Dia Compe BL07 road brake lever

Take away all the gear-selecting gubbins and a road brake lever is just a big hinge covered in rubber, really. Dia Compe's BL07 is more stripped back than most, a traditionally shaped lever with a narrow profile and internal cable routing. It'll do the job just fine on your singlespeed or retro build. Just don't expect any bells or whistles at this kind of money. Or too much padding.

Fitting the BL07 is pretty simple; you can loosen and tighten the clamp via a slot in the lever. Once in place it's solid enough, and the lever comes with a rounded ferrule to locate the cable outer in the right place. Once it's all set up you can pull the lever, and the brake comes on. It's not rocket science, is it? The BL07 does the job just fine though, I have mine set up with 105 callipers and there's plenty of stopping power for bike and rider. The alloy lever blades fall easily to hand from either the hoods or the drops, and there's not too much play in the pivot.

You can't expect miracles for not much more than a tenner though, and the small narrow profile is a bit of a shock when you're switching from a big, plush, integrated lever. There's not much padding either so they're not the most comfortable, meaning I was shifting position more than I would be on STI or Ergo levers. Plenty of cash left for the cake stops though, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Verdict

Inexpensive and functional levers for your singlespeed or retro build.