What’s up with the HED Third Break Lever?
I don’t think I have ever seen a review, ran across a photo of a bike with one installed or even seen one in the classifieds being offloaded for cheap.
Would using one be like starting the swim wearing water wings?
Anyone use one with good or bad feedback?
Thanks,
Travis
www.dumbfocus.com
Try using the search function, it’s been discussed several times. I personally had it, liked it for a while, then dumped it as at my racing level, it wouldn’t really make any difference if I used it or got up and used the regular brakes.
Mine is in the mail. I’ll post pics when I get all my goodies installed (Shiftmate 5 and SRAM dérailleur because I’m too cheap to get the SRAM barcons).
I use it off and on, wrote a review here: http://socalttseries.com/...bid/143/Default.aspx
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I ordered one yesterday. From what I understand its more for scrubbing speed rather than stopping. I live in an area with lot6s of short but steep hills so I’m hoping it will help keep the speed reasonable on the downhills. I think for stopping power both are better than just one.
I think it is a good idea for doing group rides where everyone is using aerobars. It would seem safer to have the ability to slow down without having to adjust your position first.
The LBS’s that I deal with are very negative about it. Their thought process is that you shouldn’t be riding on your aerobars in a group anyway, so why should you need it?
Most serious triathlete cyclist are able ride safely in small groups where everyone is on the aerobars. Having to change position to slow down probably increases the chance of a crash.
I have the 3rd brake lever attached to my rear caliper. I installed it because I was hit by a car turning into my lane. I was on my aerobars and could not brake fast enough to avoid a collision. I know it won’t always help in a situation like that, but I like being able to slow down without coming out of the aero position.
I raced on a very hilly course a few weeks ago and being able to slow on the steep down hills and before turns was also comforting (I live in Savannah, so I’m not used to steep hills. If you are comfortable doing 40+mph on a down hill you might not need to brake).
The weight is minimal.
I can make sharp turns and not come off the aerobars.
I can come to a complete stop using just the 3rd brake lever and if I move my left hand to that lever, I can stop even faster (on carbon tubulars).
Is it necessary? Probably not, but it is a good piece of gear and I plan to keep using mine.
I hope this helps.
I started using the HED 3rd brake this year and found it rather useful and faster/easier than reaching over to the base bar brake levers. I did a half IM a couple weeks ago and was able to stay in the aero position the entire race, including all turns. Who knows if it made me any faster, but I felt it did make the bike slightly easier because I wasn’t needing to switch positions on the turns. I use the brake on the front wheel, which I find to be far better than the rear. The brake has about 75% of the leverage of the regular brake, so a high speed sharp turn could become rather scary using only this brake. The brake will not make you a better bike handler, so don’t assume because you have one that you can initiate turns at 25 mph and come out the other side still riding your bike : )
I put a HED 3rd brake lever on the left aerobar for the front brake. I love it. I live in the mountains so I get lots of wind and speed combined. I use it alot in 20mph winds at speeds over 30mph downhill. This way I don’t need to sit up to use the regular brakes which allows me to better control the bike in the wind. No need to sit up and take a blast of wind in the chest when you are trying to avoid the wind at high speeds.
I can use it to stop at corners without coming out of aero or slow for curves, etc. Its a helpful tool, not going to make you faster I don’t think.
Right now its on my training bike. I’ll be getting another one for my race bike before my next race.
Ive been using a 3rd brake lever for six months, and have some good, bad things to say:
The good stuff:
-ok for emergencies if someone pulls out in front of you, etc
-great for cornering downhill, lets you slow before corners while staying aero. I find i dont use it much, but i can stay in my bars knowing it is there.
The bad stuff
-its more of a “slower downer” than a true brake. For reasons totally lost to me, the normally great engineers at HED got the lever ratios all wrong, so its impossible to fully pull the break- you only get about half of a normal pull length. Stupid design error. so you cant pull very hard at all before the lever bottoms out.
-NEVER EVER use this in a paceline or group ride. You NO QUESTION cant slow down fast enough to avoid crashes. I crashed just last weekend because of this problem- i was down in my aero bars being lazy at the back, and when the group started to brake bc they had missed a turn, i plowed into someone and had a bad crash. Never ever do this.
-the cable splice unit where the cables join is very sticky- sometimes when you pull the 3rd brake, it doesnt retract and you have to use the other brake lever to retract it.
-I think the biggest risk is that this gives a false sense of security- its NOT a real brake, so dont think that it is!
That being said, im leaving my on for racing downhill usage…i will probably switch it to the front wheel…but NEVER use it during a group ride!
Noah
Is HED the only one making a third brake lever?
One thing I don’t like about being in aerobars is the inability to scrub speed without moving a hand to the brake lever…scary at best on fast decents or in aero position, period. I’d love to put one on, but would like to hear more.
Wow, does this mean they can be broken three times? Awesome warrenty 
Thanks everyone for the replies, these were just the type of reviews I was looking for.
Travis
“Most serious triathlete cyclist are able ride safely in small groups where everyone is on the aerobars. Having to change position to slow down probably increases the chance of a crash.”
While I agree with your LBS, and disagree with your statement that it is possible to ride safely in a paceline in the aerobars, I would imagine that if you were going to ride in a paceline in the bars, the worst case scenario would be for some of them to have a 3rd brake and some not.
[ disagree with your statement that it is possible to ride safely in a paceline in the aerobars,
Did I say paceline? No, I said small group. Big difference.
A paceline a very tight formation with rapid turnover from front to back. Close order is maintained at all times to maximize drafting.
The smal groups that I am talking about are 3-6 cyclists who know each other. There is some partial drafting, but usually more space between bikes. Turnover is not as rapid as in a roady paceline. The group is not very crowded so that each cyclist can see the road ahead.
For reasons totally lost to me, the normally great engineers at HED got the lever ratios all wrong, so its impossible to fully pull the break- you only get about half of a normal pull length.
…
the cable splice unit where the cables join is very sticky- sometimes when you pull the 3rd brake, it doesnt retract and you have to use the other brake lever to retract it.
Are you sure you have the “slider” in the splitter adjusted properly? I have no problem pulling the brake all the way nor do I have any problem with the lever retracting.
I’ve not had the “sticky” problem at all. Mine feels just like a regular brake lever, returns fully each time and pulls all the way in to affect a full stop (albiet a slow one. The lever is very short so the torque is not as great.)
Having spent a bunch of time trying to make mine “less sticky” i think what matters is this- the key is to get the “join” (cable splice unit thing) to happen along a straight section of cable housing…my first install was around a gentle bend of housing, and the bend was causing the slide mechanism to bind slightly…then the break shoes wouldnt retract all the way…
if i tapped the regular brake though it created enough tension to reseat the brake pads.