Origin8 Brake Lever Rd Clasiq SPT Sl/Bk/Blk

Got these for a Surly Trucker rebuild. They look great with the Origin8 brown matched bar tape. I like the pitted levers, gives a retro look. Be careful when pushing in the release pin as it can fly out. I was able to get it back in but it was tricky.

The Origin 8 Classique levers are perfectly fine. They are Tektro products, but of an older (with less sideways bend to the lever) style. The reach is a little longer than the 2015-RL340 levers. The perforated aluminum is less slippery in the rain than the RL340. They aren't Drillium, but are a good substitute if you are looking for a little bit of that flavor.

I installed these levers on a custom 650B Randonneuse bike and paired them with vintage Mafac Raid centerpull brakes. They offer great leverage from the tops of the hoods, and the built in QR buttons are a big convenience, not only for removing the wheels but also for adjusting the brakes. I like the drillium look and light weight. I also like that they are very similarly shaped to classic Campagnolo Record brifters (minus the shift levers) which are legendary for comfort. I often use 90s era Shimano 600 or Ultegra levers on my builds and these are cheaper, more comfortable, offer increased leverage and look almost as nice. I went down on ice at high speed recently and scratched up my levers pretty badly--they took 90% of the damage from the slide, but remained completely functional which allowed me to continue my ride. I replaced them with an identical pair, just for cosmetic reasons. I highly recommend them for classic builds. Also don't be a dummy like me and pronounce them "origin eight." It's "originate!"

Works great, looks great. The holes on the levers give you a bit more traction. I was worried about that, but a foggy wet morning didn't cause any issues with slipping.

Arrived without a clamp for one of the levers. Other than that, seems like it’ll work OK. Good looking, especially for that ‘vintage look’ on a racing green singlespeed. Hood color matches antique brown Brooks saddle perfectly. Can’t speak to functionality; might have something to do with the fact that I CANNOT ATTACH ONE OF THE LEVERS TO MY HANDLEBAR. Hopefully, I can dredge another clamp from my parts bin. I don’t want to have to go through the rigmarole of contacting the company and or returning, etc. We’ll see. UPDATE: Levers are now installed and functional, thanks to the seller, Bicycle Addiction, which sent me a replacement clamp. As it turns out, no other stand-in clamp worked. Major ‘props’ to this outfit; they shipped out the replacement in two days, without questions/hassle. Levers work great, which is more than I can say for Origin8 bar tape. Yikes.

These were so easy to install and look great.

The pins on these are fixed and don't function as a quick release, so be sure to use these with a caliper brake that has a quick release built into them. The springs on these are really lightweight. In fact, they just feel cheap throughout. A little too light, a little too insubstantial. I feel the Tektro 340's I have on another fixed gear bike are better built with quick release pins that work with my Campy Chorus brakes (no quick release on the caliper arms), are built solid, and cost less than these.

I knocked off a star because I have been using the similar, non-drilled, Tektro version for many years. These feel just slightly cheaper all around for some reason. The hand platform is narrower and not as welcoming for larger hands, but that might be a positive for those of you with smaller hands. Anyway, still a great product.