Why can't they just make hoods for mountain levers?

[aBicycle]

So that you can use them on drop bars? Mountain levers are SOOOOOO much better designed than road levers (on the fly adjustment, barrel adjusters, reach adjusters etc...).

[MaTt 93]

Thought about makeing bark busters for mine once but than the cant be bothered factor out weighed the doing it factor

[wschruba]

Not really worth it, in my experience. The in line cable adjusters that Jagwire makes would likely cost just as much, and work nicely by themselves. Only the crummiest road levers can't have their reach adjusted--either through spacers (yuck) or by bolt.

There may be some merit to the idea, but generally speaking, you don't need to adjust too much on a road bike on the fly, as you aren't dragging brakes as much.

[shiggy]

So that you can use them on drop bars? Mountain levers are SOOOOOO much better designed than road levers (on the fly adjustment, barrel adjusters, reach adjusters etc...).

Total and complete non-issue. Dropbars levers work on dropbars. Flat bar levers work on flat bars.

[J.B. Weld]

I guess someone could redesign a mtb lever to work on drop bars. Let's see- they'd have to change the clamp size, re-design the lever to conform to the bar curve, engineer in the correct cable pull ratio, integrate a shifting system into them, and install hoods. Probably end up with something like this-

[aBicycle]

Um. I was speaking for those who use bar ends. And that thing still has no barrel adjuster.

Plus the in line ones are chintzy.

[Dirty $anchez]

Um. I was speaking for those who use bar ends.

Pics? These bar ends for mountain levers to be used on drop bars? Sounds a bit sketchy to me.

[wschruba]

Jagwire's in-line adjusters are far from chintzy. You get exactly what you pay for with components.

Drop bar levers do not have adjusters built in because they are intended (buy in large) for caliper brakes, which have the adjuster nut built in. [Modern] mountain bikes with cable pull rim brakes exclusively use ones that do not/cannot have adjusters built in (cantilever/v-brakes) hence the design with the adjuster built into the lever. That aside, where would you put the adjuster on a drop lever without messing up either the bar wrapping or the aerodynamics?

If you are referring to time trial-style levers (ie: reverse levers) then the same still hold true. Regardless, in such a case, you would need to mount a flat bar lever backwards, so the cable is being pulled the 'right' way.

[Dion]

I guess someone could redesign a mtb lever to work on drop bars. Let's see- they'd have to change the clamp size, re-design the lever to conform to the bar curve, engineer in the correct cable pull ratio, integrate a shifting system into them, and install hoods. Probably end up with something like this-

What everybody said here is true - and so far Shimano and Sram have done an a-okay job at drop bar lever design. On the fly adjustment, reach, etc. I've been able to do with road levers and caliper brakes.

Heck, even if you have drops with disc brakes, a Jagwire inline adjuster - as folks have pointed out - works great.

No need to reinvent the wheel, especially when a high-end lever is already designed so well.

[shiggy]

What everybody said here is true - and so far Shimano and Sram have done an a-okay job at drop bar lever design. On the fly adjustment, reach, etc. I've been able to do with road levers and caliper brakes.

Heck, even if you have drops with disc brakes, a Jagwire inline adjuster - as folks have pointed out - works great.

No need to reinvent the wheel, especially when a high-end lever is already designed so well.

I have been using dropbar levers with BBDB/BB7disc brakes since 2000. Singlespeed, barend shifters, STI. Installed inline barrel adjusters the first time. Never used them--ever--all the brake adjustment is at the caliper. Removed them, never installed a set since. No need for them. None.

Even when I used flat bars (<1985) I rarely used the lever adjustments, and never on the fly.

[aBicycle]

Jagwire's in-line adjusters are far from chintzy. You get exactly what you pay for with components.

Drop bar levers do not have adjusters built in because they are intended (buy in large) for caliper brakes, which have the adjuster nut built in. [Modern] mountain bikes with cable pull rim brakes exclusively use ones that do not/cannot have adjusters built in (cantilever/v-brakes) hence the design with the adjuster built into the lever. That aside, where would you put the adjuster on a drop lever without messing up either the bar wrapping or the aerodynamics?

If you are referring to time trial-style levers (ie: reverse levers) then the same still hold true. Regardless, in such a case, you would need to mount a flat bar lever backwards, so the cable is being pulled the 'right' way.

Some of their in line adjusters are chintzy. Guess I got the wrong stuff.


You'd think they'd take a little different stance on design with levers made specifically for v-brakes.

I'd like the mount clamp to be accessible from the side after flipping the hoods back, adjusters for the cables and adjustable reach.

Also it seems like I have to pull these (tektro rl520) a bit farther than I like even though they are made specifically for v brakes. It's odd. I'm used to having a short pull.