Tektro RL520 Lever Set

I ordered this twice - once two weeks ago, under the impression that I would get a pair of brake levers - the listing doesn't seem to say explicitely that there would be two, but seemed to imply it (i.e. plural "levers"). I got one. So I ordered it again, thinking I would get a second one. This time I got two. So I now have three levers. Both were filled by the same company and the second one was bought with the same order (i.e. I clicked - "Buy it again"). Therefore, be warned, you may - or may not - get a pair!

I really don't know how to compare this product to other brake levers, but I found that they look stylish on my black handlebar-taped bike, and they were easy enough to install, though I had to watch a few youtube videos at first.The grips feel high quality and they still look good after more than 6,000 miles of bicycle touring. I was just surprised that swapping from cantilever brakes to v-brakes necessitated a brand new set of brake levers. You'd think upgrading your brakes would require only one purchase--new brakes--but it doesn't work that way. Expect to also buy new brake levers, a fresh set of brake cables, and fresh bar tape, since you've got to unwrap the bars in order to swap all this stuff out. A lot of work for a modest upgrade, but I guess that's how it goes...

These were ordered to pair with Tektro 857al v-brakes and Ritchey Venturemax flared bars, for singletrack use (not only gravel). These levers are easy to mount, and sit perfectly with the flared bars, with an added 20degs inboard slanting. Braking progression with v’s is superb, you can feather or lock the v's with confidence. Hoods are pretty standard, early 00s, medium volume, plenty of shaping for comfort, though for dropbar mtbs, I am rarely sitting on the hoods. More importantly, the alignment and customized shaping of the levers themselves is very good with the shallow-drop flares. The levers are relatively close to the drop position for excellent toggling and "touch."

I bought these so I could lose the old canti-brakes on my Surly gravel bike; I found adjusting them to be a pain in the rear, especially when swapping wheel sets. Anyway, these gave me the amount of cable pull I needed for v-brakes and let me keep drop bars on the bike, although I did have to move to bar-end shifters (the 105 brifters I had on the bike were pretty much shot anyway). These levers are sturdy, good looking, and reasonably priced, as are the Tektro m730 brakes I'm using with them.

I bought these because they were cheap and light. Once I got them on, they are great.The left one slid onto the bar as expected, but the right was shaped VERY wrong. Even with the connector unscrewed to its last bit of thread the end of the bar could not pass the slope of the brake lever's body. Its almost as if it was machined incorrectly. It took me about 2 hours whittling away at the plastic with a knife to get it onto the bar.I'm sure not every piece has this flaw, but its definitely something to be wary of.

I got these as part of a project in which I converted my mountain bike into a city bike. This was my first time installing new drop handlebar brakes, and I expected the process to be challenging. It wasn't, and that's largely thanks to the simple design of these brakes. They feel totally solid--way better than what I expected for the price. The thing I like the most about them is that they're super comfortable of riding on the hoods. I have large hands, and these provide me with the feel of bullhorn grips. And even with my hands on the hoods, I can still comfortably hit the brakes. It's a really good design.

I'm still dialing in the fit on the bars with these guys, and overall they're great for the price. Very sturdy. That said they're a bit narrow and on rides over 30 miles I'm noticing some pressure point issues that are leaving me feeling a bit bruised because of that narrowness. I'm trying to adjust fit to take some weight off my hands, but I'm not sure there'll ever be a perfect fit with the shape of these guys. An ultegra or 105 brifter is a more comfortable ergonomic choice, but easily 10x the price.

I used these for a drop bar conversion on my touring bike. The drive train is shimano deore xt so I used the microshift bar end and these levers paired with my Avid BB7 mountains. Worked like a charm, would definitely buy again