brake levers

[gavroche]

I have a Vitesse Sprint racer and wonder if it is possible to adjust the brake levers as I find it difficult to get a full grip on them for efficient braking.
As they are now, I would find it very hard to do an emergency stop if needed as I can only brake with the tip of my fingers.
Advise please.

 

[siadwell]

Presumably, the problem you are having is that the levers sit too far away from the handlebars for your fingers to reach them adequately.

Depending on the levers themselves, there may be some adjustment possible to bring the levers closer to the bars.

The Shimano 2300 levers on my road bike came with rubber shims that can be inserted into the levers to effectively pre-squeeze them. They have made the levers slightly easier to reach without having to adjust the pads away from the rims.

Other types of lever allow you to alter the reach using a screw adjuster in the lever itself. You really need to know what model of levers they are and then try to find a manual etc. online.

It may also help to change the brake pads to something that bites more with less pressure on the levers, and make sure the brakes themselves are set up properly. There are lots of articles on this, including this: http://sheldonbrown.com/calipers.html

 

[HLaB]

First off with out any cost or effort, how are you riding the bike Gav ? nearly entirely on the drops or on the hoods, if its the former spending more time on the hoods like most folk, may improve things, Good Luck :-)

 

[gavroche]

I tend to ride with my hands on top of the handlebar as it is more comfortable so when I need to brake, I need to lean forward more to reach the levers. Obviously, that requires good anticipation to prepare myself.

 

[HLaB]

I tend to ride with my hands on top of the handlebar as it is more comfortable so when I need to brake, I need to lean forward more to reach the levers. Obviously, that requires good anticipation to prepare myself.

Oops I should have said that option too, 'riding on the flats' yip it is more comfortable try riding on the hoods more often in traffic you should get more reach of the brakes without having to lean forward to the drops, unless you're hands are really small or you need your handlebars higher/ a shorter stem. Good luck again :-)

 

[gavroche]

yep, I have raised the handlebars a bit and it seems to make it easier to reach the brake levers. Thanks for the tip!