Help choosing brake levers for drop bars

[Paul Richardson]

After entirely too long without, I'm building up a road bike with drop bars.  I'd value any input regarding a solid choice for brake levers to go on my Noodles.  Right now I've gotten as far as the TRP RRL that Riv sells, or possibly the Gran Compe 202, and would be especially curious to hear from anyone who has tried either or both of those.

Any input is welcome and appreciated!

thanks

paul

takoma park, md.

[Jeffrey Arita]

Paul,

Given your choices above, my wife and I use TRP RRLs on the two tandems and a bunch of singles which have drop bars.  Nice ergo feel plus they have the nice brake cable release mechanism - useful for wide-ish tires.

I recently sold a set of Gran Compe 202s on iBobs.  They were ok but we prefer the RRLs.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Benz Ouyang, Sunnyvale, CA]

On Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 12:17:18 PM UTC-7 Jeffrey Arita wrote:

Given your choices above, my wife and I use TRP RRLs on the two tandems and a bunch of singles which have drop bars.  Nice ergo feel plus they have the nice brake cable release mechanism - useful for wide-ish tires.

I recently sold a set of Gran Compe 202s on iBobs.  They were ok but we prefer the RRLs.

I'll second the TRP RRLs. They feel good on the hoods, and the hood angle (and to a certain extent the brake reach) is adjustable via a plastic spacer. As Jeff said, the built-in quick release à la Campagnolo is really nice. Build quality of the TRPs are top-notch, with fairly tight tolerances and no weird sounds when riding over rough chip seal. Finally, they're one of the few modern levers that one can get with gum/natural rubber colored hoods.

A close second is the Cane Creek SCR-5 levers. They're essentially copies of the Campagnolo Gen 2 Ergopower levers (except without the shifting guts, obviously), so if you like those, you'll like the SCR-5. The SCR-5 also comes in a compact model, aptly named SCR-5C, with shorter reach for riders with smaller hands; that variant is quite hard to find. Unfortunately, Cane Creek discontinued the gum colored hoods.

[RichS]

Hi Paul,

Not as fancy as the TRP levers, but the Shimano Tiagra levers Riv sells have worked exceptionally well for me on Noodles. Bear in mind my hand size is small so these levers compared with others I've used have been the most comfortable.

Good luck in your search.

Best,

Rich in ATL

[Paul Richardson]

Thanks everyone for the input.  I was able to track down a gently used pair of the TRP levers for a pretty good price!

paul

takoma park, md.

[Bill Lindsay]

I'll throw this comment/recommendation out there to anybody who likes getting advice/recommendations. 

If you are using a brakelever that is currently available and you like it, consider investing in a few sets of replacement hoods now, because the bicycle industry of 2021 will not promise to keep selling replacement hoods 5 years from now.  When they move on, they move on.  It's on you to plan how to maintain your machines.  The Shimanos are great in that they've been unchanged for decades, but that's the exception.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 11:17:31 AM UTC-7 Paul Richardson wrote:

[Kevin]

I did not love the hood shape of the TRPs--that can be pretty personal--though I would second or third the thoughts on the quality. The quick release is really nice and the lever feel is good and springy. The hoods also have a softer feel than some. They may pair better with the Noodle (shortish reach bar) than the Gran Compes due to being roomier and longer reach.

I have settled on the extremely ugly Sram S500.