Avid Speed Dial 7 levers. Can I use them for a road application?

[Nobody]

Has anyone tried using Avid SD7s for the short pull application of road mechanical disc brakes? Do they work well?
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/bl-sd-7-a1

If these work well for a road application by winding the red knob all the way in for leverage, I would prefer to use them. This is because I would like to have the ability to swap them between flat bar road and MTB bikes if I need to. But if not, I'll buy specific flat bar road levers. An answer will save me mucking around and testing it out for myself before making a purchase.

[baabaa]

Yup work well with bb7 road and guess just as well with the bb7 mtn ( but I only tried them with very long housings)
I think the bb7 was built around speed dial 7 levers than people started using them with drop bar levers.
The set up and dial and adjust on the go is so easy
Been using them with 10 speed microshift thumbies and front and rear road derailleurs
Would post a pic but this place is just too hard

[Nobody]

Thanks baabaa. Going to use them with TRP Spyre on the front and Shimano road disc caliper on the back. Although I think I still have a BB7 road caliper somewhere. Still using BB7 MTB on the MTB.

Microshift thumbies sound like a good idea too. Might look into them as well.

[baabaa]

They should work well with both...
Old pics but you get the idea. This set up is far better for this bike as a flat bar than drops, easier to ride and just more fun to sit up
- so with bb7 road so small action/ narrower at pads The microshift shifters are smooth and very simple



and with long cable housing - was testing out a surly open bar on my ss - went back to my midge drop bars which just feel right on this bike- so bb7 mtn so wider action/gap at pads


Have you seen these..

Surly Corner Bar, run flat bar / mtn brake levers and shifters in a drop bar style. Good idea!!

[Nobody]

Thanks for the pics.

Does the Microshift thumbies have a friction mode?

https://surlybikes.com/blog/the_surly_c ... _handlebar
The Surly Corner bar looks interesting and reminds me of the bull horn style bars, without the need for time trial style brake levers. It's a good idea for those moving toward wanting a more drop position for a MTB. I'm moving away from drops to a flat bar because the main bike I ride now is a MTB and so I'm changing the road/path bike to a flat bar to get closer to the same position. An aero position isn't essential to me and even when I used to ride a lot of flatter roads at my old house near Sydney Olympic Park, I hardly ever used the drops. Most of the time I was on the hoods and found the brake leverage there to be less than adequate in some circumstances. Now I'm up at Hornsby on a ridge line and so more short steep hills and less flat land riding. The flat bar should give me a better braking position and leverage, with a more comfortable standing position.

[baabaa]

The flat bar should give me a better braking position and leverage, with a more comfortable standing position.

Yup the width also helps with hills
and yes they can go to friction but via an allen key - they dont have a D ring like shimano bar end shifters
Um FWIW i bought both the two sets of speed dials and the shifters via AliExpress and some "shops" have the Double 11 shopping festival on for the 11 th of Nov with what seems to be good discounts, like
https://chinabike.aliexpress.com/store/ ... 2c55vIVNAx

maybe worth a look if you are in no rush

[Nobody]

Thanks for the idea baabaa.

Fortunately this time my work has given me a significant sum over time in reward points, which I intend to cash in on eBay vouchers. So effectively this cockpit change will be free for me and hopefully delivered reasonably quickly if I can choose some local suppliers. Can't complain.

[baabaa]

Oh and...another option is the old moustache bars for Movember - I swapped back from wood chipper bars to these last month, you just use the same brake levers you have.
Maybe not so good if you have brifters

[Nobody]

Thanks. Once again, a good idea and I do have those style of road style brake levers (Shimano brand). But I just ordered all the stuff for the flat bar conversion today, so...