How to move the brake levers closer on a road bike

Moving your road bike brake levers closer together is important for both safety and comfort.

It goes without saying that being able to easily reach the levers is essential to be able to brake well, and to do so as comfortably as possible.

Very often it happens that we are very comfortable in the high grip, but we are too close to the low grip; or vice versa, we are very comfortable in the low grip but when we want to grab the handlebars at the top, we are a little far away. And it is not easy to find the balance between both grips.

This problem is amplified when we have physical characteristics such as:

small hands and/or short fingers;
difficulty in pedalling in the crouched position, either because we have little elasticity in the lower back or because our belly doesn’t allow it 🙂

So, it is important to be smart in order to find a suitable solution to this problem.

1. How to mount the handlebar

Let’s start with the basics so we don’t make mistakes. How do I mount the handlebars? It’s simple and you only need two precautions:

The end of the handlebar should be parallel to the ground (the integrated handlebar is already mounted like this).
You have to create a horizontal “plane” of support between the levers and the handlebars.

Once these two operations have been carried out, if it is still difficult to reach the brake levers easily, we will have to work to bring them as close as possible to the frame.

2. How to move the brake levers closer together

How to bring the brake levers closer together? It is very simple and we explain it to you in four easy steps

Unwind the rubber brake cover.
With a screwdriver or Allen key (depending on the model you have), act on the screw as follows.
By screwing, the levers will move closer to the frame, by unscrewing they will move away from it.
Once you have found the right position, replace the rubber brake cover.

3. Please note:

Remember that as you move the levers closer or further apart, the distance between the brake pads will shorten or increase. So, it is necessary, once you have made this modification and when you are comfortable, act on the brake to adjust the brake stroke.

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Stefano Francescutti