Any tips on how to "lock" brake levers?
 

Has anyone ever put hoods and levers on their bicycle and "locked" them? I'm still brakeless but put trp hoods and levers on to facilitate more hand positions. Have not really gotten used to their edit*(presence) but have more than once gone to them automatically to brake. I may as time passes place a brake up front but would like them both locked for now and if a front brake does get added, would like the right hand one "locked". Any advice or insight is appreciated.

I guess you could run a few inches of cable through and fasten them to the bar with tape or something under your bartape. Not sure how secure that would be, but honestly I don't think it's necessary anyway. I run a single brake with the same levers for fixed road rides. You learn not to squeeze the empty one.

I imagine you're probably right about learning not to squeeze them. It was surprising though how deeply ingrained the pathway that says "squeeze here to stop" is for me when up on the hoods.

Many people remove the levers and install just the bodies. This is especially popular for tandem stoker's bars.

Otherwise, depending on the lever, some kludge for hamming shouldn't be hard for anyone the least bit creative. The simplest would be to buy non-aero levers and fit a thin screw and nut along the cable path. Other ideas will depend on the specific lever used.

You mean "lock-out" so they can't be used?

Many brake calipers have a release lever on them. Close the release lever, and you get positive braking. Open it, and you either get zero braking, or very minimal braking.

Center pull and canti brakes have a straddle wire. Remove that, and you get zero braking. Likewise, you can remove the noodle of a V-Brake.

You could also simply remove the brake pads.

Keep in mind that a brake system with slotted fittings requires some tension, otherwise it can all fall apart.

Im using the "bent spoke" method. Insert spoke til the ball end butts up against the lever, then cut the spoke to length and bend it over creating tension on the lever. Boom she's locked.

Or, a slight variation using the threaded end of the spoke and a nipple. I didn't get mine quite right, but this is the general idea.

https://i.imgur.com/nieMqAx.png

Or just buy a set of spring loaded standard brake levers, and don’t go through all these shenanigans.

Yeah, but my bike wouldn't be half as sw8t without my S900s. :p

This is sweet. SRAM levers or GTFO.

If they were just spring loaded, they would be perfect.

Or you could get some sweet brakes and not have to worry about the issue of brake levers not braking. If you want to be a cool kid, eeBrakes from Cane Creek are the best rim brakes I have ever used. End of discussion.

Eh... in my case, the Little Wing doesn't have any way to mount a rear brake.

Where there is a will there is a way!

And years later I finally find a place that is talking about the topic I'm trying to solve.
Currently, I'm thinking of running a brake cable from the lever to the outside then using the cable case for an inch or so, then trying to clamp the cover with cable, to allow me to cut the cable and put an endcap on it to lock the cable. Any ideas if this might work?
Now I assume the challenge is keeping the tension on the cable when it's cut and waiting for the cap to be added as there would be very little cable viewable outside the casing.

EDIT: I just looked at the dates and suddenly it hit me 2022! Seeing that next to 2017 make me realise the ammount of time that has passed. Wow! 5 years. So much has changed.

I'm still right.

Is the issue about “locking” the brake in a stealthy manner for theft “obstruction”? Or is it about locking the brake for stability? If the latter, the traditional leather toe strap, cinched around the brake lever and handlebar is superb! Or one can strap it around the downtube and front rim for an even more stable set up. If it is a stealthy attempt to foil a possible grab and ride, one can jack the front derailleur into the chain to make pedaling away nearly impossible. I wouldn’t rely on anything short of a U lock , cable, or Euro style rim lock on the rear wheel as a way to foil a grab and run/ride, though.

The reason why we try this is to stop the brake lever from moving, as it has no cable to keep it tight and in place. The right brake lever is never connected to an actual brake, as we are only using a front brake so the left level pulls that. We want to have 2 levers for aesthetic reasons.
I went through a few ideas, talked to my LBS, and was about to use expoy to 'fix' it in place but then decided I could just tape the top of the hood to secure the lever. That's what I did, so far it's fine.

https://www.angrycatfishbicycle.com/...s-164148-1.htm

These. I use one of these on my Spicer which is only drilled for front brake on the fork. One brake lever, and one of these. They're pricey for that they are, but will offer you the hand positions you're looking for.

I've seen levers cut down to where the pivot area narrows down to the rest of the lever to provide a smooth top/front to the hood. With a well thought out cut and some filing, the end result looks nice. This doesn't address the OP's question on locking the lever but now that cut down lever needs far less of a lock since it cannot be squeezed.

And a thought I just had to lock the lever. Drill a small hole through the body and lever on the side say 3/4" from the pivot. Tap for say an M4 screw. Now drill just the body to clear that screw. Countersink for a nice SS pan head screw. Doing both sides would add symmetry and probably hold up better also.

Thats what I was thinking. Drill, tap, maybe a long grub screw.

I don't care if the lever moves, just that the cylindrical portion cut for the cable end doesn't rattle. I tied it with a short piece of 1/16" bungee cord/