Just looking at the new MBR front cover. These brake levers look to be mounted really really inboard. Presumably this is to allow one finger braking on the "notch" of the lever. Does it mean you have to alter your grip to shift gear???? Looks like it but surely not?!?!?!
That's what I do as it allows for more leverage with 1 finger. It's not really that much of a pain to move your hand a bit to shift.
Have you seen the image on the cover? Yours are like that?
put shifters in between levers and grips - simples
Its less about [i]to allow one finger braking on the "notch" of the lever[/i] and more about making it so you can hold onto the bar with 2/3 fingers yet still brake - and also not 'trap' fingers on the bar 'cos you can set the lever closer.
Have you seen the image on the cover? Yours are like that?
Not seen it but I thought it was pretty common practice to have them in a bit. Mine are about an inch or two away from the edge of the grip, then shifters inboard from them.
put brake and gears so you dont move your wirsts to operate them 🙂
I've noticed this trend too and am experimenting with a gap. May try the grip/gear/gap/brake setup this weekend, always one to copy others 🙄
My other half has his set like that, large gap for one finger braking.
Fashion.
Always set my levers inboard of the grips. Otherwise I be pulling on the lever closer to the pivot than the end, which would be crazy.
it's not fashion, it's function
more powerful brakes, more fingers on the bars, more control
I thought MBR just did things like that to see how many people follow - M B Baaaaaaa.
seems to be a requirement with new shape brake levers :
[url] http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/who-rides-with-their-brakes-inboard-of-shifters-shimano-xt-content [/url]
also you can move the 2 bolt shifters across the 3 bolt positions, makes setting the (inboard) brakes easier
I don't know why anyone builds bikes up with the brakes outboard now that discs allow one finger braking.
Moved my shifters between brake and grip at the weekend, massive improvement. Bit daft really as I did the 90km SPAM ride without more than a whizz around the car park test. But it was brilliant, pretty much brake and change gear at the same time.
Although the current XT shifters have an annoying ridge on them that assumes that you will run them inboard of the brake levers.
I tend to run fairly large gap due to my freakishly large hands it gives me a bit more space and allows the brake lever to fall into a more natural position for me at least.
How about Shimano coming up with a design that would allow braking and shifting from a single unit? I'm sure it would be an instant success 😉
Its handy this way if you have avid juicy 3 brakes - it means you can set it up so that when you brake you don't crush the fingers holding the bar with the brake lever.
mine are inboard, it helps with leverage 🙂
This is how I have mine set up, works well for me
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Cheers, Rich
yup got mine all set up for one finger braking, much better.
Mine (just visible here) seem to be quite a way inboard, by virtue of the bar shape...
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Keep up at the back please, I would point out that it's entirely dependent on set up, I use formula & SRAM on wide bars where as magura julies & SRAM on narrower bars are better suited to the trad method. Suck it and see.
I have not seen the mag but I think most of the bikes in the house have brakes set 4-5cms from grips with most having the shifters between grips and brakes. Needs the windows to come off most Shimanos but, Saints, XTRs X9 etc don't have them and the XTRs (my fav) move along on their brackets so really adjustable. Some shift levers and grips don't mix so well so that can need juggling.
Reasons: as above, bit more leverage, one finger braking, levers don't mix up with fingers on grips.
Hooray for matchmaker, makes it easy to get it right
I used to brake with my middle finger, was I wierd? Swaped t index finger braking to get the SRAM rocket shifters to the right position , they need to be mounted much more verticaly than Shimano or new SRAM IME. I can now brake wit 1 finger, shift with my thumb (or knuckle/index finger when climbing with my thumbs over the bars).
Haven't tried running my levers closer to the bars yet though.
"more fingers on the bars, more control"
If only it were that simple ! I find a death grip most unhelpful, and only have two useful fingers on my right hand anyway. One to hold the bars one to brake.
Fashion indeed.
Get the brakes right and worry about the shifters after that. I found Formula Oro levers and SLX/XT shifters to be a right pain (even with windows removed) - unfortunately that meant I had to buy some XTR shifters 🙂
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i'm a middle finger braker too. makes sense to me as it is my longest finger and stronger than my index.
I had mine like this on my old bike not sure how that relates to mbr as I havnt seen it but I have my gears inboard because I catch them with my knuckles and shift by accident otherwise. And there are the windows on my current shifters to think about too. I might try removing the windows and moving the brakes even further in.
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4173149053_5b42c42589_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/29930426@N04/4173149053/ ]DSC_0006[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/29930426@N04/ ]i_ache[/url], on Flickr
There's no need or benefit to setting the levers inboard then the shifters outboard.
Fashion indeed.
Dual control ftw. I miss it.
There's no need or benefit to setting the levers inboard then the shifters outboard.
Weaktroll.
Weaktroll.
Not at all - all you are doing is making your thumbs foul the gear lever, or that's how it would be for me.
"more fingers on the bars, more control"If only it were that simple ! I find a death grip most unhelpful, and only have two useful fingers on my right hand anyway. One to hold the bars one to brake.
Fashion indeed.
You do realise you can vary the amount of pressure you grip things with?
"Oh I'm holding this hammer a bit tight, not to worry - I'll just use the 2 fingers instead"
Cynic-al: Thumb for gears, index finger for braking.
Eh?
Personally, I have my brakes and shifters set how I have them. don't give a monkeys about pictures in magazines.
Appreciate a newbie may like some advice though, of which I believe MrNutt's "suck it and see" is the best. Mainly because he doesn't say "I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE WRONG".
I've only recently moved the brakes inboard - it definitely does help with 1-finger braking. However (with XT shifters at least) it's a right pain in the tits with thumb rubbing on the shift lever. In the end I took a dremmel to mine, cutting down the ridge on the pod itself a bit to move it closer to my Oro levers and then trimming down the shift lever itself (I got carried away in the end and removed quite a lot of plastic, doesn't seem to flex or anything though). I'd change to XTR pods but as I'm using gore ride-on's that's another pain in the tits.
It makes sense for the brake lever to be positioned in the position that makes it most efficient and which means the rider doesn't have to compromise their most effective position on the bike while braking. This will generally means that the tip of the lever blade will end up needing to be a few cm in from the inboard end of the grip. If getting the brake lever in the best position means moving the shifter outboard, then that's just a matter of compromise (one that you aren't prepared to make, I accept). I can't see it being necessary with most modern levers, though; and the shifter can probably also be moved inboard.
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always ran my brake levers quite a way from grips to get decent leverage, now shifters have different clamp points I've moved them inboard of the brakes, old shifters fouled your thumb/hand if run inboard.
Re middle finger braking, I ride index finger on rear brake and middle finger on front, didn't realise I did this until I noticed it in photos, one good point for this is it means I can change gear and brake at same time (works very well with RR) pretty sure the middle finger braking came first and the gear change is just an added bonus.
I love it when people get all het up about things being the latest 'fashion' 😆 Maybe true to some extent but surely you are just following a different fashion, ie the one that was popular before.
Ask yourself what's more pathetic - trying out different things and setups to see which one you prefer - or doggedly sticking to the same way you've always done things (even if it's not as good) because 'I'm not following the latest trends, I'm my own man' lalalalalalala?
Putting my brakes in board of my shifters was one of the best, easiest and cheapest upgrades on my bike. I tried it and loved it. Considerably more control and confidence at speed due to more fingers on the bar, and plenty of power with just one finger braking. I've never found that the shifters get in the way and - to be frank - if they were out of the way does that not make it harder to shift 😆
Back to the OP... It's not the brake lever postions that's strange on the mbr cover, they're a few inches out to allow for one finger braking (tho he's using the wrong finger, tut tut)
The mad thing is the shifters are between the brake lever and the stem- you'd have to move your hand miles to get there!
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Back to the OP... It's not the brake lever postions that's strange on the mbr cover, they're a few inches out to allow for one finger braking (tho he's using the wrong finger, tut tut)The mad thing is the shifters are between the brake lever and the stem- you'd have to move your hand miles to get there!
At last someone has looked at the cover and got the point of my original post....so I am right, it does look odd!
tho he's using the wrong finger, tut tut
Finger looks right to me
I have the back brake inboard & the front outboard - now that does look odd 🙂
right to have to move the hand and adjust grip to change gear??
Not for me ta.
I tried inboard brake lever setup and didn't like it . 1 finger braking makes me feel like I haven't got a good grip on the lever and that it might slip . Thumb and 2 fingers gripping the bars feels fine to me but then I'm not a "hardcore" rider like many on here seem to be.
Back to the OP... It's not the brake lever postions that's strange on the mbr cover, they're a few inches out to allow for one finger braking (tho he's using the wrong finger, tut tut)The mad thing is the shifters are between the brake lever and the stem- you'd have to move your hand miles to get there!
Not wanting to sound 'obvious' or anything, but the lever on the left hand side of that bar looks very much like a remote seatpost lever. Having zoomed in, I can't see a lever on the right hand side of the bar, so assume its behind the brake lever. Erm, and final thing, he's braking with his index fingers to brake, which is pretty normal.
So, to the OP, what's your point?
Not wanting to sound 'obvious' or anything, but the lever on the left hand side of that bar looks very much like a remote seatpost lever.
I thought that too. Or perhaps a fork lockout.
EDIT:
Call me a loser, but I zoomed in on the cover photo on the MBR site. There are shifter pods just inboard of the brake levers. The lever on the top is some sort of lockout lever. I don't think it's weird.
i have my grips inboard of my levers along with a 4 foot seatpost and a 12" wide bar... this works well for me.
but why is he wearing summer shorts and summer t-shirt, dark shades and having to use a front srp. Thats gonna slow him down aerodynamically surely
url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5014044100_65efef831a_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevantlin/5014044100/ ]Levers[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/kevantlin/ ]kevantlin[/url], on Flickr
Why are only the controls in focus?
I had a problem with my brakes squashing my fingers ( juicy threes, as has been pointed out) tried moving them in a bit and it solved my problem and allowed for improved grip while covering the brakes. Theres no fashion to it and I dont expect everyone to do the same.
I cant understand why folk seem to think this is a blind following of fashion and somehow wrong, when there is such a culture in MTBing of constantly changing bikes and parts cos theyre the wrong colour, or dont have 'this years' amount of gears. To my mind, getting your controls set up how they suit you will be of much more benefit than ie changing from 3x9 to 2x10 or having white rims.
Bugger, have I got to get white rims now? Ffs, will it never end? 🙄
White rims are soooo last year....
This year its all about colour coordinated rims and frames donchaknow 8)
frame coloured wheels are sooooo 2008!
i have mine like this and still use one finger to brake i must have gammy hands lol
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I have frame coloured wheels- both black
Don't know if it's relavent, but the riders i have in the shop who come from a DH background ALL run their brake levers well inboard, and will take hacksaws and Dremmels to Deore shifters to achieve this.
Road/'traditional' XC background riders often run gear levers inboard.
Perhaps the DH riders prioritise brake lever position, whilst others prioritise gear shifter position? Or could be down to the DH'ers tending to run much wider bars?
Or maybe it's just personal preference, and there is no 'right way' at all.
Wow, what a response. Its quite normal to run a gap between grips and brake levers. I guess the gap and position of the shifters just comes down to personal preference and size of your hands. I seem to have big hands and my levers are about 2" from end of the grip with the shifters outboard of that. The XT shifter pods are great with extra adjustment on the bolts on the clamp. I think the OP should just go out and fiddle, experiment and try it.
Where do people fit their bells then?
Also if you are trapping fingers between brake lever and bars, either your brakes needs bleeding badly or you need to lay off the pies.
I didn't expect this to run to two pages!!! I raised that the MBR chap looked to be sporting an odd set up wherby it appeared (and I consider myself to be suitably shot down in flames) that the gear levers were out of reach with the hands normally positioning on the bars. I can see the sense of running the brakes in board and having had a fiddle, can't seem to acheive it on mine due to the shifter windows. Might did out the grip shift shifters!!!!!
I have my brakes quite close to the grips, gripshift rider and brake with middle finger. Strange apparently but works for me!
Also if you are trapping fingers between brake lever and bars, either your brakes needs bleeding badly or you need to lay off the pies.
You've never owned Juicy 3's have you?
I got a set bled after one ride and they came back just as bad as before........waste of £20!
When downhilling, my hands fall to the outside of the grips. With the brake inboard 1cm from the grips, it's comfy to 1 finger brake.
But the SLX shifters, even windowless, were not right being between brake and grip. It doesn't matter because when riding along, my hands fall in the middle of the grips and I can still reach the shifter levers OK.
I realise that I don't maintain one position, but move my hands around anyway. But the brake lever position does have an effect.
jamesy01 +1
There is no right or wrong only personal preference, if it works for you then you will be more relaxed and confident on your bike and when you ride.
Trying as many variations as you can think of, is the only way to really get the best set up on your bike and ther experience to know what suits you.
Just like those of use that know parts and bike builds will run through options when we think about building one.
If you have experience with different set ups with components you will run through those as well!
That said can someone please get stroppy and liven this thread up 🙂
There is no right or wrong only personal preference, if it works for you then you will be more relaxed and confident on your bike and when you ride.
That's not strictly true. Many people have their bike set up to suit their personal preference, but from in terms of good/efficient fit that set-up is poor. I've been guilty of this myself with stem rise and saddle position, and I've seen other riders in the kind of positions that are verging on dangerous. Many, many riders have their brake levers at too low of an angle, which leaves them riding with their wrists dropped own behind the bar. Not only is that going to create comfort issues, but it will almost certainly also lead to stability/balance issues.
The actual range of "correct" rider position on a bike is relatively small. Some component positioning can make this range difficult, or even impossible, to achieve.
Also if you are trapping fingers between brake lever and bars, either your brakes needs bleeding badly or you need to lay off the pies.
jamesy01 - MemberYou've never owned Juicy 3's have you?
I got a set bled after one ride and they came back just as bad as before........waste of £20!.
this
Buzzlightyear
You do realise that the SLX shifters can move on their mount? The shifters have 2 holes while the mounts have 3 holes - plus obviously you can bin the windows.
jamesy01 - MemberAlso if you are trapping fingers between brake lever and bars, either your brakes needs bleeding badly or you need to lay off the pies.
You've never owned Juicy 3's have you?
I got a set bled after one ride and they came back just as bad as before........waste of £20!
I've previously had Juicy 5s and 7s, have currently got a pair of 3s on my FS bike and Elixirs on the HT - none of them crush my fingers. Not even close to my fingers, in fact.
I'd take them back to the shop and ask why this is happening if you can't sort it yourself.