I'm retaping my bars and have found that the brake cables have got some nasty kinks in them. They're ITM marathons - look like normal drops but curve out to the sides and back towards the rider on the tops. I bought them a couple of months ago as I thought they'd give lots of extra hand positions for long days out. The cables have been taped up under the bars, the kinks are where the bars sweep out (very difficult to explain without showing it to you). Has anyone else got experience of this? Or did I miss something in the manual, should I be using non-aero brake levers with them? To be fair, they don't have grooves in them to route an aero lever cable. There's a picture of them here, but the bit that sweeps out doesn't look so big in the picture. http://www.changing-gear.com/acatalog/CG_Catalog_Handlebars_2.html Any advice would be appreciated. Don't want to fit other bars, I quite like these and paid £45 not so long ago.
Chris -- |C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M| Remove the bars to contact me
I'm retaping my bars and have found that the brake cables have got some nasty kinks in them. They're ITM marathons - look like normal drops but curve out to the sides and back towards the rider on the tops. I bought them a couple of months ago as I thought they'd give lots of extra hand positions for long days out. The cables have been taped up under the bars, the kinks are where the bars sweep out (very difficult to explain without showing it to you). Has anyone else got experience of this? Or did I miss something in the manual, should I be using non-aero brake levers with them? To be fair, they don't have grooves in them to route an aero lever cable. There's a picture of them here, but the bit that sweeps out doesn't look so big in the picture. http://www.changing-gear.com/acatalog/CG_Catalog_Handlebars_2.html Any advice would be appreciated. Don't want to fit other bars, I quite like these and paid £45 not so long ago.
What is the problem with the kinks? Added cable friction or hand discomfort? Perhaps the cables could be more firmly taped down or to a slightly different place with selotape (or any non-stretchy tape), before apply bar tape.
Gel mitts might help. If you do ever want to try new bars, I recommend 3T Morphe.
I'm retaping my bars and have found that the brake cables have got some nasty kinks in them. They're ITM marathons - look like normal drops but curve out to the sides and back towards the rider on the tops. I bought them a couple of months ago as I thought they'd give lots of extra hand positions for long days out. The cables have been taped up under the bars, the kinks are where the bars sweep out (very difficult to explain without showing it to you). Has anyone else got experience of this? Or did I miss something in the manual, should I be using non-aero brake levers with them? To be fair, they don't have grooves in them to route an aero lever cable. There's a picture of them here, but the bit that sweeps out doesn't look so big in the picture. http://www.changing-gear.com/acatalog/CG_Catalog_Handlebars_2.html Any advice would be appreciated. Don't want to fit other bars, I quite like these and paid £45 not so long ago.
What is the problem with the kinks? Added cable friction or hand discomfort? Perhaps the cables could be more firmly taped down or to a slightly different place with selotape (or any non-stretchy tape), before apply bar tape.
Gel mitts might help. If you do ever want to try new bars, I recommend 3T Morphe.
~PB
My only real concern is added friction, plus the possibility of damaging the other cable. Hand comfort is fine as they run on the other side of the bars to me. Maybe I messed up fitting them, but what I've done isn't any different to the way I've fitted cables to any other kind of bar (following round the inside of the bar and fixing down with insulation tape). To be honest, I fancy a pair of non-aero levers anyway, I have modern bars but the rest of my bike exudes "retro charm". Does anyone have a pair they would consider parting with for a few quid?
-- |C|H|R|I|S|@|T|R|I|N|I|T|Y|W|I|L|L|S|.|C|O|M| Remove the bars to contact me
Does anyone have a pair they would consider parting with for a few quid?
I have some mid eighties Weinman ones going spare, yours for teice the cost of the postage. If you are interested let me know and I'll send you a picture. They were used with Weinman centre pull brakes and have a QR device built in.
Does anyone have a pair they would consider parting with for a few quid?
Since you ask, yes I do. I did the opposite and recently replaced my old non-aero levers with aeros. They're a bit scuffed from being leant against walls, etc, but are basically in good nick. Note they have hard plastic hoods rather than rubber, which makes fitting bar tape around them slightly awkward.
Anyway, as long as the postage isn't ridiculously expensive, you can have them for free - I'll just be happy to see them going to a good home. If you're interested, email me your address to david[dot]kenning[at]which[dot]net.
They were used with Weinman centre pull brakes and have a QR device built in.
Chris, if you're having trouble choosing between mine and Martin's tempting offers, note that mine /don't/ have the QR. But I've trumped him on the postage. 😉
To be honest, I fancy a pair of non-aero levers anyway, I have modern bars but the rest of my bike exudes "retro charm".
They don't work as well.
"Aero levers are generally an improvement over the older type. The pivots are located differently, making it possible to get fairly serious braking from the position where the rider's hand is on top of the lever hood. Non-aero levers would permit the use of this position for gentle deceleration only.
