Bike Brake Lever Parts Review

Are you one of those bike riders who let it all go? Do you fly down hills with reckless abandon? Perhaps you enjoy flying through unchartered terrain on your mountain bike. Well, if you take your bike riding seriously, then you’ve probably had your share of crashes. Crashes usually do some damage to your bike. When this is the case, the bike brake levers tend to be the linebacker that takes all of the hits. Levers are the number one item that gets damaged all the time on bikes. If you are the type of bike rider that seems to always be replacing your brake levers, it might be time to purchase a shorter, custom length brake handle that is considered low-profile. You may choose a Crank Creek brake lever or a Shimano lever because they are well-known brands.

What It’s For

The brake lever on your bike is the first in the line of the many bike brakes and shifters parts that allow you to stop your bike or slow it down. Placed right on the handlebars, bike brake levers are attached to cables, which run down your frame and lead to the bike cantilevers and calipers on each wheel of your bike. The calipers then squeeze brake pads which grip your rimes or disc rotors and apply friction for slowing or stopping purposes.

Levers, such as SRAM brake levers or Tektro levers, consist of some parts that you might as well get familiar with, so you know how to replace or repair them when needed. There is a nut or ferrule connection that hold the lever to the tubular bracket that actually goes around your handlebars. This connection is of course adjustable, so you can position the brake lever where you feel most comfortable. Another part of some newer, aftermarket levers, is a dial that allows to choose an exact setting for leverage pressure on the handle. Perhaps you want a feather touch when it comes to braking, or you may want to apply a lot of pressure before anything happens. This is a personal choice, based on your riding style and the terrain you usually ride on. Another really cool part that comes with more expensive brake leverslike a dia compe brake lever, are bar ends that bend and break off, without the whole brake lever being damaged and having to be replaced. This is great for those bike riders who are accident prone.

Major Manufacturers

Shimano, Hayes levers, Cane Creek, Avid.

Pricing

Prices on brake lever parts can range from $3.99 for a nut up to $300 plus for some specialized European brake lever units with built in shifter units.