bckpck2rev

So I was riding a conversion fixed with chopped drops, the LBS did an excellent job at selling me a Steamroller. Well the stock is drop bars, so I have been digging the drops lately, but I miss the upright of the bulls. The brake is a flat bar brake, I have the urban assault ordered and on the way (bar end brake also). So this is my question, I am going to keep the drops to change it up every now and then, does anyone run a dummy hood on the left to match the right brake hood? Or is there some other trick I am missing? I would really dig the drops if I could get both hoods on, without it looking stupid.

PoopinFresh

lots of people run dummy hoods, some with levers, some with just the hood. Doesn't look stupid IMO, though some on this forum will surely hate. Does it get the job done? Yes, and that's all that really matters. I will probably be doing the same thing soon enough, as having multiple hand positions is really great.

rm -rf

I drilled out the brake lever pivot for the right side brake, and took off the lever, and painted the aluminum bits black. I would try to pull the non-existent brake at times when the lever was still there.

chase.

you can run just the hood, or get a stoker hood with a cut-off fang lever (no sharp pivot bits exposed), or keep the whole lever and connect it to a bell.

elTwitcho

I run a rear brake just for the simplicity of having something attached to the drop. I have yet to use it, but it keeps everything simple.

What I've seen that is really cool is that you can attach both levers to the same brake if you want. That's another option to consider if you wanted to keep the lever in the hood. Either way I strongly reccomend you keep the hoods as it provides alot of versatility

rudetay

I think the dummy hood thing looks fine:

https://velospace.org/node/16406

On the Tektro levers pictured you can just push out the pin that holds the lever on with a hammer and screw driver or something similar. I prefer drops and hoods to the bullhorn or just drops I've run in the past.

ianjk

I like leaving the lever in place... looks broken with it removed, plus I run front brake on right, like my motorcycle, so the dummy left lever is just one more thing to mess with criminals that try and take my bike.

bckpck2rev

Cool I was thinking the dummy would work. I like the bell idea attached to it...

JacoKierkegaard

I'm running a dummy lever on the right, or at least until I install a rear brake, which I'll probably do soon. I hate the way single hoods look, and I ride on the hoods all the time in pedestrian traffic around campus, so I wouldn't ever want to give that hand position up.

paulwwalters

I saw someone rig up the extra lever to a bell once. I'd do that if I knew how.

ryker

This is probably one of the nicest looking bikes I've ever seen. That said, it would look finished if the hoods were black and the right lever was intact. For some reason the hacked lever looks wrong to me (check out https://www.canecreek.com/ergo-stoker-levers.html for a compromise).

ryker

See this thread here or that thread there.

Geordi Laforge

do the cc stokers come in any color besides black (or are there any other recommended stoker options)?

Basil Moss

Put the hood on, the extra hand positions are well worth it. I did that on mine, it's just for winter training though so I don't really care how it looks. It would look decidedly cool with a bell attached though, I like that!

rudetay

They have the same hood as the Cane Creek SCR-5 levers, so black or tan/gum. At least until Hudz starts making more hood replacements. I have never seen the stoker levers in person, but they look like they are just the SCR-5 bodies (also the same as Tektro R200A) with the little fake plastic lever instead of the full size one. And, somehow more expensive, so maybe just get the normal levers and cut/file them down?

Ryker, thanks for the bike comments! The hoods were originally black, but I just got some gum ones for fun and to get a bit of a retro element to match the cranks, calling back to when that was the only choice. The idea was also to match them to some nice tires at some point, but gatorskins work better for fall/winter/spring riding. But, if I had the lever in place my bike would weight 15g more! Just kidding, I just kind of took it off because I could, I didn't want it just sitting there clicking around, and didn't have the parts to secure it (you can keep it still by setting it up with a short length of housing and cable, but then at the end of the housing attach a stopper to the cable so it can't be pulled at all, the lever will be solid).

My dad has a tandem from around the 80s (Rodriguez custom!) and the stoker bars have these little nub things that I haven't been able to find anywhere. It's not shaped like a brake lever, it's almost like a little bar end you attach where you would normally put the brake, and it's encased in rubber. Feels more like the end of a bullhorn bar than a big old brake lever while riding.

chase.

i wish you could buy the CC/tektro levers with the gum hoods straight away. everywhere i've seen your options are black/black lever and black/silver lever.

ryker

FWIW I have the same levers on my SSFG road bike and the (disconnected but intact) right lever never makes a sound. The spring in the lever is plenty strong enough to keep it still.

To my eye, the "normal" mode of having two levers doesn't interrupt my brain whereas a single lever or a stoker lever or a hacked lever take a second to decode. My brain kind of just accepts dual levers and moves on to gawk at the important bits.

sloane

Why destroy a brake lever? Just buy some tandem hoods?

dookie

better yet...just run two complete levers. looks much better. suck it up and haul the extra ounce.