Bodging Hydros onto drops

I’ve done it. Got some old Hayes 9 carbon brakes with split clamps, ground out the clamps to fit the bars and fitted them to the bike with long enough hoses (as on old, pre-aero-lever road bikes) that if there were any air bubbles in there, they’d stay above the reservior and it didn’t cause any problems.

The position of the levers left no usable hood area so I built them up with Sugru and taped over the top of them. Looks pretty shonky but they work and it’s not given me any problems in the little use it’s had so far.

Sometimes messing about with stuff is the best way to find out and I got to use a brilliant little air powered grinding tool I borrowed from my motor mechanic mate.

I’d second the Magura HS66/77 if you can find some. I’ve got a set of HS66 on my tandem because I hated the amount of cable stretch on the back brake. They’re really comfortable to ride on – dunno what I’d do if I broke one now. I’m just using the normal maggy rim brakes though, so can’t comment on compatibility with disc calipers.

Failing that, there was/is somebody making remote master cylinders that mounted on the stem and were controlled by normal levers with a short run of cable. They were quite tidy and apparently worked well.

Rob

Seems quite a few folk are doing it already. Like I said not pretty, but you’re going to get great braking in the drops.
Been looking at this….

I’ve reamed out the clamps on Magura HS 33 (mtb rim brakes) to fit road bars. You need a spacer / washer that will fit in the clamp slot and then tighten up the clamp screw with it in place (so the existing bar hole is held in a prefect circle and the clamp / slot is done up tight so things don’t flex or judder).

I then used an expanding reamer by hand to gradually enlarge the hole. Looks like there is plenty of meat to go at in your levers so it should work OK.

Forget about the old magura road levers – they are a completely different design (closed volume of oil) and will not work with most hydro discs (with expansion reservoir). Google it and you’ll find Maguras views on (not) trying this. They are also not made anymore and rarer than a rare thing – the resurgence in cross bikes means they go for crazy money when they occasionally appear on Ebay.

cynic-al – Member
…I’m using BB5s and 7s on 3 drop-bar bikes, gear cable inners work better.

I thought of that but was too chicken to try it 🙂 It’s encouraging to know it works ok – what life are you getting out of the inners?

As for the HS66 & 77 levers, adapting them to a disc isn’t impossible, but a disc calliper would likely have a far higher heat buildup than the rim brakes.

I suspect a dropbar hydraulic lever isn’t far away now that discs are ok on cx bikes.

doof_doof – Member
‘Over-biked?…
Um, cos that’s what the OP said.

Ah, sorry doof_doof, thought you were referring to my post and was puzzled.

It was a Planet X Uncle John that had the MTB hydraulic discs with a cable running from the STI to a stop on the handlebars, and then the inner cable attached to the MTB brake lever.
There is a photo of them here, but can’t find the description on the PX web site http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/readers-rides/your-ride/q/845101529_ps-ferguson_aunt-sally

Someone should make a cable activated hydraulic reservoir and piston. Mounted on the bars, you could have a really short cable run then the rest as hydro. That way you could use any levers you like including road STIs.

Thinking about it, you could probably dismantle a lever to provide the guts, even leave the clamp on to facilitate mounting.

Looks like Hope make the very thing you want (presumably for CX disc brake use). Scroll down this thread for a picture

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=128156

Sachs once made the reverse of this – an mtb hydraulic lever and hose that actuated a piston and stub of cable to use with canti brakes!

Could you just chop the clamp off, drill it out and use std STI clamp bands?

Could you just chop the clamp off, drill it out and use std STI clamp bands?

I’ll look at that, those things work by drawing the lever body against the bars

Thats the pic.
Whats been holding me up is finding some hydro brakes cheap. The version in the retrobike link takes up as much bar space but doesn’t give the bar top brakes. I’m not desperate for those as i took them off my CX bike but they might as well be used.
By using a cable to pull the hydro’s you can use STI’s. Well Ergo’s in my case which don’t seem to have the pull of STI

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29er midge 1[/url] by robertjohnkay[/url], on Flickr

epicyclo – Member

I thought of that but was too chicken to try it It’s encouraging to know it works ok – what life are you getting out of the inners?

They’ve lasted several re-builds and years of being hung-up.

That is neat solution on retrobike mollifying a set of hopes to take cables
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=132792

they all look goppingly aweful and i repeat my quwestion why would you want that on your cx bike??? no one in the profesional world of cx uses them. just why?

no one in the profesional world of cx uses them.

That’s because the UCI always banned disc for CX use till now. I can’t see a problem with Oldgit trying it, that’s how things get invented isn’t it?

alex222 – Member
they all look goppingly aweful and i repeat my quwestion why would you want that on your cx bike?…

Better braking comes to mind….

Looks are irrelevant, I don’t think oldgit is concerned about making a fashion statement.

The professionals would be using rod brakes if that’s what their sponsors fitted. Racing doesn’t necessarily improve the breed, in fact in cycling, the racing bodies actively restrict innovation.

Certainly from a 29er POV it is an interesting project.

they all look goppingly aweful and i repeat my quwestion why would you want that on your cx bike??? no one in the profesional world of cx uses them. just why?

Well first of all I wouldn’t put them on my race crosser. But a season of racing the crosser and using it instead of a mountainbike has cost me five rims.
So I’m building a trail going crosser (Croix De Fer) I would have put BB7s on it, but I have a set of cheap Deore hydros kicking about and I’d sacrifice the looks for hydros advantages. I’m assuming they’ll work well from the drops on decents and techy stuff, and need less tuning than cables.
Though a quick try out has proved you can get good one finger braking from the tops.
Heres a quick fit up I’ve just done. They required a little filling, though my bars have a layer of white paint on them which doesn’t help. The silver tape was out of the garage bin?

This is the type of thing I was thinking of http://www.flickr.com/photos/phennec/5537166559/

I think various people made similar devices. Looks like you’ve got it working OKish now though.

Rob

Just to throw another idea into the discussion
Anyone remember the Mountain Cycle ‘semi-hydraulics’ from abot 20 years ago? Were they any good?

Good to see some others trying to mod there hydros been running mine for about three years.
My biggest worry was the inlet port in the resevoir drawing in air as the fluid level dropped due to pad wear etc
This only happened once when the fluid boiled up but I think most brakes would have gone to the bar .
I spent many hours of messing around to get a good set up the only thing to remember is do the testing before hitting the big hills I used mine in the alps 🙂

not the best pic

epicyclo – Member
…I’ve been using Versa levers with my BB7s – I’m finding them a bit imprecise…

Seeing as I bagged these, I’d better admit my mistake.

The cable exits vertically and the chain was occasionally touching the cable mount. Didn’t spot how close it was until I put my reading glasses on. 😳

New TRP brakes Parabox

Hydros do feel different to/nicer than cables, but IME BB5/7s give you enough power, the traction is so shit on narrow tyres and hardpack you lose grip pretty quickly anyway.

Doesn’t look too bad oldgit, I’ll order a hat from the fixed-price menu please.

EDIT: TRP thingmy looks good, I predict there’ll be no demand in around 18 months as shimano et all prodiuce decent cx disc brakes, mind you they’l circulate on eBay for the bodgers 😛

The Parabox will come complete kit with TRP rotors, calipers, pre-bled hydraulic brake lines and the master cylinder, is expected to retail for $400-500 and will weigh 450 grams.

I wonder what the add-on box will be on its own…

Interesting stuff, Sam – thanks for posting that 🙂

Hmm that retrobike bodge looks clever too – could be a good way to use the hydrol levers as those cx levers on the tops of the bars as well.

Taking it further. If you don’t like your cable discs but want to be cheap like me why not do the same with V brake flat bar levers which give more pull than drop levers.
I’m still looking for some hydro brakes.Hopes I suppose.
I tried the retro bike way on the bench and it works. The Avid hydros took up a lot of space though.

Where da cables gone hum?

That TRP thingy doesn’t profess to being that powerful though.

TBH all I’m seeking is zero rim wear, and decent braking on longer off road decents.

Done both now.

Next minor tricky issue is exiting the bar end cables because of the tiny short section in the drop.
That’s it for a bit, not getting it built up for months yet.

Looks like hope might be coming to the party with a proper cable/hydro convertor…

STW visit HOPE[/url]

(i actually have one of the original Hope convertors in a box somewhere, when i get a chance its going on my Fargo :0)

Seeing this reminded me of the Magura HS11 levers I’ve had waiting to be bodged onto my Midge bars for a while.

So today I did this:

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Nice idea but stop being so silly. Pair of BB5’s will do the job nicely.

Very cheap. Work really well, easy to adjust.

The frame & fork don’t have disc mounts, so BB5s would be no use at all!

I also happen to have copious amounts of Magura spares – I run them on 3 bikes – so I had all the bits I needed already.

I am truly eating my hat here, good work guys.

Good work on the Maguras, but did you employ a three year old to wrap your bar tape? 🙂

Neat.

If you want to put on discs you could try a set of these from
Choppers US[/url]

Good work on the Maguras, but did you employ a three year old to wrap your bar tape

Ya-boo-sucks to you! 😛

The main bit of tape is neat as – but I tried adding an extra bit over the clamps from what was left over, and you’re right it did look a tad messy 😳 so now removed!

Getting there, bar end shifters added and the cable exit is bob on.

Just need some 700c Disc wheels. And decide if to go MTB 3×9 or road double with MTB 9 speed cassette and mech.

After years of trying to make my MTBs road like, I’m finally making a road’ish bike MTB like 😕

Oldgit I was in bob jacksons last week looking at getting a road swaying toward mtb frameset knocked up with mtb stays but for 700cc with clearance for 2.2 29er tyres if wanted but with all rack, guard mounts like a tourer with rolhoff dropouts and disc mounts drop bar angles , maybe s and s couplings too oh and seat stay coupling for belt drive sillyness too.

Just to decide now as It’s that or a motorbike (or a singular peregrine ;))