Customer Reviews

Shimano BL-R400 Road Drop Brake Levers Set (Black)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I WATCHED A BUNCH OF TUTORIALS ON BIKETUTOR.COM AND DECIDED THAT I COULD CHANGE OUT MY BRAKES ON MY ROAD BIKE. I AM NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED. I HAD THE OLD BRAKES OFF IN 5 MINUTES AND THESE ON IN 3 MINUTES. I LIKE THE LOOK, FEEL AND THE USE OF THEM. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE BRAKES AND THE EASE IN WHICH THEY CAN BE PUT ON A BICYCLE. ;)

What can I say? The levers look great and work. They have return springs and come with cables. You can buy similar levers by Tektro for a little less but if you include another purchase of cables with the Tektros it comes out about the same cost. Plus it's nice having the Shimano name on your bike. BTW: Niagara Cycle is a terrific dealer and highly recommended.

Well made set of levers. Nothing too fancy, but they do the job and they're solidly made. The rubber hoods are solid and fit well, something that tends to be lacking on cheaper levers. Length of pull is good, not too much else you can say about a product this simple!

These are perfectly adequate aero-style brake levers for your drop bars. As was mentioned in another review they do have an annoying rattle in the cable pivot mechanism if your cable is under light tension (or absent).

I have a pair of these on my fixed-gear road bike, even though I only run a single brake caliper, as I enjoy riding the hoods. The hoods are quite nice for the price and fit my medium hands well. The rubber is soft and grippy without being sticky, and the hood can be "swollen" for larger hands with the addition of bar tape under the hood.

The lever has a nice solid feel, unlike some of the cheaper stamped parts out there, and provides adequate feedback.

Looking through Shimano's part diagram it appears all parts of consequence are shared between the R600 and R400 levers, and I am unable to tell a difference between them when riding.

If you are not looking for an integrated shifter / brake lever set this is a great deal!

The levers are good, I used them on a (much beloved) restoration project, Specialized eighties steel frame road bike. They're way better than the cr*p levers I got in the recycle bin. Tight, nice curve when riding on the hoods. Unfortunately, there are these odd little plastic widgets set inside the lever itself that rise up with vibration and create a really irritating rattle. Not sure how to fix this other than yanking and discarding them. If this get's resolved (like, I find a shimano doc that says yoink them) I'll re-rate these a 5.

easy to install as long as you know what you're doing, they are lightweight and comfortable grips. Also comes with replacement cables, making the entire brake system new if you install these. I also recommend replacing the brake pads at the same time.

Bought a vintage road bike off craigslist and was looking to upgrade my brake levers. Could not be happier with the levers themselves, they look amazing and do the job they were designed for. Easy to install and came with new cables which I was not expecting. Definitely recommend these to anyone looking to replace their brake levers.

I am well-pleased with the price and the quality of this product. They are very comfortable and work flawlessly.