Secondary brake levers .... a surprising disclaimer

[Donger]

I have recently acquired a new addition to my stable, a nice new Ridgeback Panorama steel tourer which I shall be riding for the first time tomorrow. My old bike is the same make and the previous version of the same model. That one came factory fitted with additional secondary brake levers, fitted as standard. As I suffer from chronic neck pain, and am unable to ride long distances on drop barred bikes without secondary levers, this suited me just fine.

While the new version of the Panorama comes with a few upgrades (such as disc brakes, a bigger cassette and better cable routing), one notable difference from the old model is the absence of secondary brake levers. So I had a pair added at my LBS before I picked up my new steed. You might notice that it came with yellow stickers attached to the brake levers:

I have to say I was somewhat taken aback to discover what the stickers actually said:

If they are not effective enough to pass safety standards, why can they still be sold in the UK?
I must say that I have pretty much always had the stopping distance of an oil tanker, which I assumed to be because of my weight and my use of rim brakes. Every time I put the bike in the LBS I always ask him to tighten up the cables as much as possible. When properly maintained, they have never yet actually let me down to the point where I have been unable to stop and just the other day my rear wheel locked up when successfully performing an emergency stop. They have required a fair amount of maintenance though, and have quickly become progressively less effective, but it had never occurred to me that the levers themselves might have been to blame. I always just assumed I was stretching the cables more than your average cyclist due to my weight.

Anyone ever experienced problems with secondary levers? I intend to continue using them, and am actually expecting improved braking performance because of the upgrade to discs. I think I may bear the warning in mind from now on though, and may consider reaching for the main brake levers when I find myself in dodgy situations.

 

[ColinJ]

I think I may bear the warning in mind from now on though, and may consider reaching for the main brake levers when I find myself in dodgy situations.

Surely the definition of a 'dodgy situation' is one that happens very suddenly and/or unexpectedly, which wouldn't give you a lot of time for switching to the other levers?

 

[derrick]

They have never had the same feel as normal brakes, if you have had them before you would no that.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Any fule no dat

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Surely the stopping force provided by using those levers would be at least the same as using the main levers from the top of the hoods?

I have crosstop levers on my CX (rim braked) and they work fine (as far as rim brakes do work fine) for me.

 

[andrew_s]

I used them on my last bike, with BB7 Road discs, and they worked better than the drop bar levers did (not much, but a bit).
On the new bike, they don't work so well, but that's because I switched to BB7 Mtn (black) with Tektro RL520 V-brake drop bar levers. I've yet to switch to a V-compatible crosstop lever, but even the old ones aren't too bad provided I keep the pads adjusted.

 

[Drago]

I wonder why they're nicknamed 'suicide levers'?

 

[summerdays]

I wonder why they're nicknamed 'suicide levers'?

Isn't the design of the modern secondary levers different to the suicide levers? I haven't got both types to compare.

 

[Levo-Lon]

There inline so dont have as much pull ,leverage as the brake lever.
Bit like dog leg levers work better than straight levers on motorcycles, tho that's more to do with the hand position moving your grip closer to the palm so more power in your grip as you squeeze. the in lines are shorter than the shifter lever.
Most of us brake with them from the top anyway so less power!!

The ones i fitted to my wife's road bike ' she couldn't use the drop bar levers' were great.
And if you have your fingers over the lever as you ride that will mean quicker reaction time compared to having to move your hands to reach and grab the shifter lever brake, so in that respect there better in stopping time?


Nice bike btw @Donger ..i like that

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Isn't the design of the modern secondary levers different to the suicide levers? I haven't got both types to compare.

I've no experience of the modern secondary brake levers, but I well remember the old suicide levers, they were aptly named.

 

[andrew_s]

Isn't the design of the modern secondary levers different to the suicide levers? I haven't got both types to compare.

Suicide levers had a pivot on the inside of the main drop bar lever body, with the lever extending rearwards round the handlebar, and forwards to hook over the top of the main brake lever, so that pulling the suicide lever pushed the drop lever down. The travel was often long enough that the lever reached the bar before the drop lever had moved far enough to do very much.

Modern secondary levers work by forcing apart two sections of outer, changing the relative inner and outer lengths so that there's less inner spare at the caliper end. It's a much more effective way of arranging a secondary lever.
Possible problems are that version of secondary lever that you get doesn't have the same cable pull as the brake caliper requires (sounds like @meta lon's problem), and that you've 4 outer ends to cut properly square rather than two (improperly dressed outer ends that allow a bit of flex/compression is a common cause of poor braking).

 

[andrew_s]

I wonder why they're nicknamed 'suicide levers'?

They were called that because they didn't work very well, and if emergency braking was required when your hands were on them, most people just tried to pull them harder, with the result that they didn't stop in time to avoid the accident.
Without them, you'd have had to move the hands to the drop levers and been able to brake properly.
Of course, there's no reason why you couldn't let go of the suicide levers and move to the drop levers, but the quick decision making and mental fortitude required to let go of the brakes during emergency braking is beyond most people.

 

[Donger]

Surely the definition of a 'dodgy situation' is one that happens very suddenly and/or unexpectedly, which wouldn't give you a lot of time for switching to the other levers?

True, but I was thinking more of some rides I've done recently when descending long 25% stretches on narrow lanes. There have been moments when my fingers have been going white and I'm still doing 10mph. I've never had to find out how much more braking power I had left to call on, but you start to make judgments about which hedge looks more comfortable in the event of meeting oncoming traffic!

 

[Ajax Bay]

one notable difference from the old model is the absence of secondary brake levers. So I had a pair added at my LBS before I picked up my new steed. You might notice that it came with yellow stickers attached

What is the make/model of the secondary brake levers the LBS fitted for you? I cannot see how operating the primary brake levers would not exert the required stopping force, even with these secondaries in-line. So how can the bicycle suddenly be deemed unsafe? I can see that, in testing, use of the secondaries might not meet the grade. But secondaries are just that, for general riding: you need to be on primary when braking is likely required (eg downhill, approaching an obstruction or possible obstruction at speed).

 

[Ajax Bay]

some rides I've done recently when descending long 25% stretches on narrow lanes.

If you can't brake forcefully enough (with the brakes you have fitted) to stay at a sensible speed down such lanes, don't use them (the lanes, that is). Should be on drops downhill (and the primary levers), and temporarily put up with a bit of your chronic neck pain.