Switching to aero levers - well worth it

[flimflam_machine]

Apologies in advance to purists, although this is only about a early-80's Raleigh Royal so not exactly that rare.

I've just switched from the original Weinmann levers to a pair of Shimano R600 aero levers and I have to say that the improvement is quite substantial! These are linked to the original Weinmann centre-pulls on which I'd already put modern V-brake blocks. The brakes are now pretty much as good as any I've used. In particular, as Sheldon says, the braking from the hoods is much better.

So, I'd highly recommend making the switch if you value stopping power over authenticity. One technical fix that I can also suggest is using a 90-degree V-brake noodle fitted into the headset-mounted cable hanger. This allows you to make a sharp bend from there to the cable routing under the bar tape. You may have to grind a bit off the diameter of the end ferrule of the noodle, but that's quite straightforward.

 

[David B]

One technical fix that I can also suggest is using a 90-degree V-brake noodle fitted into the headset-mounted cable hanger. This allows you to make a sharp bend from there to the cable routing under the bar tape. You may have to grind a bit off the diameter of the end ferrule of the noodle, but that's quite straightforward.

Thanks for the top tip - I may try that for the canti brakes on my cross bike (which has a similar hanger/stop as part of the headset stack) as it's due for replacement outer and inner cabling before the new racing season starts.

David

 

[flimflam_machine]

One technical fix that I can also suggest is using a 90-degree V-brake noodle fitted into the headset-mounted cable hanger. This allows you to make a sharp bend from there to the cable routing under the bar tape. You may have to grind a bit off the diameter of the end ferrule of the noodle, but that's quite straightforward.

Thanks for the top tip - I may try that for the canti brakes on my cross bike (which has a similar hanger/stop as part of the headset stack) as it's due for replacement outer and inner cabling before the new racing season starts.

David

Glad that someone will use it! You can also cut the noodle to adjust its length and sweep since the ends can be pulled off and the plastic liner pulled out and then replaced after cutting. Since the noodle is rigid, fitting it might make adjusting your stem height more difficult so you'll probably want to get that right first time.

 

[rolf f]

Though of course the benefit is only achieved when braking from the hoods. From the drops it's the same.

What centre pulls has your bike? The Corsair I renovated has I think 610s. They have a lovely even, strong spring pull with a very smooth movement spoiled only by the fact that they are made of cooked pasta.

It's almost fascinating on a steep descent watching the brakes blocks press into the rim whilst you continue to move the lever to the handlebars whilst the brakes bend gracefully! Then of course you realise your minimum speed on this gradient is 30mph........

 

[flimflam_machine]

Though of course the benefit is only achieved when braking from the hoods. From the drops it's the same.

True, although this is my commuting bike so most of my time is spent up on the hoods keeping an eye on the traffic. I've not measured the pivot-cable distance on them, but I suspect the mechanical advantage is much the same as the previous levers.

What centre pulls has your bike? The Corsair I renovated has I think 610s. They have a lovely even, strong spring pull with a very smooth movement spoiled only by the fact that they are made of cooked pasta.

It's almost fascinating on a steep descent watching the brakes blocks press into the rim whilst you continue to move the lever to the handlebars whilst the brakes bend gracefully! Then of course you realise your minimum speed on this gradient is 30mph........

Mine are 610's too. I think they're lovely-looking, nicely-designed brakes, but they can be a bit flexy. I'm not sure how much of this is the caliper arms themselves bending and how much is the pivot bolts flexing outward. One fix for the latter is apparently to fit a second U-shaped bridge (possibly by cannibalizing a spare set of 610's) with extra-long pivot bolts so that the caliper arms are sandwiched between the two bridges. This is basically just like a brake booster for cantilever brakes. I've not done this yet, but then I haven't done any real descending. If I find myself inadvertantly shooting through junctions at the bottom of big hills I may try it out.

 

[pigman]

another thanks for suggesting the noodle tip. Will be useful for the canti-shod pubber where the stem is as low as poss giving a sharp cable bend

 

[flimflam_machine]

another thanks for suggesting the noodle tip. Will be useful for the canti-shod pubber where the stem is as low as poss giving a sharp cable bend

No probs. I seem to recall that some old canti-shod Marin MTB stems even had a roller underneath to take the cable through the 90-degree bend. I was tempted to do something similar but a roller like the Travel Agent is about £15 compared to a pound or two for a noodle.