PM
#4
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06-02-25 | 03:40 PM
#5
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06-02-25 | 06:28 PM
#7
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From: Clev Oh
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Post this in the Vintage forum. They look familiar.
06-02-25 | 06:31 PM
#8
Gruppetto Bob
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Think I saw those on Antiques Roadshow. Don’t remember the manufacture but they were worth a small fortune.
My mistake, it was a vase, instead.
My mistake, it was a vase, instead.
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06-02-25 | 07:54 PM
#9
Clark W. Griswold
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They do look intentional but haven't seen levers like that bent that way so I have to imagine some rando did it on their own for some weird reason.
06-03-25 | 02:40 AM
#11
Highly Enriched Driftium
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I have these on my bike, designed to work on flat bars with bar-ends; Notice that the outside end is in line with the pivot axis of the lever; In the case of the levers above, no, so I think to use those, you'd have to squeeze with your thumb from bar-ends. But these are mine (a pic I found online before finding a set in the used bin at the LBS), also note the levers are SOLID and heavy, not lighter U-channel, to be stiff enough in torsion when squeezed from the end levers off-center:
Last edited by Duragrouch; 06-03-25 at 02:44 AM.
06-03-25 | 05:51 AM
#12
SE Wis
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From: Milwaukee, WI
Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970
06-03-25 | 07:51 PM
#14
SE Wis
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From: Milwaukee, WI
Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970
06-03-25 | 08:37 PM
#15
Highly Enriched Driftium
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Last edited by Duragrouch; 06-03-25 at 08:42 PM.
