Onza Chill Pills.
Front and back views of the hooked back yoke hangers.
Open and closed views of the early 80's dia compe roller hangers. One standard one jumbo.
Triangle hangers also known as Tri-dangles.
Front and back views of the hooked back yoke hangers.
A plethora of cantilever brake cable hangers spanning almost two decades.
Deep in the Weeds is our semi-regular column about bike wrenching, bike bits and getting your ride on. Written by our boy, Ben T. Spokes.
The early 1990’s introduced an era of exciting and colorful bicycle bits. Just about every part of the bike saw revised machining and anodizing, up to and including cantilever brake cable hangers. This was a cool way for a rider to personalize their bike and give it some added style.
Aesthetically, one of my favorite replacements is the Onza Chill Pills. While not actual “pills,” they were one remedy for cyclists in search of high performance and decorative bling for their bikes. One can only assume the name was derived from the phrase one person lays on another to let them know they need to chill out.
Chill Pills are a compact and concealing design with a very simple installation. The cable from the control lever feeds down through the small hole on the top of the unit. The straddle cable travels through the two slightly larger holes on the lower sides. The last and most important step is to insert the small allen head set screw into the threaded largest hole on the left side of the unit—this pinches the cable from the control lever. I like to use red locktite and ample torque when installing the set screw. If it vibrates loose after a few hours of riding your cable will pull right through the unit leaving you without brakes.
Comparatively, most hangers pretty much function the same when installed properly. It’s probably a good idea to not get too hung up on cable hangers. I’ve always been a fan of what works, what makes me stoked to ride and what makes my bike look fast.