Light brake levers
Moderator: robbosmans
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Any suggestions for light brakes lever something c.170/pair or lighter. It for a 1992 trek 2300. Era is not important but aero levers are other wise I would have used my golden arrow levers which 160g/pair.
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SRAM S900 carbon are the lightest I know. Tektro/TRP also has offerings, including metal lever ones, but heavier.
Bikes: Raw Ti, 650b flatbar CX
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I forgot mention these are for drop bars. The 3T ones are the wrong kind. The Sram ones would work but are still too heavy.
Any others out there. It does not have to be new, infact I would prefer older leversfrom the 90's but I am not fussy aout the era. I am fussy about the look and the weight though.
Any others out there. It does not have to be new, infact I would prefer older leversfrom the 90's but I am not fussy aout the era. I am fussy about the look and the weight though.
Campagnolo Carbon levels 86 gram set http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/groups ... tid_18.jsp
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I take it you mean "proper" brake levers. I have a set of Campag Record levers, but I think they are about 200+g. I did get a set of Modolo Orions- like the Kronos but off white and they are still over 200g. Got them for a retro build on my old 24" front wheel lo-pro, same as I used in the 80's. Not cheap but original and different. A little spongy but I don't use them, just wanted to rebuild.
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Yes proper levers is what I am after not the bar end type or sucide levers.
It seems the non aero type levers are lighter. There are a set of Dia compes I have just fitted to a Vitus 992 that are 170g for the pair. However all of the aero type proper levers seem to be over 200g. Those SRAM carbon levers are some of the lightest. I thought lighter would have been made by now.
It seems the non aero type levers are lighter. There are a set of Dia compes I have just fitted to a Vitus 992 that are 170g for the pair. However all of the aero type proper levers seem to be over 200g. Those SRAM carbon levers are some of the lightest. I thought lighter would have been made by now.
I run aero brake levers too. The Campagnolo carbon ones, if you can find a pair, are probably the lightest at around 210g/pair. But they are insanely expensive if you can find them. I searched long and hard and couldn't find anything better. Non aero levers are much lighter. Not sure why, but modern aero levers seem to have a lot more material in the body of the lever than non aero's.
Due to them all being heavy, and most around the 250-270g/pair weight, I just went with a pair of Cane Creek's compact version for my small hands. I changed that a week ago from Shimano's top of the range BR-600's, which although well built and 10g lighter for the pair, were goddam awfully uncomfortable, and I struggled to reach the levers.
When I get my dremel, I'm going to have a go at lightening the cane creeks. I'll get a couple of pairs of old, well regarded non aero levers, as a comparison for how much potential material I could take out of the body. The levers will also be drilled. Then there is the clamp and clamp bolt to tune as well.
Another option is to go for say a pair of SRAM Red Brifters, and tune them and remove the shifting mechanisms. Weeweenieracer recently tuned his (kept the shifting) and got them down to about 200g with clamps, drilled and sanded levers, and felt hoods. See the thread here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=107812
I'm guessing the shifting parts would be in the range of 20-50grams total...?
Again, the Red option is insanely expensive unless you can find a set of used levers with a failed mech maybe? Used lever pairs seem to go for at least $200 on ebay...
Due to them all being heavy, and most around the 250-270g/pair weight, I just went with a pair of Cane Creek's compact version for my small hands. I changed that a week ago from Shimano's top of the range BR-600's, which although well built and 10g lighter for the pair, were goddam awfully uncomfortable, and I struggled to reach the levers.
When I get my dremel, I'm going to have a go at lightening the cane creeks. I'll get a couple of pairs of old, well regarded non aero levers, as a comparison for how much potential material I could take out of the body. The levers will also be drilled. Then there is the clamp and clamp bolt to tune as well.
Another option is to go for say a pair of SRAM Red Brifters, and tune them and remove the shifting mechanisms. Weeweenieracer recently tuned his (kept the shifting) and got them down to about 200g with clamps, drilled and sanded levers, and felt hoods. See the thread here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=107812
I'm guessing the shifting parts would be in the range of 20-50grams total...?
Again, the Red option is insanely expensive unless you can find a set of used levers with a failed mech maybe? Used lever pairs seem to go for at least $200 on ebay...
I found a set of heavy old 8sp Camy Shifters, plastic body with alloy levers. I removed all of the shifting parts and it is now 210g for the set with almost zero effort to lighten it. I am currently looking for a set of shifters (Either Sram Red or Record) with broken shift levers or internals to gut, maybe you should do the same?
170 gram levers that include the rubber hoods in the weight are unobtanium.
CLB aero levers were 200 w/hoods so were both Modolo orion/kronos.
To give you an idea of what I mean. I got the Campy record carbon levers down to about
150 . To get that I had to gut excess bit an pcs. internally, epoxy all the lever body pcs,
together and then remove excess material internally/externally. Trim away all excess rubber hood
material that didn't support the hand in any way and the glue onto the body. And finally epoxy
the lever bodies to the schmolke carbon bar and then just for insurance had a carbon
specialist epoxy on some carbon tape around the body in the area that the lever clamps
would have occupied. A lot of work to shed about 60-70 grams of weight.
CLB aero levers were 200 w/hoods so were both Modolo orion/kronos.
To give you an idea of what I mean. I got the Campy record carbon levers down to about
150 . To get that I had to gut excess bit an pcs. internally, epoxy all the lever body pcs,
together and then remove excess material internally/externally. Trim away all excess rubber hood
material that didn't support the hand in any way and the glue onto the body. And finally epoxy
the lever bodies to the schmolke carbon bar and then just for insurance had a carbon
specialist epoxy on some carbon tape around the body in the area that the lever clamps
would have occupied. A lot of work to shed about 60-70 grams of weight.
AEROLITUS-defender of the faith
At the shop we have more than a hundred pairs of broken carbon Campy Record brifters discarded by professional teams, it's often my job to find a pair in good aestetic condition, take the internals out, fill the holes of the body with fiberglass patches (modelling type), polish and sometimes clear coat the levers and put on new (colored) rubber hoods. End result: 180-190 gramm carbon brake levers for fixi enthousiasts!
@ peruffo
Mind sending a pair or two my way
Mind sending a pair or two my way
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Some good idea here. I think I will be also be on the look out for some broken shifters then.
I wonder if there is a design reason for the weight of brake levers or is it possible to make a set that is the weight I want and still be durable? Either way what I want is going to need work. I think I will get a dremel and start with these 6401 levers and see how muh fat I can trim.
I wonder if there is a design reason for the weight of brake levers or is it possible to make a set that is the weight I want and still be durable? Either way what I want is going to need work. I think I will get a dremel and start with these 6401 levers and see how muh fat I can trim.