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Don’t how to describe this but I’ve bought a kit off AliExpress (after seeing a video by Trace Velo). You basically use your existing shifter and cable brake lever with the cable going into a barrel that converts the cable pull into a hydraulic pressure with the brakes and hose supplied.
IIIPRO Bicycle mechanical line pull brake converted to hydraulic brake modified parts
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EQ50keE
Here’s a link to Trace Velo’s YouTube video and the item is at 11mins
Has anyone seen this or actually used it?
Juin Tech do a similar kit to do the same thing. I bought one a couple of years ago but then decided to buy another bike with hydraulic brakes, so my Juin Tech kit is un-opened/un-used!
I must get around to flogging it....
What's the nature of your Juin Tech kit? Post mount, road pull? Might be interested. I'd been thinking of posting about how you don't hear about these lash-ups much now, presumably because people have bought into full hydro set-ups.
The Giant Conduct system he mentions there works pretty well - we put a set on my daughter's bike. No reason why these wouldn't work equally well, but I do wonder where you'd put them.
I haven't used that particular set up by I did use the TRP HY/RD ones and they were pretty good, certainly better than any cable operated set ups that I have used but not quite as good as a full hydraulic system, but for the cost worth it in my opinion.
One thing to definitely do though is to use compression less outers, makes a difference.
I bought a giant conduct stem cheap and some cheapy shimano callipers off eBay with the intention of changing my CX bike over from BB5s before winter.
Not sure if/when I’ll get round to fitting it, but I do just like the idea of such simple mechanical to hydraulic converters and the wider options they give you for levers…
I had cable brakes and hated them on a gravel bike.
I bought the hope system.
https://road.cc/content/review/93070-hope-v-twin-hydraulic-disc-brake-converter
They were better than cable brakes, but a lot less good than MTB hydro brakes.
I solved my problem by selling the gravel bike and buying a mountain bike with a rigid fork and half decent hydro brakes.
Cheers all.
It’s my fault really, the wife is always moaning about how much I spend, so as I was buying the bike on the C2W scheme (and I only use it cycling to work),I thought I’ll save £200 by getting lower spec gear and mechanical brakes - that’s the last time I listen to her moaning and feel guilty about it 🙂
What solution is the most aesthetically attactive? The one in the OP looks pretty ugly under the bar tape on the Aliexpress link but I imagine you'd want to keep the cable as short as possible so not sure there's anywhere better to mount it.
Juin Tech do a similar kit to do the same thing.
We've had the Juin tech on a couple of bikes for a good few years now; wife's commuter which has been flogged day in day out, and my spare cx bike. Never had any issues with them and they work quite well, good bit of kit.
Do they look similar to one I posted?
Do they look similar to one I posted?
Not entirely no, both the Juin tech ones and TRP ones have all the hydraulic parts incorporated into the caliper and then just a normal run of cable to the caliper.
Don't faff around with those awful looking converter things. Just use the juin tech calipers or replace the shifters with hydraulic ones IMO.
What solution is the most aesthetically attactive? The one in the OP looks pretty ugly under the bar tape on the Aliexpress link but I imagine you'd want to keep the cable as short as possible so not sure there's anywhere better to mount it.
I presume you could just leave them floating? Depends whether it's an open or closed system I suppose and whether it would be sensitive to how it was orientated. If it was a closed or a bladder type reservoir then It wouldn't be too bad just leaving them flapping in the wind, or 3D print something to hold them together under the stem, at least on UK bikes that'd work, on the rest of the world you're kinda stuffed as the left lever cable has to bend round to the left fork blade.
I'd been thinking of posting about how you don't hear about these lash-ups much now, presumably because people have bought into full hydro set-ups.
Given the cost of modern bifters, being able to trickle down upgrades between bikes without having to shell out for a whole drivetrain just to match them isn't a bad thing.
I run Microshift SB-M110 levers on my monstercross, specifically designed to shift 1x11 Shimano MTB mechs across a wide range cassette, because gear compatibility across my bikes is my most important criteria. I like swapping stuff about. Contrary to some of the posts above, well set-up cable disks work fine.
I've always thought these hybrid cable/hydro setups are the worst of both worlds - all the friction associated with a long cable run, coupled with lack of serviceability, potential leaks etc in a hydraulic caliper. I also wonder how the latter deal with heat given there's less fluid in the system.
But I'd like to try a set out if someone's flogging them cheap...!
just fit decent inners/outers and prepare them properly. decent mechanical brakes are plenty good enough IMO. cable/hydros are the worst of both worlds. amazed they still exist.
I have juin tech on gravel bike it is about 7 years old now, daily commute and gravel use, they have been excellent. Have some on a road bike too. Not as good as full hydro but a lot lot better than cable disks.
just fit decent inners/outers and prepare them properly. decent mechanical brakes are plenty good enough IMO. cable/hydros are the worst of both worlds. amazed they still exist.
They fix the main problem of mechanical disc brakes by not requiring regular adjustment as the pads wear down and are massively better than single piston mechanical callipers which come on cheap bikes.
I haven't tried these, but the Giant system seems like a much better system than running cables down to the dropouts. AIUI, the Giant system only works with a Giant brand stem - it seems to replace the faceplate of the stem. Surely, it would be fairly easy to cut out a sheet of aluminium plate and drill the bolt pattern of the stem faceplate to use as a mount. You could just cut a hole the diameter of your steerer tube and mount it under the stem.