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  • How do safety levers work exactly?
  • When installed properly, what is their braking performance? What about when installed improperly?
  • What faults do they have?
  • How ergonomic are they? How good of a fit are they?
  • Are there any differences between 'vintage' and 'modern' safety levers?
  • How do they compare to interrupter/auxiliary levers?
  • Are they deserving of the term 'suicide levers'?

I've seen conflicting information in this post, this post, Sheldon-here, and here.

It seems answers range from "these work perfectly fine" to "you WILL die if you use these levers, not even God can save you whilst several layers of skin are being scraped from your face as you slide across the asphalt." Do they work or not?

Thinking of getting some since they look quite snazzy.

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  • If answers do not focus on the "Are there any differences between 'vintage' and 'modern' safety levers?" aspect (i.e. new developments in last decade, since those questions were asked), the question should be closed as duplicate. As far as safety leavers, you can argue your case either way, but they did not get the name suicide levers for no reason. Well adjusted levers on well adjusted brakes on true rims can be setup to work adequately. Most bikes do not meet the required maintenance for this to be reliable, up to you if your will.
    – mattnz
    Commented May 28, 2022 at 6:32
  • Except for a single forum post I cannot see anything that supports those levers. Ask the drawbacks are described at length in linked questions.
    – gschenk
    Commented May 28, 2022 at 10:42
  • This is quite a lot of questions in one post - you might be conflating more-modern interruptor levers with old-school safety levers, which do the same task but in a totally different way, Perhaps join Bicycles Chat for a more discussion-style approach.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented May 28, 2022 at 23:31

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As far as safety leavers, you can argue your case either way, but they did not get the name suicide levers for no reason. Well adjusted levers on well adjusted brakes on true rims can be setup to work adequately. Most bikes do not meet the required maintenance for this to be reliable, up to you if your will

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