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Æro brake levers
Refers to brake levers made for drop handlebars. Older designs had the cables exit up from the front of the brake levers, arching over the handlebars. The newer style, where the cable exits out the back of the lever and runs under the handlebar tape, is referred to as "æro" because it eliminates the wind drag of the exposed cables.
Æro levers are generally an improvement over the older type. The pivots are located differently, making it possible to get fairly serious braking wtih the rider's hand on top of the lever hood. Non-æro levers would permit the use of this position for gentle deceleration only.
Æro brake levers usually have more mechanical advantage, which is good in general, but may cause problems when they are used with cantilever or drum brakes that require more cable than conventional calipers.
In France, exposed brake cables remained popular longer than elsewhere, because French cyclists sometimes like to transport baguettes home from the boulangerie by resting them crosswise across the brake hoods. The cables help hold the loaves in position.
