Robvolz 

Years ago I bought my sweetie a Seven and it has what I think are called "Brake Interrupter Levers"??

So I recently got her a 1971 Cinelli for Christmas.

Today on the debut bike ride….while struggling with the toe clips, she went to reach for the brakes only to not find a lever where she was accustomed.

She fell. Hard. Skinned knee. Ripped jeans.

I'm not used to her hurting herself. I think it hurt me more than it hurt her.
[stop fussing, I'm fine!!!!]

Anyway,

Off with the toe clips. She is used to using them on our tandem, but since she isn't steering or braking, its a pretty singular task.


Debut ride part 2. She is reaching her whole hand, wrist and all to try to squeeze the levers. This action doesn't make sense to me. She says the levers don't easily brake, and she doesn't understand why she needs to be fully bent over in tuck position to activate them.

I showed her that I ride on the hoods and use just my middle fingers to squeeze the levers.

These are some older Universal 61 Center-pulls. Maybe they take more effort. Maybe I've just built up my braking finger. Dunno.

Then she asked if levers could be like the ones on her SEVEN.

I'll do what it takes for her to be happy, and actually ride the thing. But TURKEY LEVERS????

C'mon!!

bargainguy

She's got a nice Seven with nice interrupter brake levers. What exactly was she gaining by riding a vintage bike that was not comfortable for her?

If you were trying to indoctrinate her into the vintage world with the Cinelli, I don't think it will work. It doesn't appear to be her thing.

Chombi1 

I was gonna say, the correct term is "Turkey Levers".....
At least it does not sound as bad as "Dork Discs"......or "Hobo Bars".....

repechage

Those are a step up from “comfort” levers. My son has them on his Celmins. The only negative is that they require aero levers. Knowing your significant other’s grip reach will guide a suitable lever to work with them.
I use silver ones on his bike as the rest of the components are silver or close.
I have even considered them for one of my bikes… my “cyclocross” bike, yeah, sure.
I found a pair of later Campagnolo aero levers that I need to locate white hoods for, not a fan of black hoods for myself.

Campagnolo even had a patent application a hydraulic brake cylinder buried in the bars that was actuated by a cabled brake lever. From the patent drawing it looked like that could have been set up for a second set of levers also.

Arrowana

So put the safety levers on the Cinelli. Or some aero levers and interrupter levers. They are just parts that can always be swapped back if desired. It will still be a Cinelli even if it is made to be easier to use.

Fredo76

Good wives are more important than Cinellis, to their husbands, at least.

Who else cares?

Robvolz 

she is game. Loves the vintage stuff we do. She wished she had her own vintage bike (although technically the colnago tandem is hers). I found a Specialized then immediately found the Cinellis. She’s active and wicked smart.


im going to tear down the universals. Graphite lube. Plus teflon lines cable housing.

I just rotated her handlebars up too.

baby steps

chain_whipped

If the bike in question has centerpulls, you have a few options.

1) Swap to vintage Weinmann w/ turkey lev's. Use better grade cables, make sure the lever pivots are precise and not worn or sloppy. Use nothing but Kool Stop salmon pads.

2) This hack isn't often done and takes a little more creativity. Kind of a take from some early French constructeur / René Herse to increase the ME. At the centerpull cable link, use a pulley. You'll need a longer and more flexible primary brake cable. Loop the primary cable through the pulley and route and attach to the seat post binder bolt (or other means). Do the same for the front brake. The primary cable can be routed loop and then attached to a stem mounted cable hanger.

It'll take up more lever travel so take the time to dial in. The lever feel is weird super easy soft and might not give the confidence the brake will even work, but it does.

majmt 

I put these 1st gen DuraAce levers on my wife’s Cino bike. I think they’re more of a touring set and they’re very nice. I even found the correct hoods. Not great for hard stops but they do help her avoid fatigue on a long downgrades.

icemilkcoffee 

isn't the correct nomenclature 'turkey wings'?
Anyways- I honestly think they look fine on an older '70s bike which tends to be somewhat busy looking with the brake cable clamps, shifter boss clamps brake hangers and BB cable clamp, etc. So the turkey wings won't be too visually disrupting

daka

She looks to be proportioned "longer legs / shorter torso" so a men's frame that suits her inseam may cause her to have a really long reach to the drops and brake levers. What about trying some "all-rounder" upright bars and standard brake levers?

Robvolz 

It’s a size 53 (x2) which is exactly her size

squirtdad

I think the proper answer is absolutely I will find the best bar actuated brake solution i can find based on the fact (as noted) she has done the cino with your, on a tandem and with the...."aged" tubies

Chuckk

I've had a couple bikes with Shimano Turkey Wings and was impressed at how well they worked, and they were well below DA level.

etherhuffer 

My 70's Varsity came with turkey wings. Nearly useless with chrome rims and bad compound. But they were useful when slow rolling to class on campus. It became habit. Decades later I use interrupters on all my bikes as they are still quite useful when threading through crowds on the waterfront, tooling about just to look at what is of interest, give the back a rest without fear of hitting the drops to stop. No foul at all using these if you can get them to mount up and cable up ok.

RustyJames 

DiaCompe Guidonnet levers are the answer. Classic vibe and, from what I’ve heard, they work.

Robvolz 

Huh??

You do realize this is the "Classic and Vintage" section of Bike Forums.

All of us here eschew the modern advancements in cycling for good old fashioned steel, pain in the pants friction shifting and shifters on bar ends or down tubes.

She loves the classic bikes and asked me to build her one. Anybody here who has met her (Cino, Cambria, Bob's picnic, Bike Prom, Tour de Franzia, RAMROD, Etc, Etc, Etc) knows she needs no indoctrination.

Not sure where you got these assumptions.


Does she look miserable to you??


We want to do L'Eroica in Italy and Japan. Can't do that on the SEVEN.

Robvolz 

That is a word I had to look up.

Slick solution!! I like it.

Thanks

Robert

merziac

Never

You would be very hard pressed to find a more "on board" commiserator.

non-fixie 

I did some research a few years back, as mrs non-fixie likes drop bars but also likes to be able to brake from wherever her hands are on the bars. I tested several types, and liked these best: the Shimano DEL-80's. They don't flex as much, and they don't look too bad:

DanseMacabre

Pros of guidonnets are the leverage. You reach them sideways from the top of the bar and you push at the end of the lever. Classic road brake levers have less leverage. A drawback is that in the drops, you cannot use them.
The modern Dia Compe's have some kind of waterdrop at the end. The French ones from Mafac and CLB don't, but functionality wise they are similar.

I strongly believe functionality should be leading, especially on a bicycle that you use and is about pleasure and safety. I do understand that looks are important and the mores and rules of cycling can sometimes get in the way.


1970s Liberia (C 15 maybe) Reynolds 531 tretubi

1970s Liberia (C 15 maybe) Reynolds 531 tretubi

Peugeot camping bike 1977

ehcoplex 

I've seen quite a few photos of Japanese riders running Guidonnets and stoker hoods. Aesthetically I find there's something a little goofy looking about it, but I can see the practicality of having the 'hood' position available.

Mr. 66

Turkey levers are long gear shifters, Huret had some so did Suntour.

Steel Charlie

Preserving a "look" with the Cinelli ? ?

Keeping an enthusiastic wife happy and safe ? ?

Puhleeezzz !

Robvolz 

That's a good look.

I wonder if anybody has tried to (*GASP) graft this style of bar-levers onto Campagnolo levers. (gag)

The ultimate in sacrilege and classic Italian looks.

I recall the co-op having homer buckets full of said levers. Must experiment.

Thanks all for the positive replies and encouragement.