jbrow1

I want to put the aero style brake levers on my bike, but not sure which tektro model would go best with my 1983 schwinn traveller? Curious to what others have used and found to be easiest to reach, reliable working, etc. And what is the quick release the descriptions mention?

I like the original brake levers with the suicide tops on em, but taking the top part off to make room for aerobars. I can't get a good reach with the curve and position of the original levers.

Phil_gretz

Which calipers do you have on the bike? This can influence the choice.

jbrow1

The bike has center pull calipers.

Grand Bois

These are my new favorites:

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTRO-RL340-A.../dp/B0042U08LK

They also come in silver. The quick release is great for centerpulls, but they work with any caliper.

jbrow1

What are the differences between the 200 and 340 levers?

Grand Bois

I can't answer that. I'm not intimately familiar with 200's.

The 340's appear to be more comfortably fat in pictures.

scozim 

Not sure on the difference either. I have a couple of sets of the 200's and they are "comfortably fat" also. Fit my hand more like the Campy Mirage Ergo levers I had on a prior bike. I find them very comfortable.

jbrow1

I googled the question and came up with some good answers. This is quoted from a different forum:

"The RL340 is the replacement for the R200a, AFAIK. Same build quality.
Same quick release. Splits the difference in shape between Ergo and
SRAM.

There's tons of R200a's still in the marketplace if you prefer that
shape. I like the flat top if I'm motoring along a flat and put my
palm on 'em like Superman. The RL340s offer a more secure grip for
most folks and are what I'd put on a new build--even with my size XL
paws."

jbrow1

By the way, thanks for the help guys Think I'll be looking for some RL340 levers.

brockd15 

Here are some pictures from this thread. The comparison is of an R100a and an R341, which I believe are the short reach versions of the R200 and R340. I personally prefer the looks of the R200, but you can get tan hoods for the R340. I hear you can get the tan cane creek SCR-5 hoods for the R200 if you're ok with the lizards.

ColonelJLloyd 

^ Does the orange Specialized have the left and right levers mounted on the wrong sides or not?

Glennfordx4

Looks like they would be easier to grab that way. I have a new set of the 200's that I picked up dirt cheap a few yrs ago and I am going to try them on my wife's bike. There smaller then the 1981 Dia Compe aero's that came on the bike stock so she should be able to grab them a little easier. I mounted them to test and I like the feel but I would like to be able to change the color of the hoods for something other then black.

Glenn

atmdad

I went with the Cane Creek SCR-5's on a Miyata 610, because I like the little lizards, actually I think they are salamanders.

As for the quick release you questioned. If you look at brockd15's pictures you will see a little knub/button at the top of the levers near the hoods. For lack of a technical description, you push those in or out and they either loosen up or take up some cable (not some much the cable but the levers themselves I believe) to the brake calipers. It is supposed to "loosen" the calipers to make make removing the wheels easier without having to deflate the tires.

funkflex

Can't go wrong with R200's.

Chris_in_Miami

They're quite different actually, the 200 are more traditional compared with the 341 which have a funky bend in the lever and a slightly different grip. FYI - I have the 100A and 341, which are the versions for smaller hands.

As ugly as they are, I prefer the 341 for comfort. The grip area is very comfortable for me, and I can get more fingers on the levers.

Edit - I see that brockd15 found my photos from the other thread, good deal!

Chris_in_Miami

No, they're on the correct sides. The bend is a bit exaggerated due to the randonneur bars, but it's noticeable.

Maddox

I have and can vouch for the fact that the regular RL340's (not 341's) don't have that flare-out on the bottom of the levers.

I believe the 340's have a longer hood length (by a 1-2 cm's) than the r200's. And I honestly don't think you'll care which one you have once you buy one.

ColonelJLloyd 

I feel like I've seen that same photo and asked the same question before. Perhaps I'm experiencing deja vu or maybe I just didn't get enough sleep last night.

I'm going to order a pair of the RL340s. They look comfortable, but they also look like they would stetch you out a few centimeters further as opposed to a Shimano SLR lever or a traditional non-aero lever. Does anyone know of a source for the tan hoods?

MileHighMark

Some of the original 340's actually came with R200A blades. Newer ones, however, appear to have the "canted" blades.

I got tired of dealing with the slop in the Tektro-made Cane Creeks/R200As, so I got some Campy Record levers. Drastic, but they also work much better with canti's.

Grand Bois

Maybe you're thinking of these. The levers have been swapped on the bodies for a more comfortable finger position in that orientation.

ColonelJLloyd 

^ So those are the RL341s? And they have a shorter lever than the RL340s? You just put the left lever on the right body and vice versa?

Are you liking that bar/lever setup?

bikenut2011

i have 340s on one of my bikes, very comfy...but the levers don't look like this:



They look like the levers on the 200... is this the "blade" someone was referring to??

andy

ColonelJLloyd 

That is my understanding, yes.

bikenut2011

Fatter is definitely better... i ride the hoods alot and the old non aero, non ergo levers on my old schwinn prelude were NOT comfortable! Also, the ergos are very long, i can fit 3 fingers under them when standing on a climb...very nice



the originals, very thin, not comfortable...



andy

Grand Bois

As I said from the beginning, they're RL340's. They do kick to one side and it's the wrong side for horizontal mounting on Moustache bars if you want the cables to exit on the bottom. The kick seems to be less drastic than some shown here. Maybe different variants, as Kurt is so fond of saying.

I like the bars much more than I thought I would. I bought them because I couldn't resist the 1 figure sale price. They turned out to be very comfortable with the short extension tall stem. I ride the sides of the hoods with a couple of fingers on the levers.