Fitting new brake levers to an old Brompton

[coffeehound]

Good to know, folks

...quite an improvement from the old "fisher price" ones that served me well for years as I have now been able to adjust the reach of the levers to my smaller hand span

Yes the older ones are pretty crap quality for a medium-priced bike aren't they. Good point about the adjustability -- well worth having. I've gone the whole hog and bought integrated shifters, too -- should really improve the function and looks of the venerable P-type. Just got to fit them now . .

 

[a.twiddler]

I thought the pre 2013 levers on mine were OK but even a duffer like me was able to change them easily using the original outers and one of the original inners (one of them was frayed) for a Shimano set. Result; much nicer looking, and more efficient, and with cable adjusters. I put the old ones on ebay thinking that even if they didn't sell I had lost nothing. Surprisingly, someone snapped them up very quickly.

My only regret is that if I'd done a bit more research I might have gone for some with a built in quick release, to make getting the wheels off easier, though if you are removing a wheel while out on the road, it's most likely because it has a flat tyre already. Otherwise you have to let the air out if you want to get a wheel off eg for some maintenance.

 

[berlinonaut]

I might have gone for some with a built in quick release, to make getting the wheels off easier

You might like "Shimano sm-cb90": https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano105-r7000/SM-CB90.html

 

[ExBrit]

You might like "Shimano sm-cb90": https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano105-r7000/SM-CB90.html

Funny thing, way way back I posted a question about these and no-one answered so I assumed they wouldn't work on my Brompton for some reason. I frequently remove my rear wheel when cleaning the bike and I would use these if they worked. What can you tell us about them?

 

[T4tomo]

I frequently remove my rear wheel when cleaning the bike and I would use these if they worked.

probably best off using the tried and tested method of "deflating the tyre a bit and reinflate after fitting". After all if its cleaning you'll be at home with your track pump to hand and probably checking pressures anyway.

 

[berlinonaut]

What can you tell us about them?

That one is lying on my desk currently, after I pulled it from my parts collection to grab the model number for this post. Did not mount it yet, for quite some time already. So no practical experiences, it is even still inside packaging. But I see no reason why it shouldn't work on a Brompton.

 

[u_i]

You might like "Shimano sm-cb90": https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano105-r7000/SM-CB90.html

I had these on and took them off. The amount of cable release they provided was minimal, so in practice you still needed to deflate the tires, just not completely. They are heavy and at times open up on their own. In the end, I decided that they were more bother than gain.

 

[ExBrit]

probably best off using the tried and tested method of "deflating the tyre a bit and reinflate after fitting". After all if its cleaning you'll be at home with your track pump to hand and probably checking pressures anyway.

I do that, but for some reason the sound of deflating a tire scares the crap out of my cats. I also had an issue once with a new tire blowing off the rim as I was pumping it up which really freaked them out so that whenever I reach for my floor pump now the cats run and hide. So I would prefer not to have to do that.