[Closed] Is that how folk are setting their shifters and levers? Looks a bit odd to me!

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.

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

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[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
[IMG] [/IMG]

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 - Member

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!.

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 - Member

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!

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.