Originally Posted by Greybeard712 (Post 16779897)

Will an Alivio M405 or M410 (3x8) brake/shifter work with a Tiagra derailleur and side pull brake?

Here's the project: I have an '02 Specialized Allez I want to make into an upright w/new head and flat bar. But I don't know if the Alivio shifters/brakes will work with existing Tiagra derailleur/brakes. I'm hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction.

I have a Sirrus but it's a larger frame. Since I already have an '05 Allez and haven't been able to sell the '02 I thought I'd turn that compact frame into a hybrid.

Originally Posted by Little Darwin (Post 16780582)

I will keep looking, but if you can take a picture of your brake lever with the lever actuated so we can see the attachment point, I may have a suggestion.

Originally Posted by Little Darwin (Post 16780582)

I have seen brakes that work on both, that basically have a method that allows for using either attachment point.

Originally Posted by Little Darwin (Post 16780582)

I can't find a diagram online, but depending on the lever, there might be a way to get your brake levers to work with caliper brakes... not an easy way, but maybe a way.

Originally Posted by dynaryder (Post 16786039)

I've seen levers that work with both,but never brakes. Do you remember which model they were?



I can't imagine how. I had a friend do a drop bar conversion where he mixed brifters with V brakes;it worked,sorta,but he had to pull the lever all the way to the bar. I also had a bike come into my clinic where someone had mixed long-pull levers with caliper brakes. I adjusted the brakes as tight as I could(the rim wasn't perfectly true,so there was rubbing),but no matter how hard I pulled the lever,the bike would just slow,not stop. The owner wound up getting the proper levers.

Short-pull levers to long-pull brakes can be fixed with a Problem Solvers pulley,but I can't see how long-pull levers would work with short-pull brakes.

To put a fine point on it,we're talking about brakes here. This is a critical system that should not be cludged. I highly advise the OP to much the levers to the brakes.

Originally Posted by Little Darwin (Post 16786049)

I was talking about flat bar brake levers that can be used for caliper or v-brakes...

Originally Posted by dynaryder (Post 16790823)

Standard brifters(Shimano STI,SRAM Doubletap,Campy Ergo) are short pull. They make drop bar levers that are long pull,but I've only ever seen brake levers,no brake/shifter combos. Flat bar levers can be either short,long,or adjustable. Shimano makes flat bar shifter/brake lever combos that have a sliding piece that changes the pull,Tektro makes levers that have two different cable holes for different pulls.