randomguyy

Hi,

Wondering if there's anywhere besides ebay for buying some suicide levers (along with the matching road brake non-aero levers as well). Not really looking for interrupters / cross levers at this point as I like the different hand positions that suicides cover (though I understand the known issues with them as well). Ideally standard levers attached would be drilled and somewhat lightweight.

I'm considering just guidonnets on my drops but am pretty sure i want the standard pull brakes as well as the suicides.

Cheers.

John E

Let me scrounge at home -- I don't know whether I still have some or not. I'll get some of our colleagues have some in their parts bins.

The Golden Boy 

You're probably going to get mauled for this.

I actually went looking for a set for my High Sierra- I came across a set of stem/bars/nice drilled Weinmann levers with the "Schwinn Approved" safety levers. I found mine in a bin at Ben's Cycle.

I guess most people that are "into" bikes just take them off. You can check with any local bike shops to see if they have any discards- if they do, they'll probably be cheap.

randomguyy

Lol yes, totally expecting this but I've read all the previous threads already and feel like I fully understand the issues with these levers. However, I'm no serious racer and I just want to be able to slow myself down throughout NYC if I'm riding the tops and something pulls out in front of the bike or brakes.

The Golden Boy 

@randomguyy At least you weren't asking about a kickstand.

randomguyy

Lol I've read all those threads as well.

(I actually utilize my kickstand often... HOWEVER I WON'T START THAT WAR IN HERE )

treebound 

Many of us here have buckets or bins of take-off parts, much of which is just in the way or waiting for some unknown project to come along in need of those random parts. If you were local I'd let you rummage around to see if I had something that might work, I'll assume there are some more local to your location (NYC?) who would share likewise (or swap parts for a soda or brew in exchange).

I'm about to get ready to haul a load of crapola (good stuff if needed, clutter if not) to one of the local bike recyclers/freecyclers in the area. Too much stuff, too little space, time to focus a bit.

smurfy

Back in the nineties someone in my cycling club had a bike with aero levers w/suicide levers attached. I think this is when the aero levers first came out and it appeared that the suicide levers on this particular bike came from the factory that way since the aero and suicide levers were both black. This particular setup even seemed to work pretty well as I recall (alot better than the infamous '70's ones). I'm sure these are as rare as hen's teeth now since I've never seen these since then.

JerrySTL

RG! Welcome over here.

Check out the Foo Forum.

gioscinelli 

Just email your address so we can unload the turkey levers!

michael k

Been making light mount brakets out of them.Except for these nos set.

headloss 

They probably have a box of them at the local bike coop.

Bicycle Collective and Co-op Links

eschlwc

i had two sets listed on my craig's ad (for $5 total) for what seemed like forever. i really would have just given them away. i finally just threw them out.

lasauge 

Interesting idea, would you posting a picture of how you made them work for this? Sounds like a great way to repurpose something that would otherwise go in the scrap metal bin.

The Golden Boy 

I finally found a picture of mine with the drilled main levers and the "Schwinn Approved" turkey levers!

robtown

I take them off and throw them into my metal recycling bin. I toss the mounting washers and screws since they are not alloy. It simplifies taping and makes the bike look cleaner in pictures.
As to kickstands, I find they make great garden stakes.

top506

I'll gladly send you a pair for postage. PM me.

Top

smurfy

These "turkey levers" may still be popular today if someone actually took the time to develop and engineer them properly and of course market them for perhaps touring or recreational road bikes (not racing). Or perhaps design them to look more "out-of-the-way" and less goofy-looking. They look and work like the afterthought that they are.

turky lurkey

I like safety levers on certain bikes. They work great on my World Voyageur. I've thought about putting them on my drop bar mountain bike commuter. They are nice when riding at an easy pace.

eschlwc

i don't quite understand them. are they for those that don't like riding on the hoods nor braking from there?

bgrider

can someone fill me in on why they are called suicide levers?

krobinson103

Because if you try to stop with them you are a fool. They stop nothing. Not enough leverage. If you want levers interrupters are the way to go. These things add weight for VERY limited function.

Murray Missile 

Wow, I wish you would have told me that 43 years ago when I got my Raleigh Grand Prix and had them put on it! All those years I was just seconds away from imminent carnage....... I've had them on several road bikes over the years and I have never had an issue with getting stopped, even the Raleigh Grand Prix with steel rims. I never had an issue with them even after I became a Clydesdale. I have seen them on X-Mart bikes that weren't worth a crap, sloppy loose and the levers flexed but honestly the brakes themselves weren't any better even without the "suicide" levers. Just bought a nice old '83 FUJI with a set and they work great.

OldsCOOL

Fork is bent.

The Golden Boy 

I think a lot of people don't like them because they came on mostly low end bikes- so if you see a bike with turkey/suicide/auxilliary/safety levers, it's generally a "toward the bottom" offering. I recall reading that the innovation of these levers was initially met by the bicycle industry as an 'invention of the year' type thing- but that changed relatively quickly.

A lot of that has to do with the popularity of drop bars for people that were afraid to use drop bars, so they would ride with their hands on the flats and only brake with the auxilliary levers- SO... a bike having these levers has a connotation of a low end bike that a beginner is riding.

As far as brake function- Mine stop my bike fine. Depending on how the brakes are set up, the lever may not have the leverage to fully deploy the brake. If your brakes don't operate with most functionality- using the turkey levers may be dangerous if you have to abruptly stop. HOWEVER, most of the time when you have to stop- you see the stop coming. If you have to abruptly stop and your hands are in the flats without auxiliary levers, you have to move your hands to the hoods- to the levers. I do have a problem when I do ride on the hoods, as the fulcrum point of the levers are in the way of my thumbs, however I mostly ride on the ramps, so they're not in my way 90% of the time. As proven by the popularity of interrupter levers, it is an area that people would like to brake from. I actively searched for mine and honestly, these were a hell of a score for me.

Kickstands and stem shifters are in the same category. People HAVE to hate on them because they're beginner/n00b/cherry/cheap equipment- and they have to find reasons to hate them because they don't want to be seen as a beginner or have their bike to be assumed a cheap bike. This has carried over to people that never have used this equipment- and only "know" it's bad because they've been told over and over. IMO, Auxiliary levers and Kickstands are useful, stem shifters do put your hands into an area that isn't stable, but you can see and know where your shifters are- so it's 'comforting,' but I don't find them as useful as turkey levers or kickstands.