Ok, I need a bit of advice about my brakes. They are formula r1’s and I’m mostly very happy with them. They feel good, are plenty powerful and have nice little red bits on them. The problem is that they don’t wind in close enough to the bar, nowhere near in fact.

Would it be a really bad idea to bend them a bit to get them where I want them? Any other suggestions? I’ve got plenty of spare spoons if needed…

Stw do your worst

what do you mean? The clamp?

edit: I get you know. The lever.

I guess you could take the levers off and modify them. I wouldn’t do it while they are still attached to the cylinder body.

I guess you mean bend the lever? Can’t see why it won’t work if they’re alloy as it’s fairly soft. You thought about bringing the bite point out a bit then outting a spacer or something inbetween the lever and the body? No idea if that’d work but it might be worth a try.

Andyl, yeah that’s what I thought

Sambob, can’t picture what you mean…

Dangerous

Never mind, i’ve just realised what i suggested doesn’t make sense in any way what so ever, the lever pivot would have to be outboard of the piston to make my suggestion work. Sorry, long day.

Cynic-al, hah! You need to take responsibility for inspiring al us bodgers!

It worked anyway, sorry everyone

mmm, I have same isssue (stumpy fingers !!) Only thing I could think of was after market levers. ( Mine have carbon levers so can’t bend).

Think its the only solution.. unless something could be done to make the threaded rod that goes into the piston longer (Or is it shorter in which case it wont work)

wtf?

fit these

http://www.silverfish-uk.com/products/1713-formula_instant_reach_adjust_ira.php?r=1m3d0b0s372

cynic-al – Member

Dangerous

LOL

More so than a brake mount fashioned out of a spoon?

Bending brake levers to get them in the right position for you is old hat, many many pro’s bikes over the years have had this done. I remember seeing one of the Atherton’s DH bikes when they first signed to Commencal had the Shimano XT brake levers severely straightened from their original position.

That said, I’ve never come across a brake I couldn’t wind in close enough to the bar before, in fact all the ones I’ve owned you could make the bite point actually happen as the lever touched the handlebar (ie. way too late even if your hands are no bigger than a pixies!)

The alloy lever will probably work harden after a slight bend, then will significantly weaken.

LOL mboy! NO doubt you are being hilarious but it was 4mm plate steel!

slowrider – Member
It worked anyway, sorry everyone

Aluminium has a “low fatigue life” or whatever, and what I’ve seen of formulas does not inspire me that they use the best materials (I could be wrong).

Dirtyrider, that solution has a rather unfortunate anacronym…

dirtyrider, the reach is already adjustable with an allen key so i dont think changing it for a dial would make it any more likely to work.

so the general consensus is that at some point when im braking hard my levers will now snap and i will die?

Your red bits are actually pink

YOUR red bits are actually pink, mine are red (for now)

Do it.

It’ll definitely make you faster either way

cynic-al – Member
Dangerous

chapeau 😆
do they really not have adjustable reach? avid and hope do I have not used owt else.
Poor design if they dont
I suspect you could bend them and think you would need to be pulling pretty hard to break them and I assume have locked out both wheels and gone over the bars. You may as well fly through the air with you levers in you hands at this point

Crash on the right, then on the left that should do it.

But I’d pop along to a man that can instead.