Floppy brake lever -- help, please.

[akelman]

Here's the situation: I bought spamjoshua's Argonaut (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=92597&highlight=spamjoshua), and it's lovely. But the thing is, the brake lever that isn't actually connected to a brake flops around a bit and is, well, unlovely. I need an elegant solution to an inelegant problem. Given that, I considered a Problem Solvers 2:1 Cable Doubler (http://problemsolversbike.com/products/cable_doubler/), but it's huge and ungainly. And honestly, even if it were elegant, I still wouldn't want both levers attached to the front brake.

So, what should I do? How can I make the lever look the way a lever should look? Any ideas?

(I should note, preemptively, that I know this isn't the end of the world. Still, I thought I'd ask.)

[dave thompson]

Is the offending lever an otherwise functioning shifter you don't want ruin? If so, I would think a soft rubber wedge/tube/cylindrical thingie strategically placed/wedged inside of it could be unseen and prevent unwanted movement.

Or install a short run of brake cable and housing, terminate the housing with a few inches of the inner wire exposed, pulled taut and taped firmly to the handlebar and wrap your bar tape as normally. That would keep the lever under tension.

[Louis]

Would a strategically placed dab of hot or silicone glue do the trick? Just enough to hold well, but not so much that it couldn't be removed later to use the lever as intended.

[akelman]

Is the offending lever an otherwise functioning shifter you don't want ruin? If so, I would think a soft rubber wedge/tube/cylindrical thingie strategically placed/wedged inside of it could be unseen and prevent unwanted movement.

Or install a short run of brake cable and housing, terminate the housing with a few inches of the inner wire exposed, pulled taut and taped firmly to the handlebar and wrap your bar tape as normally. That would keep the lever under tension.

I tried the second option. But it's clear that no matter how well I tape it down, over time it's going to start to slacken. As for the first option, that's my last resort. I was sort of hoping that someone would turn up and say, "You idiot, don't you know about X, which is designed to solve exactly this problem."

Also, it's not a shifter; it's a lever only. And I'm not keen to ruin it, but I'd be willing to sacrifice it atop the altar of bike aesthetics, if that's what it's going to take. Because I'm just that shallow.

[Louis]

$36 at AE Bike (http://aebike.com/product/cane-creek-ergo-stoker-levers-black-sku-br1116-qc30.htm)

http://aebike.com/images/library/catalogs/soc/p350X350m/BR1116.jpg

[akelman]

Um, those are black. I might as well spray paint the whole frame gray or wrap it in duct tape as use those.

[gospastic]

I had this issue as well with my SRAM levers. I ran a zip tie through the cable hole, ran it where the cable would have gone, and then took another zip tie and pulled on it until the lever didn't move, then cut the excess off the second zip tie. The little head sits at the point where that 3-screw cover zig-zags along the top edge. You may have to take that cover off and you may have to experiment with zip tie sizes. Sorry I dont have a picture as it would greatly help. This solution works well as long as you remember to never pull on the lever. But nice thing is that if you do and the zip ties break, it's an easy fix.

[akelman]

I had this issue as well with my SRAM levers. I ran a zip tie through the cable hole, ran it where the cable would have gone, and then took another zip tie and pulled on it until the lever didn't move, then cut the excess off the second zip tie. The little head sits at the point where that 3-screw cover zig-zags along the top edge. You may have to take that cover off and you may have to experiment with zip tie sizes. Sorry I dont have a picture as it would greatly help. This solution works well as long as you remember to never pull on the lever. But nice thing is that if you do and the zip ties break, it's an easy fix.

Thanks! That's actually very helpful (unlike Louis's suggestion -- I kid!) and might be what I try.

[Louis]

I might as well spray paint the whole frame gray or wrap it in duct tape as use those.

Go for it. Anything would improve that hideous bike. :)

[akelman]

Go for it. Anything would improve that hideous bike. :)

First you tell me to get it, and now you want to deface it with black lever nubs. I'm just very confused, Louis.

[Louis]

First you tell me to get it, and now you want to deface it with black lever nubs. I'm just very confused, Louis.

To be honest, I didn't remember the color of the hoods. Sorry for that terrible fashion faux pas. :)

I wouldn't go with the stoker hoods anyway, because it wouldn't match the other side where there is a working brake lever. I just posted the pic for the heck of it.

More seriously, what did you do for the rear hub and cog? BMX free-hub?

Post a pic when you have a chance.

Louis

[akelman]

I'll try to get a pic up in the next few days. As for your questions, I swapped out the SRAM brake hoods for some gum Hudz, actually. They look nicer, I think, than the black did. I also swapped out the Brooks saddle for a brown Flite, which, after it weathers a bit, will look nice. Finally, yes, I'm not riding it fixed. I tried, but it didn't agree with me, so I put a White Industries single speed freewheel on there instead.

[rustychisel]

close to getting it right with option 2 but here's how to make it good.

Keep the cable outer under the bartape, get a self tapping screw of appropriate diameter AND a spring from an old 'clickety click' ball point pen.

Screw into spring, locate screw through cable guide into cable outer, turn in a couple of times to hold in place. Ride yer bike.

[akelman]

close to getting it right with option 2 but here's how to make it good.

Keep the cable outer under the bartape, get a self tapping screw of appropriate diameter AND a spring from an old 'clickety click' ball point pen.

Screw into spring, locate screw through cable guide into cable outer, turn in a couple of times to hold in place. Ride yer bike.

Awesome. Thanks!