Originally Posted by
ThermionicScott
I actually had aero levers (Shimano RX100) on this bike in its first iteration. The return springs in the levers, the cable bends under the tape, and the old-school Weinmann 750 centerpulls added up to heavy braking effort.
Switching to
Dia-Compe 154 levers lightened the braking, provided some handy quick-releases for the brakes (with 38mm tires on 23mm rims, they require a multi-pronged approach to open up enough), and shaved off some weight.
It's hard to deny that the aero levers are more comfortable in that "hoods" position, though, and my small hands would prefer if that position worked well. I've wrung my hands about it ever since.
I loved those Diacompe release levers. The Grand Compes on my Fuji Pro had them. On my last race on my favorite course, I got taken down 5 miles from the finish. Got up to chase with quite wobbly front rim that was hitting the brake pads. Reaching down for the Campy-like releases on the caliper would have been scary. With those levers I didn't have to. Caught the field and placed. (And had full and normal braking power when I returned to the peloton.)