Tektro R200/Cane Creek SCR-5 vs Sram S500

Anyone ridden both types on the same bike for direct comparison?

My new bars are on the way and I thought I might just sell the old ones taped up with the R200 levers on there but not sure what to get this time round. Is the braking any better with the S500s? I find the R200s pretty comfy on the hoods, they're cheaper and I like the fact they have a return spring as one lever will be dormant at times. What would anyone reccomend?

whichever one feels most comfortable when mounted on your bars

there are fixes for the return spring issue

how they look is not important

i use the s900's

Yeah, I'm not that fussed about looks other than wanting a silver lever blade. I think they both look pretty nice and I've had a feel of my mates SRAM equipped bike which feels pretty comfy. Only thing I've been unable to compare is braking performance.

mainly down to calipers/pads

Yeah, I got BB7s and I'm just about to upgrade the pads so I guess I'll be as well to stick with the Tektros, sell the bars without levers n save the extra money towards a new chainset.

Cheers guys

there are fixes for the return spring issue

could you please elaborate? I am thinking of using s500's in a cockpit, but one lever is just rattling

• Theres no spring in the s500's (unlike shimano or tektro levers) so if your only using one brake the other lever rattles about, you can loop a bit of innner tube over the body of the brake and the blade, then pop the hood back over
  
  

I love the shape and look of the s500 - but like with most STI style levers, it increases the reach because they are longer than standard aero levers. I prefer the cane creek/ tektro shaped one. (Also, i thought tektro stopped making the r200, and only make the rl340 ugly ass lever now?)

Campag Athena. Comfortable, classy looking and sprung.

I'm sure I've heard of someone using a biro spring on here for the S500 but I can't find the thread.

Unfortunately Tektro have stopped making the R200 but they still come up on eBay sometimes.

Don't think Campag do a single speed lever do they? Not really in the market for spending big bucks on lever/shifters and then pulling them apart.

Don't think Campag do a single speed lever do they? Not really in the market for spending big bucks on lever/shifters and then pulling them apart.

These. Nice, but pricey.

Out of my price range and I'm after silver lever blades but they might work for someone else. They look bloody similar to the R200s. Wonder if Campagnolo copied their design? :)

I'm sure I've heard of someone using a biro spring on here for the S500 but I can't find the thread.

Unfortunately Tektro have stopped making the R200 but they still come up on eBay sometimes.

Don't think Campag do a single speed lever do they? Not really in the market for spending big bucks on lever/shifters and then pulling them apart.

Condor branded levers are the R200s. Not sure if they still have stock.

Does anyone know what hoods the R200/CaneCreek levers take? I'm thinking it might be a campag hood of some kind.

Only replacement hoods I know of are the Cane Creek ones. Pretty sure Campag won't fit.

Spoke to Condor and they no longer do the R200 version in silver. They have new ones which i'd guess will be rebranded R340s.

On phone so can't be arsed to find but go to my Leader 725 current project
Someone put info and.links in there RE Biro spring.

Spoke to Condor and they no longer do the R200 version in silver. They have new ones which i'd guess will be rebranded R340s.

Ah, that's a pity.

I have R340s currently and don't really get on with them. They're long and don't offer a level hood.

Yeah, I can only imagine Campagnolo threatened to do them over a patent coz the R200s are so much better. Weird how the Cane Creek ones are still available tho. Maybe it's just coz they've always been overpriced.

for anybody interested:

So today I've taken delivery of these lovely levers courtesy of Mr b'jammin.

Like all half decent levers they are sans return spring. I was contemplating getting some S900s at some point so had this in mind...

Anyway, had a go tonight and it's worked quite well.

I gutted a biro for the spring (kept the parts though, could be a restoration project in the future).

Inserted a brake outer cable ferrule into the hole from the back and threaded a cable through:

Trimmed the cable down a bit after trying the spring for size

Compressed the spring and crimped a cable end on. This picture shows how relatively unobtrusive it is with the hood back in place.

Here's gravity being defeated by a biro spring

And for further proof it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWqVJP8Owh4

(I did have to test it a full six times in case you ask)

I'll be trying it out on the clacton ride on sat so the proof will be then. If I pulled the lever hard it would definitely pop the cable end off, but I suppose I'd rather damage that than my lever! Plus, I'm used to riding with one connected lever only anyway.

genius.

A little bump here. If I buy cane creek SCR-5 levers for my bontrager VR-C bars do I need to buy SCR-5C (compact) levers or the normal ones? Thanks!

you can buy either, the compact levers just have less reach to the levers, not really the same thing as the 'compact' in the bars which refers to the depth of the drop. I'd get the regular unless you have really small hands/are a girl.

Okay thanks!
I thought for example with the shape from the bars on the photo, your levers are far away when you're riding in the drops. Further away then with a classic dropbar.

Bump.

I'm looking for some Tektro r200s or Cane Creek SCR-5 levers (in silver preferably).

Let me know if you've any spare.

Are the R200, the SCR-5, and the Soma Aero Levers all the same size since Tektro makes all of them?