Pad handles/levers?

Ken Bessler said:

On my Bianchi there are triangular shaped, plastic coated levers/handles on the brake pads. Can
anyone tell me what they are for?

Those are tire guides to expedite quick wheel changes.

Art Harris

Ken Bessler said:

On my Bianchi there are triangular shaped, plastic coated levers/handles on the brake pads. Can
anyone tell me what they are for?

They guide the tire in between the brake pads when changing a wheel. In the days of yore, before
Campagnolo invented these things, it was possible to dislodge a brake pad while making a quick wheel
change, since these brake pads are held only by a modest "dovetail" so that they can be replaced
easily without tools.

Jobst Brandt [email hidden]

"Ken Bessler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On my Bianchi there are triangular shaped, plastic coated levers/handles on the brake pads. Can
anyone tell me what they are for?

Hanging below the pad? That's the current version of the vestigal "wheel guide". In team racing,
that little protrusion (or its wire-bale atecedent) guides the tire so it won't hang up on a brake
pad when a wheel is thrown hurriedly into the bike by your service crew during a race.

For us mortals it is about as useful as the silly similarly-intended conical springs that mechanics
remove from their skewers and throw away.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971