Originally Posted by BCRider

If it helps I like to set up my brake levers the same way. Also by setting them inwards in a crash they are less likely to be broken.

I've got bad news for you though. You won't get what you want with those handlebars. You need to get new handlebars that have the riser bends in tighter to the middle so you have more working room up on the raised portion to play with. Or you need to get some new levers with shorter arms on them. But that won't give you the mechanical advantage you want unless you buy specific good quality levers.

And before you ask if you want to look at new handlebars no, I don't have any specific recommendations. Instead you will need to measure how much rise your present bars have and the distance between the outer reaches of the last riser bend where you want to put the levers. Then go shopping to bike shops in your area with tape measure in hand shopping for bars that have pretty much the same rise but with the bends in tighter to the middle.

Or you can look around to see if you can find some Avid Speedial brake levers. Or some newer version of this adjustable pull design.


For giggles I checked and there's lots of Speedial levers on Ebay for around $25 a pair with free shipping. A set of these levers is likely going to work well for you. They really are great levers and with the movable shuttle you can play with reach vs cable pull.

If you go for the best mechanical advantage they do not pull a lot of cable. If you have rim brakes then the warnings above about the importance of very true wheels and perfectly adjusted calipers is a must.