Forum menu
New bike (2021 model) came with Shimano Deore brakes, with the rear internally routed. I'm not a massive fan of the levers and prefer the single finger SLX M675s I bought in 2012 and have fitted to another bike.
Normally I'd swap them over in a jiffy, but I'm not wild about feeding the rear through the frame plus not 100% sure it's long enough.
Anyone know whether the levers are compatible and would be a straight swap if I leave the lines and calipers in situ?
Don't Shimano use two different brake lines? That's why there two different olives and barbs BH59 & BH90, check what's printed on the brake line outer?
Personally I'd just swap the levers over, if your slick they should only need a lever bleed with the Shimano funnel.
As above, you need to check that the hose fittings are compatible with your levers.
Get a SRAM barb
https://www.tredz.co.uk/.RockShox-Barb-Connector-Reverb-Stealth_77198.htm
Join old line to new line and feed through
Levers are a straight swap regardless of hose type, BH90 has a smaller bore, thus thicker wall, doubt anybody in the real world would ever know the difference.
After spending years ( it seems ) peering into frames held vertically in the workstand with a torch and steel eyebrow tweezers I suddenly said " b0ll0cks to this " and have since taped and zip-tied my brake and gear lines to the exterior of the bike and it feels LOVELY. I'm six and a half feet tall and a foot and a half wide so for me the aero argument is complete @rse. It's so liberating going " Ooh I need a new brake hose, that'll take AT LEAST 15 minutes but I'll have time to get a brew on. " Bliss.
have since taped and zip-tied my brake and gear lines to the exterior of the bike
I honestly don't understand why everyone doesn't do this.
Mainly because it looks fing awful?
Would be really useful if manufacturers provided both types of routing so at least you've got a choice that doesn't look shit.
Outer diameter for BH59 and BH90 is the same. I’d dare say you could use the existing hoses (with new olives) on your old levers without any bother.
Yet another great example of “standards”.
I've always just fed a brake inner through the frame first and used that to pull the hose through...... Ever since doing orange patriots way back when for customers who also just ziptied and taped them to the outside -but then wanted to gouge their eyeballs out with how crap it looked.
Road bikes with all in one stem/bar combos and internal routing are a different kettle of fish.Outer has to be mm perfect cut before you start much like splicing gauge fibre optics.