What's involved switching to road levers?

[Deacon Patrick]

I am assessing if this is a job I can do or if I need to take it to my LBS. I will be switching from mountain brake levers to road non-aero levers for my albastache bars. I’m good for swapping everything else, but don’t know what’s involved with the levers. Do I need to change cable? Can I just pop the cable out one and into the other? Or do I have to cut and replace bits?

With abandon,

Patrick

www.MindYourHeadCoop.org

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[Chris Chen]

The cable ends are different between road and mountain levers, so you'll need a new set of cables.

Otherwise, you should be good.

Good luck!

cc

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[Deacon Patrick]

Thanks, Chris. So no cutting except at the raw, brake end? And I just thread the cable through the cable housing and connect it at the brake end?

With abandon,

Patrick

[Peter Morgano]

As long as you have enough slack at the bars. I can't tell you over the years how many recabling/cockpit swap jobs I did for want of a few inches of cable at the bars. before I learned to leave some slack, even if it's not as clean looking.

[Chris Chen]

Yeah, the cables afaik are the same diameter so you can reuse your brake housing if it's long enough, and if you're using non-aero road levers you might have enough. The road cable end looks like a bullet, whereas the mountain cable end looks like a lollipop.

:)

cc

[Deacon Patrick]

Who decided mountain cable would be different from road cable and where do they live so I can TP their house? Sardonic grin.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Deacon Patrick]

Thanks, guys. This gives me the confidence that I can dive in at try, and worst case scenario is to take it to the shop.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Chris Chen]

RIGHT THERE WITH YOU I'LL BRING EXTRA TP

[Deacon Patrick]

What if I also install cable splitters near the cockpit so future changes are less involved? What splitters do you recommend? Does this in any way endanger brake connection?

With abandon,

Patrick

[Chris Chen]

So if I were me (which I am!) I'd keep cable housing with each set of bars, so all I'd need to do to swap over would be to re-run the brake and shift cables. If I left enough cable at the end, I could switch a few times before replacing cable.

However, I'm kind of a worrywort so I replace my cables more often than probably required.

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[Patrick Moore]

Patrick to Patrick: this sort of swap is very easy, particularly if you use non-aero levers. The hardest part if ensuring that the housing is the right length. I don't like over-long housing, and almost always end up cutting mine too short -- and having to cut another length.

Measure twice, make a mistake, and measure a 3d time -- that's the ticket.

Hey, if you learned your brake work with the rod brakes on cheap Indian roadsters, cable and housing is easy.

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Patrick Moore

Albuquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Etats Unis

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

Do you have V-brakes or cantilevers? If the former, you'll need the V-brake specific road levers or use something like a Travel Agent. If the former, you're good to go with the non-aero levers.

[Deacon Patrick]

On Sunday, April 6, 2014 7:55:11 PM UTC-6, Benz, Sunnyvale, CA wrote:

Do you have V-brakes or cantilevers? If the former, you'll need the V-brake specific road levers or use something like a Travel Agent. If the former, you're good to go with the non-aero levers.

Cantis, so I'm set with the levers. Thanks! 

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Takashi]

Patrick,

Are you going to use Dia-Compe levers?
Dia-Compe 204 levers require special shaped ferrules, which look like this:
http://www.cb-asahi.co.jp/item/02/00/item10503500002.html

Or you can buy this adjuster and use it on 204 levers:
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/brakes/parts/dia-compe-cable-adjuster-for-gc202-and-dc204-levers.html

If you buy Gran Compe 202 levers, they are equipped with above adjusters, so you don't need to buy additional parts.

Good luck!

Takashi


2014年4月7日月曜日 4時23分37秒 UTC+9 Deacon Patrick:

[Deacon Patrick]

I am unsure, Takashi. Here are photos:

[Takashi]

Oh, they are not Dia-Compe.
It seems that they don't require special ferrules, but I am not sure. Sorry.

Takashi


2014年4月7日月曜日 22時02分49秒 UTC+9 Deacon Patrick:

[Deacon Patrick]

Dia-Compe is stamped into the lever and each side of the gum hood. Glad to hear the ferrules will work.

With abandon,

Patrick

[Chris Chen]

I have very similar ones (the royal gran compe) and regular ferrules work just fine. Mine are the wheels mfg. brass ones.

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[Deacon Patrick]

I did it! It was a lot of cognitive and fine motor skill therapy, but I now have a place quiet enough I can push that envelope. Clearly it's time to set it up as a "fold away" workshop. Grin. Took me 3 hours for the complete bar swap (still have bar end pods to install once they arrive).

First impressions of the Albastache (I did about 5 miles on them and horsed around on some technical railroad ties): Wow! These are everything I was trying to make the Albatross bars. I felt very much inside the bike and everything just flowed. I had even fewer issues with the vertigo being in the curves. Fast curvy trails? Awesome! Climbing in the saddle? Rock solid. Standing to climb? Stable, no longer skitterish. Brakes where I want them! Wow.

Thank you for all your help! That was fun! And now my brain news a rest.

A few photos for your amusement (three, and scroll left to see the other two).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/13768390645/

With abandon,

Patrick

[IanA]

Nicely done, Patrick.  Out of interest, do you find any difference in leverage between the brake levers?  Excellent job and I'm intrigued to learn more about your fold-away workshop design if you were of the mind to share details.

Ian A.

[Deacon Patrick]

Hey, Ian. Not a significant difference in leverage. I'd put them close to equal to the mtn levers (non-aero, so a direct line may help).

I use "fold away" to describe my work shop in progress, but it's really more like the Japanese roll away futon sleep in the living room concept. My hobbit hole is my walk in closet, office, sanctuary, reading nook, exercise room, and now workshop. I'll add a hook to the ceiling for my work stand, but today I just used the wheel stand you see in this photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/13768392265/. It and the bike go back in the garage when done (where my workshop would be, except all the noise constantly overloads my brain, though most people would consider it quiet).

When you floor live, there is no need for chairs or stools, or other things that take up a lot of space and define it to a single use. So all our spaces are very flexible since we have no chairs.

With abandon,

Patrick 

[Peter Morgano]

Great write up, it's always nice to see when the fit all comes together in riding harmony!

[Deacon Patrick]

It is indeed, Peter! Of course the real test comes when I ride for 7-8 hours in a day. I'm sure my gripes with the Albatross are addressed, but there may well be things that show up on the long rides, or technical trails (though I mimicked trail conditions pretty well, so I think it's just the long day test that remains).

With abandon,

Patrick

[Peter Morgano]

Hey any excuse to get out and ride!

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[Deacon Patrick]

Here are the Albastache's in all their glory.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32311885@N07/sets/72157643809094384/

I am LOVING them so far. Did a 4 hour ride this morning. They climb beautifully, descend stunningly. The bike vanishes, or I meld into one with it, even more than before. Delicious riding!

With abandon,

Patrick

[Chris Chen]

Yup I'm right there with you. It makes the bike *more* fun. Who would have thought?!

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[Deacon Patrick]

The best way I've found to describe it is my Hunqapillar is more Hunqapillar now. It truly is amazing how much difference bars and saddle make. Wow.

I never did figure out who we need to TP for the whole bar width issue, but I've added the guy or gal who decided the brake cable will block the brake lever attachment screw. Fortunately, I got lucky and got things right the first time with set up. Grin.

With abandon,

Patrick