Dual brake levers...stupid question...

[Nigeyy]

Yeah, the second photo is what is commonly called brake interrupter levers and they really do work well; I have them on my old Raleigh with centre pull brakes, and while not quite the standard of modern brakes, they work pretty well (certainly no comparison to the old "suicide" levers).

If you have suicide levers, they are very easy to remove by unbolting them -if you have brake interrupter levers, to remove them will involve detaching the cable from the brakes, pulling out the cable and adding new uninterrupted cable housing and threading the cable through the new housing and reattaching to the brakes,

Do they look like this? If so, that's suicide levers.

 

[daysnways]

They are the suicide jobbies, i'll be taking them off, cheers all.

 

[cyclingclueless]

hey all, I have these on my bike - cira 1990s Emmelle bike I'm training on... was contemplating about changing these so called "suicide levers" and the drops brakes (I'm finding that although I love the drops for position, I hate the brake handle positions) for the interuptor levers. would this be possible to retro fit on a bike like mine- or is it not worth the money?

 

[ArDee]

I think it would be possible to retrofit them; only you can answer the question on whether it's worth fitting them.
This obviously is a how long is a piece of string question;

• Do you like the bike?
• Do you like the riding position?
• Are you planning on keeping it?
• For how long?
• Will it make your riding better/more enjoyable by fitting these?
• Will you fit them yourself, get somebody to do it as a favour or will you have to pay somebody to fit them?

only by answering those questions, and probably a few others that I've not thought of, will you be able to answer whether it's worth fitting them.

 

[cyclingclueless]

hey arDee, yes the bike suits me; it just needs a 21st C tinkering on it a bit, I got it on principle of reusing items (i'm a bit of a eco-warrior me), its not had any major faults to it and I love the idea of trying to do it up to be specific to me as I prep for the race. Plan on using for the race and afterwards. The brakes are my one major concern with it. so yes, guess it is a "string" type question.... but just asking if possible. also how? I'm learning as i go here.

 

[jefmcg]

I think it would work. (on a modern bike) you just thread the cable through them. When you pull on them, it pulls the cable away from handlebars, thus pulling it tight. However, I don't know the older bikes, so I could be wrong.

If it's going to work, you have to unwrap the bars, replace the outer that goes to the brakes with two shorter lengths, recable it and then rewrap the bars.

And possibly then find out I am in idiot and don't know what I am saying.

 

[ArDee]

As jefmcg says it is possible to retro fit these they go into the cable run from the drop brake lever to the brake calliper.
The outer cable needs to be cut to allow the fitting of them as a section of outer runs from the drop brake hoods to one side of the interrupter levers and continues on from the other side of the interrupter levers to the brake calliper.
This - http://www.cyclistno1.co.uk/features/maintenance/retrofit-cross-top-brake-levers.htm shows how they’re installed
The normal drop hoods operate the brakes by pulling on the inner to operate the brakes while the interrupter levers push on the outer, effectively reducing the length of the inner to operate the brakes.

 

[John the Canuck]

I have them on my 1983 raleigh medale that I have owned now for over 31 years but I would never use them. I just like to keep the bike original

ditto for ''original''

they are OK yes OK for gentle slowing down when riding the 'tops'...i use them.
.