Brake hose?

[njg02]

Are they all the same?
I have avid elixer brake levers and the indent is gone to hold them back. They always flick forward and are hard for my arthritic hands to reach.
Can I use shimano or other brand levels with the avid calipers? Or has someone got an easy fix for what I have now?
Thanks.

[Duck!]

The hose has nothing to do with your problem.

You cannot under any circumstance use Shimano, Tektro or Magura brake levers with Avid calipers, as those systems use mineral oil in the brake system, where Avid use automotive DOT fluid. The internals of the various brake systems are made to handle their specific type of brake fluid, and using them with the wrong stuff will lead to brake failure.

Additionally, it is never wise to mix brands of lever and caliper, even if they're designed for the same fluid, as the master & slave cylinder dimensions are designed together for proper piston advancement, and using mismatched components will affect brake performance.

Stick with Avid/SRAM (Avid are a part of the SRAM group, the Avid name is being phased out but they're the same) levers; the newer models are better-designed than the Elixir series, and retain full compatibility with those calipers.

[trailgumby]

The best fix for Avid/SRAM reliability issues is to bin them and switch to Shimano.

Avid/SRAM/Rockshox make great shocks and forks, but despite being in the hydraulic brakes game for about as long, still seem unable to make a reliable set of brakes. Some folks get good ones. Too many don't.

Perhaps a secondhand set of ceramic piston Shimano M785 (or later) brakes would be worthwhile? You can adjust bite point and lever stroke independently.