Shimano Mechanical Brake Levers for MTB and Hybrid Bike

Posted at: Apr 5, 2023

Shimano mechanical brake levers are now few and far between. The following is a summary of the current model lineup, specifications, and compatible components.

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Shimano Mechanical Brake Levers for MTB and Hybrid Bike

Table of contents

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Shimano brake levers are shifting to hydraulic

Shimano’s brake levers for MTB and hybrid bikes are shifting toward hydraulic disc brakes not only in the higher grades, but also in the lower grades, leaving mechanical brake levers with few options.

The only Shimano mechanical brake levers that remain in current models are brake levers for flat-bar road use and some MTB-oriented components.

Shimano’s mechanical brake levers for road bike components

Shimano’s road-oriented components have a strong image of STI levers, in which the brake and shifter are integrated into a single unit, but in fact, Shimano also offers a wide lineup of mechanical brake levers.

Although the wire pulls are different between road calipers and V-brake/mechanical disc calipers, the mechanical brake levers of Shimano’s road bike components are equipped with a switching adjuster, so they can be used with either type of brake.

BL-4700 (TIAGRA)

TIAGRA grade mechanical brake levers for road use. This is the highest grade mechanical brake lever currently available.

It has a switchable wire clamp and can be used with a wide range of brakes, from V-brakes to rim brakes for road use.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-4700 TIAGRA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

BL-R3000 (SORA)

This mechanical brake lever has the same look and feel as the SORA version of the BL-4700, with SORA’s all-black coloring, making it ideal for those who want to unify their products in black.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-R3000 SORA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

BL-3500 (SORA)

A mechanical brake lever from a previous version of BL-R3000. The object would be the same as BL-R3000.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-3500 SORA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

BL-R2000 (CLARIS)

Entry-level CLARIS mechanical brake levers for road use. The design and specs are the same as the higher grade BL-4700 and BL-R3000, but the coloring is the CLRAIS gray color.

It is also cosmetically appealing, as it can be purchased for less than $30 in actual sales.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-R2000 CLARIS 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

BL-2400 (CLARIS)

One version before BL-R2000. It is equivalent to BL-R2000 in design and function.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-2400 CLARIS 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎

Mechanical brake levers for Shimano MTB components

BL-T4000(ALIVO)

This mechanical brake lever is the only one of Shimano’s current MTB components with a two-finger design, as is typical of MTB components. It is not compatible with rim brakes and cantilever brakes.

The price is reasonable at around $20, making it the mechanical brake lever of choice for upgrading the brake levers on hybrid bikes and minivelos.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-T4000 ALIVO 2 ◎ ◎ - -

Shimano Mechanical Brake Lever Comparison

Finally, let’s compare the current Shimano mechanical brake levers we have seen so far.

Model Grade Finger V-Brake Mechanical Disc Brake Rim Brake (NEW SUPER SLR) Cantilever Brake
BL-4700 TIAGRA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
BL-R3000 SORA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
BL-3500 SORA 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
BL-R2000 CLARIS 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
BL-2400 CLARIS 2.5 ◎ ◎ ◎ ◎
BL-T4000 ALIVO 2 ◎ ◎ - -

Basically, the following points should be kept in mind

  1. mechanical brake levers for road can be used with both road and MTB components
  2. for MTB can only be used with MTB brakes

The only other differences are the fingers and coloring.

Prices differ depending on the grade, but there are no major differences in functionality, so you can decide based on your budget and preferred coloring while checking compatibility with calipers.

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Disc brake guide

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Disc brake-equipped road bikes have been on the rise in the past few years. "For those who want to try out disc brakes but don't want to buy a new bike, we've put together a list of the parts you'll need to buy disc brakes and the points to keep in mind when buying.

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Types of Disc Brakes for Road Bikes

This page summarizes the types of disc brakes that can be installed on road bikes. Differences in mechanisms, rotors, and wheels/frames to install.

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Summary of mechanical disc brake calipers for road use

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For those considering upgrading their MTB

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