oldpedalpusher

I happened to see some cross levers on the net for the first time... and decided to try a set on my road bike...







The design is quite simple and direct...
The cables pass straight through the levers, and they actuate the brakes by pulling the housing against the cable. The feel is very positive and the reach nice and convenient from the bar tops. I ride a lot, but with a casual style so these little gems are just the ticket.

BarracksSi

Aren't they useful as heck? We talk about the variety of hand positions available with drop bars, but cross levers totally validate the flats. Just the thing for tooling around the neighborhood.

mike868y

My bike came with cross levers. I took them off real quick. They get in the way and are entirely unnecessary. Plus they add weight To each their own, though.

oldpedalpusher

I cancel out the added weight by not wearing a helmet...


Greg

BarracksSi

Why didn't I think of that? It sounds so much easier than trying to squeeze out a turd before every ride...

Hot Potato

I have yet to ride cantilever brakes that inspire confidence when riding on the hoods, so those cross levers sure are nice when you need a big dose of stop now. But on my other road bike with, whats the term, caliper? side pull? brakes, I can skid the tires from the hoods so cross levers are not necessary.

BarracksSi

It's not about braking power, it's about being able to use the brakes without having to be on the hoods or drops.

I've also got them on a bike with BB7 disc brakes and Tiagra shifters. Both sets of levers work fine on that bike, too.

If they seem like they're in the way, they can be pushed closer to the stem, maybe a full inch closer in oldpedalpusher's case. That brings up a drawback, though -- changing the cross levers' in-out position also means changing the cable housing length.

mike868y

I must say, there are a few situations (rolling to a stoplight on the flats, emergency brakes while climbing in the flats) that I miss my cross brakes. If i was commuting, I would definitely have them on my bike.

Hot Potato

Huh. I mostly use them for hard braking on my canti equiped bikes, where I would take my hand off the hoods to use the cross lever. Or I would ride on the bar in anticipation of needing the cross levers extra power. So for me, it really is about braking power, imagine feeling like you can't stop fast enough unless you are in the drops! Ugh. I suppose it might just be that I hate to be so far away from my shift levers for too long.

I find the cross levers more inconvenient when they are nearer to the stem - Thats where all the gadgets get mounted. So make sure you have enough room for computers, lights, and handlebar bags if you are going to move them closer to the stem. On one bike I am waiting for a cable change to correct levers that are too close to the stem.

BarracksSi

^^^ Yup, exactly. I usually start my rides at home, and I've got a lot of stop-and-go portions to ride through before I get to relax and just spin around.

kudude

i put some on my cx bike that doubles as a commuter. Instantly more enjoyable stoplight to stoplight. I'm in disagreement about the braking power. If I'm going to be stopping hard, I want to be in the drops. I don't like a bike handful of brake from the tops. Too squirrely for me.

nazzo

Cross levers came stock on my '09 Felt Z80.
I was initially put-off by them due to their terrible resemblance to the suicide brake levers found on all the cheap/old roadies constantly polluting craigslist. But my opinion has changed drastically now that I've spend some time in the saddle. While I never ride in the flat part of the bars, they are very useful in helping me balance if I'm stuck at a stoplight on a non-level road.

oldpedalpusher

Yeah, I know...
I thought I had ordered the larger diameter levers to fit the bar sleeve putting them closer to the center, but the small ones came. I rode around with no tape on the bars just to determine whether or not to send them back, but they felt great right where they are so on went the tape.

It's really clever how the cross levers allow the brake cable to pass right through without diminishing the hooded lever's abilities, and yet have plenty of two fingered stopping power. I ride for transportation and mostly on the tops unless it's really windy, so the little levers are a welcome addition.


Greg

weavers

maybe you should install bar end brakes, so you really can brake in every position. hey then add a brake on your downtube, so when you go to drink water, you can slow down. every bike needs four sets of brake leavers, its all about safety first.

oldpedalpusher

Heck, I already have one of those shoved up my arse so whenever I pucker the bike slows down...


Greg

roshea

Definite sig material there - thanks!

Hot Potato

I am not saying that the cross levers are not convenient, or that they do not make it easier to ride on the top of the bar. Nor do I say that they do not make commuting easier. But I sure AM saying that you can geat a lot more braking power off the cross levers than on the hoods.

For those that say braking power is not the issue, are you claiming that you can brake maximally from the hoods on your canti equiped bikes?

For those that say the drops are the place for maximal braking, you move from the hoods to the drops everytime you think you might need some hard braking?

jfmckenna

You do get a lot more braking power with the bar top levers but if you cannot stop from the brifter levers you need to adjust your brakes.

This time of year I ride my cross bike exclusively. On the occasion I take my road bike out I always forget I don't have the cross levers and reach for them

Hot Potato

Oh, I can stop from the hoods. Just not in the shortest distance possible on my canti bikes when I use the hoods. Its not that the canti brakes don't work, they just don't inspire confidence from the hoods. Power and modulation are not as good as typical road bike brakes from the hoods. It might be possible that they could be tweaked a bit, but I don't think they are so far out of adjustment that they can become great from the hoods with a wrench. And this has been true for 3 out of 3 canti brake bikes I have used, I just assumed it was a fact of life for cantilevers. Which is why I ask the question, can you brake as well from the hoods as you can from cross levers? I would consider brake modifications or technique modifications if I could make canti hood braking awesome instead of just adequate. Till then, I have the cross levers for maximum braking, it takes me too long to get into the drops to consider than an alternative unless I am already down there.

And I know that horrible sinking feeling when you get on the road bike after prolonged use of a cross bike. You grab air and pucker up for that instant it takes to remember there ain't no lever up here! LOL. The cross levers sure are convenient, I just don't have much use for them on my road bikes than don't have cantilever brakes.

oldpedalpusher

Use it with my blessing, mate.


Greg

kudude

[QUOTE=Hot Potato;9713347]I am not saying that the cross levers are not convenient, or that they do not make it easier to ride on the top of the bar. Nor do I say that they do not make commuting easier. But I sure AM saying that you can geat a lot more braking power off the cross levers than on the hoods.

For those that say braking power is not the issue, are you claiming that you can brake maximally from the hoods on your canti equiped bikes?

For those that say the drops are the place for maximal braking, you move from the hoods to the drops everytime you think you might need some hard braking?[/QUOTE]

no, but if I'm going downhill or fast on dirt, I'm in my drops.

knobster

I like them. I have them on both my "road" bikes, but they are both cyclocross. About them being in the way, I routinely seem them mounted where I've always been told was the incorrect position. OP's is like this also. I've always been told they should be mounted nearly vertical. I changed mine to this configuration and I like them mounted this way more. As far as braking is concerned, I only use them for slow speeds. Going down a steep decent, I'm always in the drops. Much better control and braking. Never had issues with canti's either. It's all in the adjustment and quality of pads.

pacificaslim

I put them on my cyclocross bike just to give me another hand position with brakes: sometimes I'm going downhill on trails for 10 or 20 minutes non-stop and my hands will start to hurt from being on the hoods all the time on the bumpy terrain. I have to be at the ready to brake because there could be a deer or a horse or another bike around any corner so with brakes on the tops at least I have another hand position to give me a break and brake.

But I must say I don't really like riding downhill on the tops - I just feel like my hands are way too close together and prefer to be out on the hoods where I have more leverage and find it easier to control the bike.

If I'm going to be going really fast, I prefer the drops as well. It's just more stable. For slower or more technical situations I prefer the drops because it's easier to unweight and go over things and I feel more comfortable overall. Riding on the tops with the extra levers is basically third choice and I hardly ever do it. Heck, I've almost convinced myself to take them off now, ha!

oldpedalpusher

When I ride dirt, these are my bars...



There's absolutely no ambiguity...

kudude

hot potato, I rode yesterday being conscious of the braking power of the hoods, drops and 'cross levers. You're right.