View Full Version : Cross levers
Has anybody mounted these on a road bike?
http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Cross+Levers&vendorCode=SALSA&major=1&minor=7
I find myself holding the flat part of the bars a lot, and these would seem ideal for quick braking situations. They certainly wouldn't add much weight. Anyone with any experience with these?
dave thompson
03-23-2005, 12:31 PM
My wife has these on her Calfee and likes them a lot. She has a mild case of arthritis in her thumbs, and braking from the hoods or drop gives her pain and lots of it on long downhills. I installed the cross levers several years ago and she's had no complaints.
Has anybody mounted these on a road bike?
http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Cross+Levers&vendorCode=SALSA&major=1&minor=7
I find myself holding the flat part of the bars a lot, and these would seem ideal for quick braking situations. They certainly wouldn't add much weight. Anyone with any experience with these?
yeah, stupid people. you don't need'em. they look dumb and were stupid enough on cross bikes when empella first introduced them. when would you ever need to brake on the tops anyway?
jerk
(the only thing those safety levers do is make the pimply faced kid at the bike shop's job easier when he's trying to sell road bikes to fat old people who have even less of a clue than he does.....stay away pjm, just because they call them 'cross levers doesn't make them any cooler or less useless than the safety levers on a schwinn varisty. on the other hand, they are light and they do work.)
note: the jerk does not think dave is stupid. or his wife. a condition such as arthritis is the exception which proves the jerk's jerkiness. back pedal.....back pedal......
jerk
coylifut
03-23-2005, 12:37 PM
note: the jerk does not think dave is stupid. or his wife. a condition such as arthritis is the exception which proves the jerk's jerkiness. back pedal.....back pedal......
jerk
And I take it e-RICHIE gets a pass as well on his cross bike.
dave thompson
03-23-2005, 12:39 PM
yeah, stupid people. ............and when would you ever need to brake on the tops anyway?
jerk
When it's hard, difficult, impossible or painful to brake from the drops, or when that dog runs out in front of you as you're cruising along, on the tops.
nope. he doesn't. nor does he get a pass on his stupid shaped handlebars. :) :) :) :) (there are ways around sponsorship obligations gentlemen!)
jerk
dave thompson
03-23-2005, 12:42 PM
note: the jerk does not think dave is stupid. or his wife. a condition such as arthritis is the exception which proves the jerk's jerkiness. back pedal.....back pedal......
jerk
Quick thinking! Even quicker at the keyboard than I am. I have to admit though, after reading your reply, I stewed about if for a few minutes, then dashed off mine.
I really don't think you are that big of a jerk! :D
they're still safety levers though. the jerk has honed fine reaction skills through years of atari......the tops to the hoods ain't that far away.....
jerk
e-RICHIE
03-23-2005, 12:42 PM
"...nor does he get a pass on his stupid shaped handlebars.
(there are ways around sponsorship obligations gentlemen!)"
the jerk knows e-RICHIE!
e-RICHIE
TmcDet
03-23-2005, 01:05 PM
she is just 9 and her bike was a tad bit too big for her when we bought it...heck couldn't find a road bike small enough for her. She could only ride on the tops so we put those on so she would be able to stop and they served the purpose very well.
Bruce K
03-23-2005, 01:48 PM
I don't have them on my road bikes. I do have them on my cross bike and I think they are a great convenience and work pretty well.
You should also check out www.cyclocrossworld.com as they have several varieties and price points for these levers.
BK
PBWrench
03-23-2005, 01:50 PM
When I used to sell Schwinn Varsitys we called them "safety levers" to the customers; As mechanics we referred to them as "dummy levers."
Too Tall
03-23-2005, 01:55 PM
When I was assembling bikes as a wee lad we called them "Suicide Levers" for their unique characteristic to squish alllll the way to the bar and still not apply maximum brake. That was than. Enlightened we are.
kenyee
03-23-2005, 03:58 PM
Aren't the old style suicide levers an entirely different animal? They sort of made the drop brake levers compress.
The cross levers actually yank on the brake cable independently as I understand them.
And yes, I've thought about them in the city...a second or two translates to a meaningful distance if you happen to be on the tops at the wrong time (it'd be an interesting exercise to test the jerk on cross lever braking time vs. drop braking time from 20mph to zero ;-)
dave thompson
03-23-2005, 04:25 PM
Aren't the old style suicide levers an entirely different animal? They sort of made the drop brake levers compress.
The cross levers actually yank on the brake cable independently as I understand them.
And yes, I've thought about them in the city...a second or two translates to a meaningful distance if you happen to be on the tops at the wrong time (it'd be an interesting exercise to test the jerk on cross lever braking time vs. drop braking time from 20mph to zero ;-)
The top mount cross levers do work directly on the cables. The amount of pull is the same as the regular levers, with only a small increase in effort because of the shorter levers. No slop or loss of braking effort at all. The brakes are right there when you're riding on the tops.
pale scotsman
03-23-2005, 04:37 PM
The pale one remembers his buddy Spencer w/ the suicide levers on his Nishiki. Panic stop #1 buddy Spencer pulls the levers and over the handlebars he goes. Pale one no likey suicide levers. Spencer no likey either.
shinomaster
03-23-2005, 09:41 PM
I had the Tektro version of these levers put on my cross bike. I guess I didn't know they were for morons otherwise I wouldn't have bought them. They are great for riding on the tops around town or in traffic and providing a safer breaking option than the Jerk recommends. They are powerful from the tops but make breaking from the hoods weaker, at least on my old cantilevers.
Try them, as they are inexpensive, especially the tektro kind..
Hey Erik Tonkin uses them, and he rode for us at the Worlds!!
coylifut
03-23-2005, 10:38 PM
I had the Tektro version of these levers put on my cross bike. I guess I didn't know they were for morons otherwise I wouldn't have bought them. They are great for riding on the tops around town or in traffic and providing a safer breaking option than the Jerk recommends. They are powerful from the tops but make breaking from the hoods weaker, at least on my old cantilevers.
Try them, as they are inexpensive, especially the tektro kind..
Hey Erik Tonkin uses them, and he rode for us at the Worlds!!
He gave em up before last season. I had a set on my bike, but didn't like em.
shinomaster
03-23-2005, 10:58 PM
Doh!!! HE sold them to me too!! At an LBS..Hey hows about that!!
Too Tall
03-24-2005, 07:20 AM
OK I'll be the style guy. If you ride a road bike in traffic than you are well advised to have your hands covering the brakes and in the drops so you can dodge $hit.
shinomaster
03-24-2005, 12:20 PM
OK I'll be the style guy. If you ride a road bike in traffic than you are well advised to have your hands covering the brakes and in the drops so you can dodge $hit.
dude I know, I lived in Boston for 8 years!
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