Suicide lever

[johnnyb47]

Hi to all and thank you for the warm welcome I have received. What's your view on dual levers. I have the original weinmann ones on my Peugeot Equipe but I'm constantly being ribbed by fellow cyclist buddy's about having them. Granted there no where near as effective as the main levers but I find them quite useful in slow stop start traffic through town ect. I've heard them being called all kinds of names from sissy bars to Turkey wings ( lol ). The only thing that I have found annoying about them is the constant rattling over poorly surfaced roads but I think I may of solved this by simply tying a rubber band around the pin that connects them to the hood to dampen out the slack. Also the brake blocks on my Weinmann 500 brakes are the original black rubber types. The were originally paired with the old standard chrome rims but my bike now has a set of alloy Mavic rims. Should I change these old hard blocks for a more modern softer blocks to help protect the softer alloy rims.
Many thanks reading.
Johnny

 

[mjr]

I used to have them. Don't have them now. Don't miss them. Would get interrupter levers instead now.

I'd switch brake pads unless you know they're suitable for alloy rims, but it's less hazardous than using alloy-only pads on other things.

 

[johnnyb47]

Thank you both for the link and advice. I will definitely change the blocks for some softer ones. The originals look far to harsh for the softer alloy wheels. :-)

 

[raleighnut]

My Raleigh 'Equipe' has them on and will continue to, I find them very useful but not in a conventional way. My preferred hand position on drops is to ride 'on the bends' of the handlebar with my thumbs pointing forward (I've just found this to be my most comfortable hand position for over 30yrs, it is a bit like a golf club grip) and I can use my 2 smallest fingers to push these 'suicide levers' up to get gentle 'check braking' in traffic or before corners (obviously full braking requires my hands on the main levers) this picture shows where my hands normally are on the handlebars due to the wear on the cloth bar tape (yep I know they need re-taping)

The secondary levers shouldn't 'rattle' though, cable tension should keep them tightly clamped between the main levers and the body of the brake lever.

 

[johnnyb47]

Hi buddy. There seems to be a small pin 3/4 mm thick on the levers that protrude into the main levers to make them operate I don't know whether these have worn over the years causing the suicide levers to rattle or whether there should of been some sort of a nylon / plastic bush that would of been over the pins to stop any free play.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Another vote for interruptor frog leg levers. The ones on my crosser were plenty good enough to keep me stopping and going safely and with confidence.

Not had the old suicide style levers for a very long time but +1 to Raleighnut's description of using them although I'd not want to use rhem nowadays I don't think.

 

[raleighnut]

Hi buddy. There seems to be a small pin 3/4 mm thick on the levers that protrude into the main levers to make them operate I don't know whether these have worn over the years causing the suicide levers to rattle or whether there should of been some sort of a nylon / plastic bush that would of been over the pins to stop any free play.

Yep, mine have a nylon bush on the pivot point.

 

[johnnyb47]

Thanks Raleighnut.
That's put me in the right area now to try and sort then out properly.:-)

 

[raleighnut]

Thanks Raleighnut.
That's put me in the right area now to try and sort then out properly.:-)

As for your 'buddies' just tell them that the levers are 'period correct' and mention L'eroica.

 

[Cp40Carl]

I used them throughout my childhood, up until my 20s, and they worked fine, didn't rattle and seemed far safer than my current drop bar bike which only has the front levers on. Progress? I wonder. Nothing wrong with them and they saved my neck a few times (probably couldn't brake as quickly now as I don't spend too much time on my drops.

 

[davidphilips]

the new type work great and yes most still call them suicide or chicken levers the only problem i had with then was after i fitted the bike i use most, then when on another found myself grabbing for the levers that where not fitted, my advice if you fit them to one bike make sure you fit them to all your bikes with drop bars or be prepared for a scare.

 

[mjr]

my advice if you fit them to one bike make sure you fit them to all your bikes with drop bars or be prepared for a scare.

And maybe you should fit them to all bikes you ever ride with drop bars:

As I rolled up the slope to the hedge outside my home with my hands on the bar tops, I reached for the suicide levers just to finally stop... and was reminded that the falcon doesn't have them: that was my old Apollo! Fortunately, I was going slow enough to stop by foot and not put the bike in the hedge.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

For brake blocks try a pair of these in Salmon, click on select option.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s104p1591/KOOLSTOP-Continental

As for the levers, they were called suicide levers for a reason, I haven't used them for over twenty years but still remember how little braking there was with them, steel rims plus the basic brakes of that time plus the suicide levers, I'd have been better off putting a foot down, or in the spokes.

 

[davidphilips]

For brake blocks try a pair of these in Salmon, click on select option.

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s104p1591/KOOLSTOP-Continental

As for the levers, they were called suicide levers for a reason, I haven't used them for over twenty years but still remember how little braking there was with them, steel rims plus the basic brakes of that time plus the suicide levers, I'd have been better off putting a foot down, or in the spokes.

lol dave that reminds me of a bike i had as a child it had no brakes and to get it to stop i had to push my foot hard against the front tyre and forks now that was almost suicide braking.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

lol dave that reminds me of a bike i had as a child it had no brakes and to get it to stop i had to push my foot hard against the front tyre and forks now that was almost suicide braking.

I remember one of the LBS's at the time used to sell an outer brake cable meant for a moped by the yard, we'd replace the standard outer brake cables that came with the bike with this stuff and get an improvement in braking.