I can chime in on travel agents. I love them. I have a pair on my dirt drop setup to run sram brifters with Paul motolites. They look a little funny but work great! My build is similar to this one featured in theradavist https://theradavist.com/dirt-shark-dirt-drop
On Tue, Jul 8, 2025 at 10:11 AM Nick Shoemaker <[email protected]> wrote: > If you want to keep your current brakes, look into Travel Agents > <https://problemsolversbike.com/products/travel-agent> combined with > whichever Shimano 9s brifters you fancy. Should work without much fuss, but > I can't personally vouch for the solution (maybe others can chime in with > real-world experience?) > > I did once have a bike with Cane Creek Drop V levers (out of production?) > and v-brakes that worked perfectly well, but that obviously doesn't solve > for the integrated shifting piece. > > On Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 8:59:37 AM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: > >> I think if you’re going brifters and want options, I would ditch the >> V-brake completely and opt for either a cantilever or mini V-brake. If you >> like the Motolites, you’ll love the Minimotos! >> >> Running those would mean you can run any short pull brifter your heart >> desired. >> >> >> P. W. >> ~ >> (917) 514-2207 >> ~ >> >> >> >> >> On Jul 8, 2025, at 5:40 AM, Jeffrey Zelevansky <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> Thanks for the reply. I'm kind of agnostic on indexed vs. friction. My >> goal is to get to an integrated shifter/brake lever solution in as few >> steps as possible, which suggests an indexed system. I'd also like to clean >> up the cockpit as much as possible. >> >> >> The Tektro levers I'm currently running are the RL341s, which seem to be >> short pull aren't actually compatible with my brakes. I have pretty big >> hands and, ergonomically, these aren't great anyway. They're just what I >> had around when I went to a drop bar. >> >> If I get almost any brifter, it seems I could use a travel agent or >> similar, but I'm looking to streamline and simplify. As much as I like the >> form and function of the Paul brakes, if they are the limiting factor, it >> might be time for a change. Maybe a set of Shimano V-brakes and brifters >> would be simplest? >> >> On Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 6:52:19 AM UTC-4 Garth wrote: >> >>> Jeff, Indexed or friction ? >>> Tektro makes long pull drop bar brake levers, the RL520 I believe is the >>> model. Tektro levers have the model designation often on the underside of >>> the levers themselves. There aren't any long pull indexed brifters. For >>> shifting you could use say either a Dia-Compe ENE stem mounted shift mount >>> for DT levers or even their wing mounted shifters. What sets their stem >>> mount is that the position of the cable angle is adjustable. >>> https://www.diacompe.com.tw/product/ene-stem-mount-shifter/ >>> https://www.diacompe.com.tw/product/ene-wing-shifter/ >>> >>> Then there's these levers with DT shift mounts. Short pull only. >>> https://www.gevenalle.com/shifters/ >>> >>> DT shifters though off the most crisp shifting from my experiece, night >>> and day difference from bar top shifters and their long housed cable run >>> with their inherent additional friction. >>> >>> >>> On Monday, July 7, 2025 at 4:51:42 PM UTC-4 [email protected] wrote: >>> >>>> After some very fun gravel rides on my Hillborne, I am considering a >>>> change from bar ends to brifters but it seems like I am running into >>>> compatibility issues at every turn. I have made many changes to this bike >>>> since I purchased it secondhand and finally feel that I'm coming to some >>>> conclusions. >>>> >>>> I'm a drop bar devotee (Crust Shaka). The stock Silver 38/24 cranks are >>>> great. Currently running a Microshift FD and a Deore 9-spd RD. The brakes >>>> are Paul Motolites, which I like very much. I have old Dura Ace bar end >>>> shifters and some kind of Tektro levers, which are prbly not a good match >>>> for the Pauls...very squishy and perhaps not long pull? >>>> >>>> I want to somehow unify the drivetrain and stop doing things by half >>>> measure. I'd like to keep the brakes but feel like everything else could be >>>> changed up. >>>> >>>> Thanks for any suggestions. >>>> >>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c8151e67-3b5a-41a2-aff5-c06e367f883bn%40googlegroups.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c8151e67-3b5a-41a2-aff5-c06e367f883bn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3e716220-83e8-4502-9450-6163acbcfed8n%40googlegroups.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3e716220-83e8-4502-9450-6163acbcfed8n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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