Changing to old style handlebars with integrated brakes

[hellodean]

Hi there,

I have just bought an old mixte and am currently doing it up. It has dropped handlebars, and although I have been practising on them, I will own up to being useless with them. I want to change them, and am thinking of some old style handlebars which have the brakes included:

They do look pretty indeed, but... will I have trouble with these integrated brakes? Does anyone know anything about installing them. Will I need special brake cables or more?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[brodie]

double post deleted.

 

[brodie]

They're rod brakes, they don't have cables, common on roadster bikes. And you need a special type of rims for the brakes to work.

 

[hellodean]

Thank you.

My ignorance (in the brake department) is apparent.

After a little googling I now understand they work in quite a different way to 'normal' brakes... is this type of brake system less reliable. It seems to me that the brakes would either be on or off, there would be little difference between the two.

Maybe I'll rethink, shame I really had my heart set on them.

 

[betty swollocks]

North Road bars will work with cable brakes and levers.

 

[tyred]

It would be extremely difficult and absolutely pointless to convert a cable braked bike to rod brakes. You would need to find a way of bolting on the pivot points for the rear brakes. On the plus side, rod brakes are basically maintenance free once set up. But on the other hand, they struggle to bring the bike to complete standstill in the dry, are completely shite in the wet, the correct rims are difficult to find, the wheels will need to be absolutely 100% true and round to work properly and they seem to eat pads. I speak as an owner of a rod braked bike. They are fine for quiet country roads but I would never try to ride it in heavy traffic.

North road bars are what you need. They are better anyway as they allow a much better range of adjustment. You can even flip them upside down for the retro-racer look if you like.