What are the Types of Aluminum Brake Levers?

Aluminum bicycle brake lever

There are two broad categories into which almost all brake levers fall: those that are designed for use with drop handle bars (also called "drop" or "hood" levers), and those that are designed to be used with flat or upright handles (also known as "flat" or "stem" levers). There is a further distinction between those that work with cable-actuated brakes, like V-Brakes or Caliper Brakes, and those that work with hydraulic disc brakes.

Those that work with cable-actuated brakes tend to be either long-pull or short-pull, with the differences between the two primarily a matter of how much cable they pull for a given movement of the lever. Long-pull levers have a greater distance between the point at which they pivot and the end of the cable, and so pull more cable for a given movement of the lever. They are typically used with Road Caliper Brakes and some V-Brakes. Short-pull levers have a shorter distance between the pivot and the end of the cable, and they work with Road Caliper Brakes and cantilever brakes.

Hydraulic brakes are powered by pistons in the brake calipers that push hydraulic fluid through the brake hose when the lever is squeezed. This fluid then presses the brake pads together against the brake rotor. Some hydraulic systems have a self-adjusting feature that prevents the brake pads from pushing out until they reach an immovable object or each other, but in many cases swapping between wheelsets on a hydraulically-operated bicycle may cause air to get into the system and require a brake bleed.