Brake Hoods Review

For those of you who have been road biking for many years, you may remember the common task of taping your bikes handlebars and brake levers. This was commonly done to provide a more comfortable non-slip grip when it came to steering and stopping the bike. There is nothing else that is so unsafe than wet handlebars or bike brake levers. Today bikes use a different method to solve this problem. Brake hoods, like popular Hudz brake hoods, are now used to cover the top of the brake levers and provide the user with a good grip and resting place for their fingers and hands as well.

Brake hoods can be hard to remove sometimes. On certain models you may have to remove the brake levers and bike brake cables first, in order to take off the brake hoods. This depends on the specific bike. If you are not sure how to properly remove the brake hoods on your bike, see a bike mechanic for help. Brake hoods like Cane creek hoods come in many different colors and styles and some models even have a reflective surface for night riding.

What It’s For

Brake hoods like Shimano hoods are designed for a couple of different purposes. The first purpose for brake hoods is to give the rider a comfortable position to place the hands and fingers as they are positioned for using the brake lever. This gives the rider better control over the braking of the bike. The second purpose of the brake hood is to actually offer an extension between the brake lever and where the hands/fingers would normally be. If you have ever ridden a road bike with drop down handles, you would know how difficult it is to get your body, hands, and fingers in a comfortable position for long rides. Both of these purposes are related. The point of brake hoods is to provide you with a more efficient way of controlling your bike brakes and shifters.

You will probably have to purchase a few brake hoods, possibly Tektro hoods, and try them out before you find the exact model that gives you the best fit and comfort. Since people have different size hands and the way they grip their bikes is not the same, it makes sense that brake hoods are usually an item that is personal for each different bike rider.

Major Manufacturers

Hudz, Cane Creek, Tecktro, Shimano.

Pricing

Prices for brake hoods can range from about $11.99 to about $25.99 for more ergonomically designed models.