V-Brakes ONLY????

[EaziRiderPaddy]

Hi all
I've just brought myself a bike and those damn gripshifts are doing my tree in
So, i know you can change from grip to Rapid fire but i want to change my grip and brakes to just a all in one, and every item i choose states that they are for V-brakes only (i have cable driven discs), which i cannot understand.

would someone please elaborate as i cannot get my head around it

Thanks in advance
Paddy

 

[compo]

My Trek has Shimano discs and V brake levers. perhaps you might be OK with V's.

 

[tom_e]

The cable pull is, in theory, the same for cable discs and V-brakes. That's the idea - you can use V-brake levers. In practice they can vary a tiny bit for optimum setup, so you can buy some levers with adjustable leverage.

Not to be awkward, but I probably wouldn't recommend going to a combined brake/shifter setup unless you mean the really fancy ones where there is literally only one lever which you twiddle in/out or up/down for brake and shifting? The ones with one unit that has separate levers for shifter and brake are normally fitted to new bikes to save a tiny bit of money, but mean if you want to change anything in future you have to replace both. Cable discs to hydraulics? - new shifters needed. 8sp to 9sp? New brake levers needed.

 

[EaziRiderPaddy]

so what your saying Tom_e is its just another way to get money out of the poor consumer?
and im also better with just the separate gears and brakes?
Thanks

Oh and thanks compo

 

[tom_e]

That's probably a tiny bit harsh. The genuinely integrated ones with one lever which operates both brakes and shifters do have a purpose (though I'd advise you try before buying - I think it's a bit of an acquired taste).

The combined but unintegrated ones, if you see what I mean, will be fine unless you ever want to change in the future. I just don't see a lot of point in switching to them.

Edit: but basically yes, I personally think you're better off with separate ones.

 

[EaziRiderPaddy]

cheers Tom_e i will be doing abit more research then
Thanks Paddy

 

[MacB]

The ones I'm aware of:-

1. single pod with lever for brake and thumbs shifters for gears
2. single pod STI style where the brake lever also moves up and down for gears, there will normally be a single thimb shifter/release on there as well
3. seperate brake levers and shift pods

Option 1 tends to be at the cheapo end of the market and any failure means you lose both brakes and gears
Option 2 are a bit swisher, Shimano did some quite high end ones but they don't seem to have proved that popular, same problem re failure as option 1
Option 3 gives you all the choices you could want.

There are also some shift pods that direct mount to the brake lever but I've only seen these on higher end hydraulic setups, and they are very expensive. I believe this is just about saving clamp space on bars.

 

[Andrew Gronow]

Not always the cheap option..