# Dual brake levers



## Nigel Pitts (29 Oct 2012)

My wife struggles to reach the brakes on her new road bike , so my question is does anyone know if there are still places to get the dual "GT" brake levers that we had on our racing bikes back in the eighties when we were kids ?


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## jim55 (29 Oct 2012)

Do you mean suicide levers for drop bars? 
Get interrupt or cross top levers on the flats suicide are aptly named , bloody rubbish lol


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## jefmcg (29 Oct 2012)

My giant avail came with dual levers (sorry, I guess that's not much help). More usefully, what do you mean by "reach"? Is the stem too long? Or maybe you need to add a shim to the brakes to bring the levers closer to the handlebars?

Edit: dual levers plus icecream






(I don't use them much. Icecream more so)


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## HLaB (29 Oct 2012)

You dont get the suicide levers of the 70/80s any more but you get much safer in line brake levers you can also get shims to adjust the drop bar lever position.


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## Nigel Pitts (29 Oct 2012)

Not sure what you mean by shims - she is new to drop handlebars and struggles to lean forward to the brakes


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## Nigel Pitts (29 Oct 2012)

Are these in addition to the normal levers or instead of - they look like just the thing


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## jim55 (29 Oct 2012)

In addition to


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## HLaB (29 Oct 2012)

Nigel Pitts said:


> Are these in addition to the normal levers or instead of - they look like just the thing


The cross levers are indeed in line (or in addition to), the wiggle link explains it better.



Nigel Pitts said:


> Not sure what you mean by shims - she is new to drop handlebars and struggles to lean forward to the brakes


Shims just bring the levers close to the bars for small hands. It difficult to say without knowing her but a shorter stem may be better.


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## TonyEnjoyD (29 Oct 2012)

Intermediate or Criss Top levers
Relatively easy to retrofit. Did he same on my roadie for the wife's use.
Not as efficient as the main levers, but OK if just cruising on the top bar.

The shims they are talking about come with the main STI levers but most LBS bin them.
They sit between the hood/top and the inside of the ever to partly actuate the lever so easier to reach.


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## Nigel Pitts (29 Oct 2012)

You are all gents and scholars and my wife thanks you all for your help .... Almost , one last thing - are they easy or how do you fit them


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## mrandmrspoves (30 Oct 2012)

Secondary levers also called top levers are fitted on the top part of drop bars. They simply bolt on and usually do not need to be slid on because the clamp undoes. Once in place you disconnect the brake cable from the brake mechanism but leave it in place at the original lever end. Then slide the outer cable off. You then need to cut the outer cable so that the first length of cable fits between the original brake lever and the new lever. Then thread the inner cable through the outer and through the new lever. Then fit the remaining length of cable between the new lever and the brake before re fitting the inner cable and adjusting. The new lever works by pushing the outer cable. The above probably sounds quite complicated...but it isn't. However you may need to re-tape the handlebars and sometimes the existing brake cables are not long enough to add secondary levers so may need replacing. Secondary levers cost appx £20....and you need to buy them for the right sized handlebar. Picture shows what they look like as fitted to one of my bicycles.


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## Norm (30 Oct 2012)

I think the cross levers are a huge benefit on dropped bar bikes. 

However, many who buy cyclo-cross styled bikes don't like the top levers, so some LBSs don't fit them until they have a buyer and then ask for their preferences. I managed to get a pair from my friendly LBS which hadn't been previously fitted at a very reasonable price, so I now have them on both my drop-bar bikes.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (30 Oct 2012)

Nigel Pitts said:


> You are all gents and scholars and my wife thanks you all for your help .... Almost , one last thing - are they easy or how do you fit them


 
I have just been through this on my bike - there is a thread somewhere - started off about brake blocks. I don't have full use of my left hand, and can't rotate it fully as well, so brakes and gears can be an issue.

changing the brake blocks and fitting cross levers has helped considerably. Fitting them was a learning curve, not least of all becuase of space issues on the handle bars, and the fact that the ones I purchased had to be on the oversized section of the bars as well caused one or two problems. If I fitted them again, I would probably manage to do a better job of it, but they have definitely made a considerable difference and I woudl recommend them.


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## BrazingSaddles (30 Oct 2012)

I had exactly the same issues with my first road bike. It will take your wife some time to get used to the strain this new set-up will have on her arms and hands - I used to ache after a long ride with plenty of downhill sections. Quality brake blocks definitely make a difference, as SatNavSaysStraightOn has found out. The biggest difference for me was using sram equipment (break levers - S500) on one of my other bikes. So comfy that my original road bike will be getting an upgrade soon, and a friend (who is also a lil'lady) is now using sram levers.
I had also considered fitting top-levers but decided against it...can't remember why, perhaps it conflicted with a bar bag or summink!
I used to get up out of the saddle slightly when breaking as that gave me a better reach - perhaps suggest this as an option to try?
Happy cycling.


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## vickster (31 Oct 2012)

I have the same bike as jefmcg and use the top levers all the time. Don't leave much room on the bars but that's what the stem us for. It sounds like the OPs wife's bike may be too big, needs a shorter stem or seat further forwards, I can use the Sti brakes but the top levers are easier. They cost about 20 quid apparently and I'd get an lbs to fit as am technically inept!!


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## DougieAB (31 Oct 2012)

I have them fitted to my CX bike and find them really usefull. Well worth getting them fitted.


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