I’m thinking of doing a vintage vibe build, and so to match my brown grip tape with my drop bar that is similarly shaped to the one in the picture, I have to options: a brown aero brake (picture 2) or vintage non-aero brakes with brown hood covers (pictures 3 and 4). What would be the functional and aesthetic advantages and disadvantages of one of the other?
by Dragosfgv
8 Comments
Get the aero ones, the non aero create so much wind resistance you can hardly get the bike to move
I built and crashed (im a really bad rc pilot) a handful of flight test foam board rc planes. Power difference between a sharp corners and smooth is insignificant to get them to fly.
Aero on your bike is no different. Unless you’re in the top few % riders in the world.
Non-aero advantages:
1) looks cool especially on vintage bikes
2) smoother cable bends = slightly lighter brake action
3) easier to wrap the bar tape
Disadvantages:
1) pivot position gives you less leverage from the hoods, so you might need to be in the drops to apply full brake power
2) can’t rest the bike upside-down for roadside maintenance
3) less aero, I guess?
None to you. All to the seller. Aero brakes cost more.
Get non aero if you want the cables to be an accent. The bike can’t be flipped upside down with them. A vintage look will never look right with aero.
Get aero ones. Non aero suck in the hoods so bad
Get whatever you like the look of. You can rest a bike upside down with non-areo, me and many thousands of others did it all the time back when it was the only option. As others have said, the benefits of aero only matter at high speeds. Both are comfortable enough.
You’re building a functional bike for looks so get what looks best for you.
TIL there are aero and non-aero brakes.