Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Sorting long pull and short pull brake levers

422 views
Skip to first unread message

Gary Young

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 6:19:37 AM1/4/11
to
I volunteer at a community bike shop. We have a big box of MTB brake
levers that includes long pull and short pull. We'd like to have
volunteers sort them. In the past, I've used calipers to measure the
distance between the lever pivot and the cable anchor, but I can't
remember what the dividing line is in millimeters. (I'm working on an
instruction manual and don't have any examples in front of me.)

kolldata

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 10:35:08 AM1/4/11
to

kolldata

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 11:49:05 AM1/4/11
to
On Jan 4, 7:35 am, kolldata <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> ?
>
> http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=HOW+DO+i+TELL+THE+DIFFEREN...

well, UTUBE does't have that right up front.

what you do here is sort the levers into piles
x brand lever pile, y brand lever pile, 0 brand ect

then take a guess at which are longs, shorts

divide the piles into two areas as long short guesses

then take you bike and install the guessed longs with a known correct
long brake system - does it work ?

and then then guessed shorts.

resort according to what does not work into the other area

eeyeehahahhaahaaaaa

urnot working with the uh....are you ??

kolldata

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 12:16:11 PM1/4/11
to
measuring's for NASA sometimes...

jbr...@sonic.net

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 3:29:51 PM1/4/11
to
Gary Young wrote:

Let's get down t basics. Brake levers have had a 4:1 ratio for eons,
and among those are all European brakes starting with Campagnolo.
It's trivial to measure by comparing cable anchor to hand lever pivot
and length from lever pivot to the crook in the hand lever for middle
and index fingers.

Calipers were 1:1 but not to worry, dual-pivot screwed that up too
along with their higher caliper ME for nerds with weak fingers. Those
folks couldn't raise the rear wheel off the road using the front
brake, no matter how hard they tried. That's where bicycling has
gone!
--
Jobst Brandt

Chalo

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 3:55:48 PM1/4/11
to

There is no hard and fast rule, between the wide range of pivot-to-
anchor lengths, lever blade lengths, and adjustable ratio
mechanisms.

Linear-pull brake levers range around 30mm from pivot to cable button,
while cantilever/caliper levers range around 20mm. For something
right in between, I'd call a short lever blade unit a linear pull
lever, and a long blade a caliper lever.

Chalo

jbr...@sonic.net

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 5:05:59 PM1/4/11
to
Chalo Colina wrote:

I don't understand who invents pseudo-tech terms like "linear pull"
for brake levers that are obviously not pulling linearly, but rather
in an arc. It's the ratio that counts and no one seems to know what
that is.
--
Jobst Brandt

kolldata

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 8:48:34 PM1/4/11
to

I know what here and its I do not have to deal with it.

kolldata

unread,
Jan 4, 2011, 8:53:19 PM1/4/11
to
On Jan 4, 5:48 pm, kolldata <datak...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I know what here and its I do not have to deal with it.

when I ordered brakes ( 2 different brands brakes) and levers for the
29er chalo conned me into building, I prayed for an hour or two.
That was effective.

raging raven

unread,
Jan 5, 2011, 12:09:54 AM1/5/11
to

direct pull - a better name than linear pull - is roughly twice as
much mechanical advantage. the hand levers are adjusted to half the
typical mechanical advantage to compensate.
as usual sheldon has it well explained: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html

Chalo

unread,
Jan 6, 2011, 3:45:17 AM1/6/11
to
Jobst Brandt wrote:

>
> Chalo Colina wrote:
> >
> > Linear-pull brake levers range around 30mm from pivot to cable
> > button, while cantilever/caliper levers range around 20mm.  For
> > something right in between, I'd call a short lever blade unit a
> > linear pull lever, and a long blade a caliper lever.
>
> I don't understand who invents pseudo-tech terms like "linear pull"
> for brake levers that are obviously not pulling linearly, but rather
> in an arc.  It's the ratio that counts and no one seems to know what
> that is.

"Linear-pull" is the customary term for a category of brake, of which
the Shimano V-Brake is one example. It's a kind of cantilever brake
that requires dedicated levers because it has a much longer cable
throw than traditional cantilevers or caliper brakes.

I didn't make up the term, and frankly I'm surprised you're not
familiar with it.

http://www.google.com/images?client=opera&rls=en&q=%22linear%20pull%22%20brake

Chalo

Chalo

unread,
Jan 6, 2011, 3:50:09 AM1/6/11
to
raging raven wrote:
>
> direct pull -  a better name than linear pull -

It may well be a better name, but it's not as common in the industry
as "linear-pull". I'm not sure why "direct-pull" would be clearer,
though, because almost all bicycle brakes are directly pulled by their
cables.

Chalo

raging raven

unread,
Jan 7, 2011, 1:25:51 AM1/7/11
to

direct pull, as in no secondary transverse cable that a cantilever or
center pull brake typically uses. tho, technically a side pull
caliper is a direct pull too. so much for clarity.

cheers!

0 new messages