Drop bars and hydraulic disc brakes??

As above really, I got a roadrat on cycle to work with the hope brakes and flat bars, however I'm missing the head down position of drop bars, but love the wet weather reliability of the disc brakes.
Has anyone put hydraulic disc brakes onto drop bars successfully?? Or would I have to go for BB7s?

Oh God – not again!

sorry shoefiti, I haven't seen a post on this topic, point me in the direction and I'll leave you in peace. I've given up using the search engine on here as it's useless!

BB5s or 7s are the answer.

if the lever is to be on the drops, surely it would have to be designed specifically for drops so the resvoir is in the right place.
you could put one on the flat of the bar (front?) and put a BB7 rear on the back?)
or mount a hayes nine or similar on the flat of the bar, in such a way that you physically bend the lever blade down through 90 degrees to reach it from the drops?

I know it's been done before and there's never the answer people want to hear but if it comes up enough, someone might do it (Hope, are you listening?). I'd love to run little hydraulic discs on my commuter and would happily give up the STi shifters to do it. Barend shifters are cheap enough.

Olly, I'd be happy to have the brakes jsut on the centre flat of the bars, and have no brakes on the drops, jsut unsure if the bar diamtere is the right size to clamp the lever onto the bar. don't really want to go buy a new bar to find it's the wrong size.
How reliable are BB7s? never had them or used them so have no idea on what they're like to service and how long the cables etc last commuting.

Onzadog, I totally agree, would bre great if hope made a replacement for the drop bar levers for their hydraulic brakes, I suppose it might happen if UCI decide to allow disc brakes in cyclocross one day?!

jsut unsure if the bar diamtere is the right size to clamp the lever onto the bar

Mtb bars are 22.2, road bars are usually 23.8. However they should still just about fit. Infact, ive seen people do it…

I have BB7s on my 4-year old Sutra and I've never had to replace the cables. I'm on my 2nd set of front pads, original rears.
Servicing? What's that? You just need to adjust the wee red dial every few months to adjust for pad wear.

Everyone keeps mentioning this UCI rule about discs. Is the cross racing part of the market such a large proportion? I couldn't care less if it's allowed for racing. I'm guessing there's still enough people who would use them for non racing to make it worthwhile.

Just make sure you get the Road version of the BB7s

BB7s are supposed to be Excellent

There seems to be enough demand for this that it's odd that Magura don't bring back their HS66 drop bar hydraulic rim brake.

"Everyone keeps mentioning this UCI rule about discs. Is the cross racing part of the market such a large proportion? I couldn't care less if it's allowed for racing. I'm guessing there's still enough people who would use them for non racing to make it worthwhile."

I would imagine more people use their cross bikes as intended for racing rather than yet another niche bike for Singletrack members.

I would imagine more people use their cross bikes as intended for racing rather than yet another niche bike for STW members.

Really?

would imagine more people use their cross bikes as intended for racing rather than yet another niche bike for STW members.

Not these days – CX bikes have become the commuting road bike of choice I reckon

Yes really!

Coleman – Member

"Everyone keeps mentioning this UCI rule about discs. Is the cross racing part of the market such a large proportion? I couldn't care less if it's allowed for racing. I'm guessing there's still enough people who would use them for non racing to make it worthwhile."

I would imagine more people use their cross bikes as intended for racing rather than yet another niche bike for Singletrack members.

Not in my experience

check out the planet-x website, someones bodged it. Brake cables from the STIs are attached to some hope levers.

http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/?p=5589

This is how you do it:

Oh come on, surely I get applause for finding that?!

you could use very old school close hope disk brakes, the position of the brake lever shouldn't be an issue.

i think that may be the most beautiful bodge ive ever seen.
thats stunning.

ive got some C2s i could sell you, but they arent a light brake, and not sure how they would fit the bars :s (also 185mm rotor)

Oh come on, surely I get applause for finding that?!

Its been posted about 5 times already since summer! And they (the Swiss hope distrib) have been making them for years. Hardly a new find ;0)

sticha.ch[/url]

Olly's C2 would be fine. If they are the ones with the clamp they shouldn't be too difficult to put on the handlebar.

Hardly a new find ;0)

Never found them on here before, or seen them online anywhere, took AGES searching for it.

Ha-ha.

Hope used to make them for the old C2 (it was a special matercylinder)

Ive actually got one sitting in my shed waiting for somthing to go on :0)

FrankZ is running mono minis on drops on his uncle john. It all works very nicely without that bracket type approach. he also has auxiliary levers. Sure he'll be along in a minute…

Hey Guys people always mention you need to get the Road version of the BB7 what would be the consequence's of using the MTB version ? Not enough modulation ?

Whats the thing that converts the pull ?

Hey Guys people always mention you need to get the Road version of the BB7 what would be the consequence's of using the MTB version ?

Vbrake lever pull much more cable than road/cant lever, so plenty of modulation just not a lot of power.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Actually very little power.

Is that right Im sure I've used canti levers with v brakes and had loads to power, (due to longer lever).

But they were very difficult to set as you got very little cable pull so you had to set them up very near the braking surface which was tricky.

anyone ?

That makes sense as road and canti levers pull less cable. therefore, the pads have to be set silly close to the rim (or rotor) otherwise you run out of lever travel at the bars. However, if you can get it to run, it feels very spongy but it also very power due to the high mechanical advantage

Used to have a cycle courier come in our shop with a set of Hope C2s fitted to his drop bars, think he just filed the edges of the mounting clamps.