In a message dated 12/15/00 11:38:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,
feldmanbike@home.com writes:
> A more subtle problem of most extension levers, especially the Dia Comp and
> earlier Weinmann types, is that they were stuck inbetween the brake lever
> body and lever, taking up prime space in the early part of the lever's
> travel, the part where the lever feels like it's developing more power. In
> addition, it shrank the band of travel of the lever and made necessary for
> the wheels to be perfectly straight and brakes perfectly adjusted more of
> the time. Naturally, the average buyer of a bike with extension levers was
> the least likely cyclist to pay attention to trueness of wheels and
> adjustment of brakes; more bikes with extension levers used to come into
> bike stores without safely working brakes than bikes without them.
This is exactly how I find almost every yard sale / flea market / thrift store / bike I come across. The safety levers hit the handle bars. I can almost live with the stem mount shifters, but all my safety levers go to the recyclers! As for correct restorations, the levers can go in the baggie with the reflectors.
Pete Geurds
Douglassville, Pa