struggling with flat bar conversion

[jax13]

i have converted a cheapy roadbike to a flatbar for my commuter and i'm struggling to get any braking force worth talking about. i'm using promax levers setup for canti's which i am assuming is the issue so..... what options do i have re: levers modern or old?

thanks

 

[jamabikes]

what brakes are you using?

 

[jax13]

traditional roadbrakes - u-brake style ones. i was thinking of ditching them and using tiagra ones because i did see some tiagra flatbar levers on ebay.

 

[lae]

Road brakes are nearly always callipers rather than u-brakes (which are a BMX thing I think). However, all types of rim brake (except v-brakes) use the same cable-pull-ratio, so levers designed for cantilevers should also work fine with callipers (or u-brakes).

If the braking is poor then:
1. You have levers designed for v-brakes, which don't have the right amount of mechanical advantage - the lever feels very firm but doesn't stop the bike
2. The brakes are set up wrong somehow

 

[jax13]

assuming the dual position levers i already have aren't compatible (which claim to be canti / V compatible depending on where the cable is seated) I've bought a cheapy pair of canti levers to see if it rectifies the problem before i shell out on a new brake & lever combo.

next issue is to work out if mtb thumbies are the way to get around downtube shifters.

 

[ianfoot]

if you want to reuse your downtube shifters, rather than shelling out for retro thumbies (good ones being as rare as rocking horse poop) try some of these.......

I think freshtripe are getting some more in soon.......

 

[jax13]

i've actually got a pair of nos 7 speed thumbies off an old mountain bike.

i'm praying that they will work the rear mech on friction but failing that i'll switch out the rear mech for an old lx one.