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Looking for a minimalist front brake lever

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Looking for a minimalist front brake lever

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Old 03-18-11 | 06:50 PM
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Looking for a minimalist front brake lever

Hey guys. So I've admired the aesthetics of fixed gears for years now, especially the vintage set ups. And although I love the way a track bike looks brakeless I just can't ride like that - I'm way too young to die (25).

So what are some of the least noticeable front brake levers that you guys have seen?
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Old 03-18-11 | 06:53 PM
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Originally Posted by iCapture
And although I love the way a track bike looks brakeless I just can't ride like that - I'm way too young to die (25).
then run a brake and stop being too proud and trying to hide it.
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Old 03-18-11 | 06:54 PM
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Errr simple single cross lever... tektro has a nice selection to choose from.
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Old 03-18-11 | 07:00 PM
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Last edited by Scrodzilla; 03-18-11 at 07:31 PM.
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Old 03-18-11 | 07:14 PM
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pm muckymucky - his brake setup is very minimalist and he can tell you more about it.
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Old 03-18-11 | 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by xkillemallx16
pm muckymucky - his brake setup is very minimalist and he can tell you more about it.
The OP is looking for a front brake lever.
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Old 03-18-11 | 08:31 PM
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paul (if you can cough up the dough for it)
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Old 03-18-11 | 08:35 PM
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Salsa/tektro has a good selection of small bladed single finger brakes.

Salsa and trektro are the same co :|

Also, animal has a BMX brake lever i think its a 22.8mm clamp though, Any ways the lever is really short and thin.
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Old 03-18-11 | 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by onionskin
paul (if you can cough up the dough for it)
Paul levers cost way too much for how bad they suck.

Last edited by Scrodzilla; 03-19-11 at 06:03 AM.
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Old 03-18-11 | 08:56 PM
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odyssey monolever. I have the medium, pretty lo-pro. the small is even more so. I did have to file out the clamp to fit my hussifelt bars. nice lever too.
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Old 03-18-11 | 09:01 PM
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++ Odyssey monolever. I've got one on my risers and it's awesome.

That does beg the question: what bars are you running?
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Old 03-18-11 | 10:20 PM
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Hmmmm.... didn't someone mount it on their top tube?

Just get a cross lever and live with it.
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Old 03-18-11 | 11:25 PM
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the fashion of my brakeless track bike and sweet fixie skids is to die for.
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Old 03-18-11 | 11:30 PM
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Paul. +100000
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Old 03-19-11 | 01:42 AM
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I've been commuting on my mtn bike for about a year now and never needed to use the front brake.

It's a disc brake but it gets stuck when I pull it(return spring not working) so technically it works but I absolutely never use it, I commute around 9 miles round-trip every day, never ever used it.

I've had some close calls but nothing that needed more power.
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Old 03-19-11 | 01:51 AM
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you know that's probably something you could fix with a new lever, or maybe just a new spring.
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Old 03-19-11 | 01:53 AM
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Originally Posted by kabex
I've had some close calls but nothing that needed more power.
If any of these close calls involved you skidding as you tried to brake, a front brake would have stopped you faster.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html#frontorrear

OP: Get over it. The caliper will be more noticeable than the lever anyway.
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Old 03-19-11 | 06:02 AM
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Originally Posted by kabex
I've been commuting on my mtn bike for about a year now and never needed to use the front brake.

It's a disc brake but it gets stuck when I pull it(return spring not working) so technically it works but I absolutely never use it, I commute around 9 miles round-trip every day, never ever used it.

I've had some close calls but nothing that needed more power.
This has nothing to do with anything. OP is simply looking for brake lever options.
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Old 03-19-11 | 06:07 AM
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I'm actually looking to replace my cheap stock plastic brake lever and was wondering if people who use the Odyssey Monolever or M2 ... or any type of minimalistic lever ever put both a left and right for front and back brakes? Is it doable? Is there anything diff between left and right brake levers in general?
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Old 03-19-11 | 06:39 AM
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Originally Posted by lac29
I'm actually looking to replace my cheap stock plastic brake lever and was wondering if people who use the Odyssey Monolever or M2 ... or any type of minimalistic lever ever put both a left and right for front and back brakes? Is it doable? Is there anything diff between left and right brake levers in general?
back when i was switching between cross racing and commuting fixed on the same bike i had back brakes. way easier to lockup for mad skids! as for the mono lever i think they make a left and a right, i love mine, very nice to=wo finger action...
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Old 03-19-11 | 12:07 PM
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I'm surprised that someone hasn't created a "shame" fork hat has built in breaks on the inner sides of the fork so no one knows your dirty secret. The brake lever could be desguised into a cup holder so people know that you need coffee, not breaks
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Old 03-19-11 | 12:18 PM
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the odyssey lever is meant for a bmx, so 7/8" which is ~22mm. So it'd take some work to make it fit. Otherwise i've always liked these, but have been sold out forever and idk anywhere else to get them...but again 24mm bar size, which isn't ideal...

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Old 03-19-11 | 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Scrodzilla
A true warrior understands that blatant disregard of death causes it to fear you.
True dat nicka!
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Old 03-19-11 | 06:00 PM
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$30 a pair and you can find someone like me who prefers to have a brake on the right side

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Old 03-19-11 | 06:16 PM
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https://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1673
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