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I broke a brake lever today.

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I broke a brake lever today.

Old 04-10-21, 11:26 PM
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Pcampeau
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I broke a brake lever today.

I broke a Weinmann slotted lever on my 75 Raleigh International today while stopping. No crashes resulted and I’m okay, that’s the good part. I’ve always liked the look of these levers, so too bad for me. I’ve never thought about this before but if I had, this broke right about where you’d expect it to, at the peak of the curve where one of the slots is. I’d have liked to find another one like it to replace it with, but honestly, with its hollow construction this really looks like it should break. It is a 46 year old part though so that’s got to count for something. Is this a thing with these levers? Has anyone else had this happen?




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Old 04-10-21, 11:44 PM
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First time that I have seen that happen. I might have an orphan lever, yours if you want it (not sure if I do, though). I can check next time I go to my lake cottage (today, probably as it is time to hook up the water lines).
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Old 04-11-21, 12:28 AM
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Originally Posted by randyjawa
First time that I have seen that happen. I might have an orphan lever, yours if you want it (not sure if I do, though). I can check next time I go to my lake cottage (today, probably as it is time to hook up the water lines).
If you do happen to find one I’m interested. I’ll certainly cover the shipping costs.
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Old 04-11-21, 01:03 AM
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Yikes!

For once break and brake are both correct here.
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Old 04-11-21, 01:15 AM
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We did, several years ago I got an SC for my kid, full o-haul, same levers, one was bent, I tried to straighten it, snap!

I got a single just like you.

His was gold, well loved, turned out great, went to Leroica in 17 and got a ton of attention at the motel and in the show on Saturday, it was bonkers.
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Old 04-11-21, 05:12 AM
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Of course it broke(there).

It's old, and badly designed. Removing metal *and* introducing stress-raisers right where the tensile stress is greatest...add time and exposure to the elements...

Have a good look at the other one. If that breaks when you're braking you could cut the inner part of your finger to the bone. I'd install a pair of un-slotted Weinmanns myself.
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Old 04-11-21, 06:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
If you do happen to find one I’m interested. I’ll certainly cover the shipping costs.
Off to the cottage in an hour, or so. You are on my list of what to check for.
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Old 04-11-21, 07:07 AM
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While riding, I have broken two cranks, three rear axles, a pedal cage, three frames, a front hub flange, and a few spokes and cables, but never a brake lever, and fortunately never a chain. Over the years I have had unslotted Weinmann levers otherwise like yours on several of my road bikes.
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Old 04-11-21, 07:14 AM
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Wow! If we ever meet in person, please go easy when shaking my hand.
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Old 04-11-21, 07:41 AM
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At least it was the right brake that broke.
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Old 04-11-21, 07:52 AM
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I have a soft spot for those Weinmann "waffle iron" pattern levers (with or without the "quick-release" feature) myself, but I only have the plain ones.
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Old 04-11-21, 07:57 AM
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I bought a Super Course last year with the exact same lever breakage, so I'm in the same boat right now!
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Old 04-11-21, 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted by dddd
I bought a Super Course last year with the exact same lever breakage, so I'm in the same boat right now!
Your Super Course lever broke too? Typically those are not even slotted. Was yours slotted?
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Old 04-11-21, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Charles Wahl
I have a soft spot for those Weinmann "waffle iron" pattern levers (with or without the "quick-release" feature) myself, but I only have the plain ones.
They (and their clones) can be improved - widen the pivot ears and take a wedge off the very top of the lever where it meets the body (you may have to move the lip of the body in with a little percussive persuasion). The first makes it feel tighter & crisper, and the second gives you a bit more travel.
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Old 04-11-21, 09:00 AM
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I wonder if there’s ever been a bike built with the “death fork”, the “death stem”, and the ”death brake lever”?
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Old 04-11-21, 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
I wonder if there’s ever been a bike built with the “death fork”, the “death stem”, and the ”death brake lever”?
Throw in a Helicomatic to raise your chances a bit more...
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Old 04-11-21, 10:26 AM
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Back then, not too many really cared or even understood the problem with introducing stress risers when designing components. Even if you bring it up, they might say, anecdotal evidence shows that their parts had been working on bikes without problems for many years, so what's the point. This lever had lasted like 40 years without breaking, which would most likely had been given the "gudenuf" rating from its maker and sellers......
Us C&Vers should always consider the limitations of the old stuff we install and use on our bikes and not be too surprised when we see such failures on components designed in a different, long past era.

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Old 04-11-21, 12:08 PM
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Perspective - all aluminum breaks if it is indeed used long enough. You can overbuild it to last longer than a lifetime but it will still break. And that failure will probably be during use. By contrast, non-exotic steels last a very long time if routine stresses are kept below a level known as the fatigue limit.

I try to replace aluminum parts when I feel they have served their lifetime. I see retired aluminum parts as preferable to ones that died on the job. 46 years -a good credit to Weinmann but really good design (IMO) is one where a non-critical element fails first and makes replacement necessary.
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Old 04-11-21, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by oneclick
They (and their clones) can be improved - widen the pivot ears and take a wedge off the very top of the lever where it meets the body (you may have to move the lip of the body in with a little percussive persuasion). The first makes it feel tighter & crisper, and the second gives you a bit more travel.
I'm not sure what you're getting at -- I've been happy enough with the way mine operate, and don't feel they're sloppy; I have widened the lever's ears when installing if I've noticed any side-to-side play (short of having them bind), but the "take a wedge off" escapes me. Is there a perceived "fit" problem? I've never felt the need for more travel, certainly.
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Old 04-11-21, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
I broke a Weinmann slotted lever on my 75 Raleigh International today while stopping. Is this a thing with these levers? Has anyone else had this happen?
No,...you're just an animal!
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Old 04-11-21, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
I broke a Weinmann slotted lever on my 75 Raleigh International today while stopping. Is this a thing with these levers? Has anyone else had this happen?
No,...you're just an animal!
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Old 04-11-21, 03:40 PM
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I had a crank arm snap on my commuter, and took a painful fall. Luckily just bruises and nothing serious. The Japanese crankset was almost 40 years old at the time.
When I showed the broken arm to my mechanical engineer colleague, he recommended replacing the other non-broken arm too, since it would likely fail as well.
I was skeptical, thinking they came out of different molds, what are the odds of both sides having same failure? So I ignored the sage advice, and after cursory inspection, only replaced the broken NDS.
Sure enough, a few months later the other drive side arm broke in almost same location. Lucky to get away with minor scrapes and bruises...
Point being, I would check that other remaining brake lever very closely.
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Old 04-11-21, 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
I wonder if there’s ever been a bike built with the “death fork”, the “death stem”, and the ”death brake lever”?
Probably, but nobody ever lived to tell the tale.
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Old 04-11-21, 06:27 PM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
Throw in a Helicomatic to raise your chances a bit more...
Suicide hub, suicide levers...
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Old 04-12-21, 01:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Pcampeau
Your Super Course lever broke too? Typically those are not even slotted. Was yours slotted?
Not slotted, and the lever broke straight across, right through the Weinmann logo.
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