5/21/14 1:35 PM

I like the feel of the Tektros, but way to modern looking for the P5.

I shoudl say getting, not gets. ;) Grabbing these later today.. Between that colored hoods and the brown bar tape already on the Schwinn, not to mention that sexy drillium. ;)

Maybe that leather seat I got for the Bridgestone need to join in the brown fest on the Schwinn. Or a Honey Brooks be even better...

5/21/14 2:10 PM

I'm a big fan of brown in certain contexts, and while I'm not a huge fan of the shape of the newest Tektro levers (I prefer the pseudo-Campy ones), I like the look of "gum" hoods with brown tape.

Last edited by Andy M-S on 5/23/14 4:10 AM; edited 1 time in total

5/22/14 9:13 PM

Decided to put them on the Bridgestone. They are more modern looking that I thought, the lever itself is pretty curved. But nice pieces, MSRP 100.00, they should be nice. I Tektro 340 [i think] on the Paramount and the Strong [Single Speed] I've been getting for around 25.00 on the inetnets.

I got these used with and extra hood and an extra lever with hood and a scratch on the lever edge for 50.00. Guy would just not come any lower, Portland price$, eeesh...

5/23/14 4:09 AM

That's a nice look. I'll bet the Campy-style hoods would look great on the Paramount; they're still out there, but a little hard to find.

But geeze man, couldn't you have got a better price?

5/23/14 5:54 AM

Tektro makes a wider variety of brakes and levers than anyone out there, and they're good. I like the Campy-style ones with Cane Creek "gum" hoods (they were easier to find that Tektro's own-branded "gum" hoods for these levers).

Years ago, I decided to go with DT shifters and sold my last pair or Ergos. After that, Shimano levers felt like dinky little things. The Tektro levers may not always be finished perfectly (I think your TRPs are likely to be more polished) but they feel fantastic.

Not to mention that Tektro also makes calipers in short, long, and gargantuan sizes!

PS--like the paint job on the B'stone!

5/23/14 7:43 AM

quote:

---

Years ago, I decided to go with DT shifters and sold my last pair or Ergos. After that, Shimano levers felt like dinky little things. The Tektro levers may not always be finished perfectly (I think your TRPs are likely to be more polished) but they feel fantastic.

---

5/23/14 8:06 AM

I wish that Suntour still made Command Shifters, and that they partnered with Tektro to build mounts into the sides of the brake hoods. THOSE would be fun.

The Retroshift things look kind of cool, I must admit.

5/23/14 9:48 AM

The Command shifters were the best of the alternative shifters imo, bettern than bar-ends, Ericson mounts, Retroshifters or thumb shifters mounted adjacent to a road bar's stem clamp.

If only narrower chains were available in the very early 90's, the Command Shifters would have worked much better, plagued as they were (and as were all accushifters) with excessive overshift motion when moving the chain to a bigger cog.

I used re-spaced Hyperglide cassettes with my 7s Command shifters, but 6 and 8-speed versions would need no such re-spacing.
Using the relatively narrow Sachs chain made the best of the overshift problem, since the side-plates weren't too grabby toward the next larger (than being selected) cog.
9s chain though makes any Accushift 7s or 8s system so much more tolerant of sloppy shifter movements on the part of the rider.

5/23/14 9:55 AM

I had a set that I converted to friction (by removing a ball bearing from the innards) and they worked great with a 105SC 8s setup on a Bianchi frame. There were two varieties: one that mounted on an odd extension that slapped the base of each shifter right up against the inside of the brake lever hood (the cables on these ran under the bar tape), and another that had an MTB-type tower (these had flying cables). Mine were the former, and I really liked them.

I'd probably try another set, but the prices have gotten absolutely ridiculous. Someone really needs to reproduce them

5/23/14 10:09 AM

"But geeze man, couldn't you have got a better price?"

I thought it was 40.00, but I had mixed up adds. I gave him the 40.00 and he did the WTF face. I googled the ad from my phone and it said 50.00. I must have mixed up ads. So I did the gentlemanly thing and paypaled him the other 10.00. The two on the bike are like new, the extra 3rd lever has a 1/4" scratch you have to look for. Maybe I will out the extra lever on eBay. Cheapest online I found was 79.95.

"Shimano levers felt like dinky little things."

The 10 speed STI and non Dura Ace 9 Speed fill my huge hands nice, as do the Tektros. I have had the cane creek and the BR200 and they kind of cut into my hands, as did the 9 speed DA STIs.

I had never ridden a 9 Speed Ultegra STI bike, and when I got that Klein Q Carbon here and parted it out, I realized I should have had the 6500 and not 7700 on the Strong for all that time, like 11-12 years. Only then I realized the DA where smaller to make them look better on paper in the weight dept.
The Klein 9 speed groupo is on the TCX Giant.

I want to stick with similar shifting across my bikes. And having all indexed Shimano makes for wheel/tire swap choice, maybe only swapping out for a 10/9s cassette. The Bridgestone is 9 speed.

I do have some nice ERGO 8 Speed Ti/Carbon body Record Levers in the drawers. But decided to stick them and associated Campy parts on the SLX Colnago after I paint it. Deciding on motif. ;)

When I had a ERGO and STIs bikes at the same time I decided I wanted them all more similar. So down to Indexed Barcons and STI on everything now. STI on the tandem too.

5/23/14 2:27 PM

I meant the Shimano brake levers (not the brifters, which are nice and beefy). My hands used to hurt from the wedgie they'd get hanging onto standard Shimano brake levers after a long ride; I found the Tektro levers much more comfortable.

5/23/14 2:33 PM

Except, as I mentioned, the 9 speed DA STIs are pretty small compared to the rest. The 10 speed STIs are all nice and big to me. Although my wife is not crazy about them. I need to get her some of those wedgy short reach thingys Shimano made for that purpose..

5/23/14 3:55 PM

Yeah, they're small compared to other STI levers, but check them out compared to late-model brake-only levers and they're huge.

5/23/14 4:29 PM

I think you should get some Universal Super 68s. Top pros (I believe including Eddy) used to use those with Campy brakes, because the Universal levers/hoods were more comfortable. I have Universals on 2 old bikes, and a NOS set of gum hoods (which I ain't selling!). I can't even remember how long ago I bought the hoods, the sticker says $7.88, I've seen them now for $59.95.

But before that you need to do something about the water bottle cage (just wrap tape under the clamps if you're worried about the frame) and stem (Cinelli is right, but 1A or 1R).

Sorry, if you're going to keep posting pictures, you need to put up with obsessive aesthetic quibbles...:)

5/23/14 4:41 PM

I keep my eyes open on the stem, as I agree with you. I would prefer the 1A, I have a 1R that is in nice condition, just way to short...

But the Ti Stem is perfect length/drop etc with those bars. So easy to not be in a hurry. ;) But I would like some deep drop non ergo bars to go along, and I will get there eventually. ;)

As far as the bottle holder, I need water and use what I got. ;) But we are getting into 2 bottle season here soon... Or maybe a new bladder for my camel back, but those get too hot to me. Hot back and water. The hot water still works for the body, just not as tasty/quenching of course.

Levers with the cable coming out the top ain't going to happen. Or I would just use the Original Campy Drilled Levers off the Victory. ;)

The original TTT Stem from the victory is a beaut, but it is so flexy it scares me, and I don't want to ride with it. But the levers are nice...