Which brake lever?

[Nibor]

looking to go to bar end shifters on my Exploring bike to simplify the mtb road groupset compatibility issues. Anyone got any experience / recommendations on budget drop brake levers?

Thanks in advance, also if any one has a pair in good condition needing a new home.

 

[Cycleops]

This might interest you, though he used brifters:

View: https://youtu.be/f1vSHauv1VY

 

[Nibor]

I have brifters but the front one won't pull enough cable to get into the big ring

 

[cyberknight]

Tektro L 340 I think is what I used,did drop bar conversion on my mtb pictures on the forum, on phone ATM so hard to link

 

[si_c]

The cane creek levers are fantastic. Used them on two bikes, really comfortable on longer rides and good stopping power. Also have a spring action to pull the brake open again, which is nice.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Couldn't you carry on using your existing shifters once you've removed the gear cables? Otherwise the Tektros are fine for the money.

 

[cyberknight]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mtb-drop-bar-conversion.197717/

 

[Nibor]

Couldn't you carry on using your existing shifters once you've removed the gear cables? Otherwise the Tektros are fine for the money.

Thought I could sell the brifters and thought dedicated levers would look cleaner

 

[growingvegetables]

I used these - http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s103p2006/TEKTRO-RL340-RL341. Purely because they were the cheapest, and I wasn't convinced that bar-end shifters were "right" for me. I didn't want to splash out unnecessarily.

And I was a real ........ let's not go there!

1. Bar-end shifters are brilliant - I love 'em. Solid. Simple. And so easy. Hopefully they'll last a damned sight more than the 18 months max I've ever got out of brifters. Don't know if it's the mileage I do, or the winter cycling, or if I'm just cack-handed - but twice I've had tiny bits of plastic break off deep inside the brifter mechanism, rendering them totally useless. Not going back.
   
2. And those Tektros give me FAR better braking than the brifters originally fitted to my bike. I have no idea why or how a simple lever can work so much better than another lever ... but they do.

 

[the snail]

If it's <10speed you might get the brifters to work with a road fd that can handle mtb chain line. My tourer has 8sp stis, sora mech and alivio chainset

 

[mcshroom]

I would try a road front mech before switching everything else. My tourer has all Alivio kit, except the sora front mech. MTB and road front mechs have different cable pulls.

 

[mcshroom]

Otherwise Im very happy with the Tektro 340s on my singlespeed, or if you fancy switching to v-brakes while you're at it then the 520 version has the correct cable pull.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've got some Tektro aero (ie cable under the bar tape) levers on my bike that has proper shifters* on it. They are absolutely fine.

* down tube, natch.

 

[Nibor]

Can't use a road front mech as the frame is top pull only was running a sora mech with a jury rigged pully it worked for a while but was unreliable