Suicide brakes/bar top leavers

My wife is currently riding an old holdsworth mite bike, all original including the drop bars and standard weinman leavers.

She is strugging a little on the towpath with constant changing of hand position to brake and was asking about the old 'suicide' brakes she had on her silhouette when she was a teenager.

So should I pick up and fit a set of those or will she die horribly in a canal based accident if I do?

Or can I get a set of cross leavers for the bars that let the original levers stay or.....

Thanks
Gareth

I have suicide levers on one of my bikes.
They are fine to an extent.

But, I would just get a pair of cross tops from Condor for £20 and thread the two brakes on the same cable. Much safer and more effective,

I fitted cross lever to my gf's bike for the same reason, they had totally different ratio though so need the hands of a randy scaffolder to make them work.

That's wierd.
The cross tops I fitted on my gf's bike are uber sensitive.
Normal levers on the drops are a gradiated braking action, the cross tops respond sharply to the slightest touch.

fairly weirdish. mine were fitted to a Raleigh Wisp Mixte circa 1985, useable though, just not very powerful

Are you using them with single pivot brake Alkali?

I was Ed, but as the bike was nicked within a week of moving to London it's rather a moot point. It survived Glasgow for a few years, come down here and whammo!

Make sense, WjPrince is likely to be referring to dual pivot brakes which felt quite senisitive.

Thanks for all the advice...looks like Condor cross tops will be the way to go unless anyone has some very cheap/free/beer suicide brakes I could collect.,.

I have a pair of Specialized Cross Tops you are welcome to have - look very similar to the Condor ones and in perfect working order / let me know if you want them and can arrange collection / post / pigeon

Thanks to Dan I have a lovely set of cross top levers. (thanks again Dan)

Unfortunately when I offer then up to the bars the clamp diameter is too large for the old gb bars. I don't have measuring devices or tape to hand but at least 5mm visible gap at top and to left and right. Is this just too big a gap to shim and I should therefore look for different levers or can I cut up a beer can....?

Thanks

Gareth

assuming they're 31.8mm ('oversize'), and your bars are 25.4 or , you should be fine - It's not ideal, but as long as you get the right shim, keep them nice and tight and check that they aren't slipping around now and then all should be well.

Thanks Alfie - I have put out a plea for appropriate shims

Coke can shim ftw.
You have to make sure it is a Coca Cola can though, otherwise Lord Sebastian Coe is legally entitled to kick you up the arse.

That might explain my problem - my attempted Stella can shim was both raggedy, razor sharp and way too thin...

Actually, to try and shim out 6.4mm with a can might be a bit too much.

I would just sell the OS ones and get the right ones for your bars.
Might be a pain now but you would never have to think about it again, unlike trying to make the 31.8's fit where you would spend a life time tightening and rotating and adjusting.

Might come to that - but as the original ones were gifted to me it seems off to sell them - will see if anyone has the shims first...