BB7s - Road Vs MTB

[Bez]

Rats, I wasn't quick enough editing out the one bit of "tone" that I did (regrettably) intend to inject

[mattsccm]

Surely the whole thread is missing the point somewhat. Wouldn't a fundamental issue be bar choice? To dictate that by lever design, as much for looks as anything is to my mind daft.
Fit the bar that work the best for you then add the levers you want and make the brakes work by chosing the correct design.
Setting up BB7s is easy . Use decent cables, dial out all slack and use flat rotors.I'll admit to not doing the big mileage of some , mines about 4000 miles a year of which 10% isn't gravel.

[Bez]

Bar choice isn't a factor is it? It's flat bars. But the OP currently has road calipers and levers, and is looking to go to a V-brake on the back.

To my mind mismatched levers is a complete no-no, so the choices are:

1. Keep the road caliper on the front, use the road levers (and have a powerful rear brake which needs a very true rim and careful setting up)
2. Get an MTB caliper and MTB levers

Personally I'd go straight to option 2 with adjustable levers, but if I was bothered by cost I might experiment with option 1 initially and then only bother with option 2 if necessary. Option 1 should work well enough but the feel of the brakes will be dramatically different, so I'd probably avoid it. But then the OP is contemplating mismatched levers so who knows

[Brucey]

hence my earlier suggestion of adjustable levers. Avid speed dial seem like an obvious choice (less than £20) but the adjustment range isn't as large with all models. I think the most common model presently adjusts this amount



which ought to be enough.

Other options include LX levers (from the 8s/9s era) like these


BTW OP doesn't mention which IGH it is; if a shimano one then it will usually have fittings for a roller brake. This mounting is convertible (using an adaptor) to accept a disc brake if you want, but the adaptor is not so easy to source these days.

cheers

[PH]

Surely the whole thread is missing the point somewhat. Wouldn't a fundamental issue be bar choice? To dictate that by lever design, as much for looks as anything is to my mind daft.

I think you may have missed something - as it says in the question this is a flat bar bike, there is no intention to change the bars and the bars don't dictate the calipers.

[PH]

To my mind mismatched levers is a complete no-no, so the choices are:

Matched levers would be better and very different ones would annoy me, but there's a couple of MTB versions that are close enough to the existing levers that one of each probably won't be noticeable to anyone other than the rider or observing bike geek.

but if I was bothered by cost I might experiment with option 1

The cost isn't that big an issue, depending on which way I go there's some parts I already have, so there's not a lot in it and I'll be selling the surplus.
It was simply a question of if one was better than the other, there's no consensus, though I'm still leaning towards the idea that more cable pull is a good thing, even if the shorter one is still plenty good enough.

[PH]

hence my earlier suggestion of adjustable levers. Avid speed dial seem like an obvious choice (less than £20) but the adjustment range isn't as large with all models.
cheers

I haven't come across adjustable levers before, I may go for them whichever way I go with the caliper, just for the options they may provide in the future.

BTW OP doesn't mention which IGH it is;

I didn't - It's a Rohloff, my second and I'm suffering from buyers guilt. I wasn't looking and had already spent this years bike budget... but it came up second hand (I was asked if I could find a buyer!) I know it's history and if I was ever going to have another I'd want it to be this one.

[Brucey]

you could have the hub converted to disc spec...? More money though, I know...

cheers

[PH]

you could have the hub converted to disc spec...? More money though, I know...

cheers

I could and having converted my other one I’ve a good idea how much money! If matching brakes were important to me I’d be more likely to change the fork!

[reohn2]

I'm struggling to understand the problem here,MTB front caliper and a V on the rear mean a pair of flat bar V brake levers of choice solve the problem

[PH]

I'm struggling to understand the problem here,MTB front caliper and a V on the rear mean a pair of flat bar V brake levers of choice solve the problem

There’s no problem to solve, it’s a question on options which arises from already having the road bb7s

[reohn2]

I'm struggling to understand the problem here,MTB front caliper and a V on the rear mean a pair of flat bar V brake levers of choice solve the problem

There’s no problem to solve, it’s a question on options which arises from already having the road bb7s

Sorry it seems my addled brain has been getting hold of the wrong end of the stick on this
It's a matter of either swap levers for Avid Speed dials as per Brucey's recommendation and one V for the rear.
Or buy one BB7 MTB caliper for the front,and one V brake for the rear and a pair of V brake levers

I'd buy the Speed dials @£15 here:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avid-Speed-D ... Swp7FahGfz

[Bez]

Which reminds me, the cheapest I've seen BB7s is here,

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 1796572544

[Brucey]

hence my earlier suggestion of adjustable levers. Avid speed dial seem like an obvious choice (less than £20) but the adjustment range isn't as large with all models.
cheers

I haven't come across adjustable levers before, I may go for them whichever way I go with the caliper, just for the options they may provide in the future.

FWIW I despair somewhat that no-one has got their act together and manufactured some nice levers for dropped handlebars which are also adjustable for cable pull.

Imagine how good that would be; at present there are about four different cable pull standards you might encounter....

cheers

[PH]

I'm struggling to understand the problem here,MTB front caliper and a V on the rear mean a pair of flat bar V brake levers of choice solve the problem

There’s no problem to solve, it’s a question on options which arises from already having the road bb7s

Sorry it seems my addled brain has been getting hold of the wrong end of the stick on this
It's a matter of either swap levers for Avid Speed dials as per Brucey's recommendation and one V for the rear.
Or buy one BB7 MTB caliper for the front,and one V brake for the rear and a pair of V brake levers

I'd buy the Speed dials @£15 here:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avid-Speed-D ... Swp7FahGfz

Yes, but most of that (Apart from adjustable levers) I knew before I started this thread!
The question which seems to have been lost is whether there’s any advantage in choosing one type of calliper over the other.
Thanks for the cheap link though