14
votes
What's this "spacer" lever on the front brake lever for?
Adding pictures to Weiwen's answer...
Here is a picture of a brake lever with the part in question circled in blue.
It is a quick release mechanism integrated into the brake lever that allows ...
- 20.7k
14
votes
Accepted
LBS won't Service Shimano Dual Control Lever
I've successfully destroyed several right-hand levers by attempting to fix them once they've started acting up.
One was a broken basket in the shifter, and I forget the actual failure in the others. ...
- 121k
12
votes
Accepted
Can the brake levers be moved from the side to the top of the handlebar?
Not really. The levers in the second picture are commonly called "interrupter" levers, and are usually used in addition to the levers you've already got.
I think you'd find that if you simply tried ...
- 29.2k
12
votes
Accepted
My front brakes contact the rim at different times instead of simultaneously. Is that normal or are they misaligned?
When I lightly apply the brakes only one part makes contact with the wheel
There are two adjustment screws (Spring tension centering screw on the picture below) which are meant to center pads of V-...
- 14.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Are brake lever reach limit screws necessary for any reason?
Their purpose differs between hydraulic and mechanical brakes.
On these cantilever brakes, the purpose is simply to adjust the rest position of the brake. If you have the screw fully wound out, you ...
- 1,288
11
votes
Accepted
What to call bike brake levers with two gripping points?
I was hesitating to flag this post as a duplicate of Why don't brakes come with 'Safety Levers' any more?, but the other post is rich in the names of those "dual-pull" brake levers which ...
- 4,281
11
votes
What is the purpose of an insert pin for Magura brake hoses?
I assume by 'pin' you mean the following part:
This part is called the 'insert' or 'connecting insert' and its purpose is to 'support' the (non rigid) brake hose in order to prevent it from crushing/...
11
votes
Accepted
Brake levers for riding in upright position
There are two sorts of brake lever that would suit this description - given mention an older ten speed you're probably remembering these:
Sometimes called Suicide Brakes, or secondary levers/safety ...
- 121k
11
votes
Accepted
How to interpret Shimano compatibility chart?
Why are Boxes 3, 4, and 5 separate if they're all compatible with Box 1?
Boxes 3, 4, and 5 are separate because they are groupings of different types of brake calipers/types. They are separated for ...
- 6,089
10
votes
Accepted
Where/how do I reduce travel on my brake levers?
The brake levers are adjustable.
The locking nut (nr 1) has/should have been tightened to keep the adjustment mechanism from re-adjusting by itself
Loosen nut nr 1 (if possible) to loosen adjustement ...
- 846
9
votes
Accepted
How to prevent loose brake cables with a single pivot side-pull mechanism?
It's because you have a combination of brake levers designed for V-brakes and side pull brakes. V-brakes need more cable pull for the same effect, so your levers pull the cable too fast.
The ...
- 21.8k
9
votes
Why are brake levers still bent in form to accomodate more than one finger?
TL;DNR - single finger levers have little (if any) advanatage and some disadvantages.
Most people do not start out cycling with XT/Ultegra quality bikes and therefore (do not) start out on bikes ...
- 49.1k
9
votes
Accepted
New disc-brake, rotor, pads; terrible braking performance
It sounds like air is trapped in the system and you should do a rebleed. Just start over, follow the manufacturer instructions carefully, take your time and be very careful to get ALL of the bubbles ...
- 264
9
votes
What's this "spacer" lever on the front brake lever for?
That is a brake quick release lever. Sometimes, our tires are slightly too big to fit through the brake pads when we remove a wheel from the bike. That quick release lever releases a bit of cable, ...
- 29.7k
9
votes
Clips/extenders for road bike brake levers?
Over a year later, I did some googling and to my surprise, yes these are a thing. However they're rare and not popular, so may be hard to source.
Common Solutions
Safety Levers, common during the ...
- 121k
8
votes
Braking on a vintage road bike
It is true that the old style brake levers were not as powerful from the hoods as modern ones. The reason is geometry.
The picture below shows how old and new levers move when pulled. With old ...
- 21.8k
8
votes
Accepted
New front fork has steel caps on V-brake mounts - can these be removed to expose threaded mounts beneath
These caps are indeed removable. They are protective caps on your brake mount bosses, to prevent the paint getting on the surface of the brake mount or threading, in the factory.
They've done their ...
- 12.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Thumb ring and index finger
There is nothing obviously wrong with your handlebar setup. As long the shift and brake levers are easily accessible and you don't have to rotate your wrists or shift your hand laterally along the bar ...
- 75.5k
7
votes
Accepted
How to improve braking with hands on hoods?
Braking is always stronger from the drops than the hoods, as you noted only your lower fingers have mechanical advantage when braking from the hoods, when braking from the drops you have much better ...
- 30.5k
7
votes
What are cheap options for an extra set of brake levers for mechanical disk brakes?
Presumably you have drop bars. Inline brake levers are your only choice. The only places to mount extra levers on drop bars are tops. With inline levers installed you can reach levers from the drops, ...
- 75.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Can a Shimano XT (mountain) hydraulic disc brake caliper be used with an Ultegra STI road brake lever?
Shimano recommends a totally different mountain brake levers for the 2-piston XTR brake (the M9100) vs the XTR 4-piston model (the M9120). Why would you need a different brake lever for these ...
- 5,709
7
votes
Accepted
Is it possible that the gears switched from left to right?
The standard setup is left for front and right for rear for gears.
For gears you would need special left rear and right front shifters, which are not manufactured. It is very unlikely that you had ...
- 21.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Are clear hydraulic brake lines available for sale?
The pressures necessary in any disk brake setup are extremely high, many in excess of 2000psi [SRAM 4234 Rev A(2012), p4] so require a spirally-wound fiber core reinforcement to function. Because this ...
- 96
7
votes
Accepted
Ultegra ST-R8020 Lever: crack near brake hose interface
You may have a hard time finding someone to tell you exactly what's under there in terms of the architecture and what part bears how much load, since replacement parts aren't available to service or ...
- 81.9k
7
votes
Accepted
How do barrel adjusters for v-brakes work?
Barrel adjusters push against the outer cable (cable housing). That's how they work both on gear and brake cables.
The appropriate use of barrel adjusters on all cable brake systems, whether ...
- 323
6
votes
Accepted
Gear cable head stuck in Shimano Sora lever
In the interests of closing the question I'll answer it.
I took it to a shop and the mechanic managed to pry it out using a tool a little like a screwdriver (but with a pointed end) while applying ...
- 311
6
votes
Accepted
Cross top Levers as primary brake
A lot of people do this, enough that at some points it's been a fashion on fixed gears. All you have to do is put the cable through the normal way with the head resting on the back side of the lever, ...
- 81.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Can rubber hoods be used on a different brand of brake levers?
No. The rubber hoods are designed to closely match the lever's shape and are not stretched when installed. There are some third party replacement hoods, but they too are designed to fit specific lever ...
- 21.8k
6
votes
What to call bike brake levers with two gripping points?
It's just worth mentioning that there are modern levers that serve the same purpose but are much safer. If you're trying to emulate the setup above you shoudl use the new products.
They are known as ...
- 57.3k
6
votes
Can I use V brake levers for U brakes (side pull calipers)?
I found this helpful site which explains the different types and compatibilities:
Mechanical bicycle brake compatibility
Types of brake levers and calipers
These are the brake lever ...
- 383
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible