Installing top bar levers on a junior road bike

[lejogger]

Set myself the task of getting the boy's new bike properly set up for him tonight. Got as far as installing new brake cables etc but have since uninstalled due to a frustrating issue with the set up.

The levers are taken from my CX bike and are inadequate in a few ways. Firstly, the bars are obviously a narrower diameter. Not the end of the world though, I've got some plastic shims that came with some clip on aero bars and they fit nicely.
The main issue is that the levers are just too close together... because the cables move outwards when the lever is depressed, the cable threaded closest to the stem face plate will always push against the cable going into the opposite lever - resulting in that brake applying itself...

A picture probably shows the issue better than my description... (attached). See how the cable from the lever I'm not pressing is being pushed and the affect on the lever...

So is there anything I can do to set these up better? If I move them any wider, the bars narrow so much that the shims become useless and the hand room is restricted. I could maybe set one lever higher than the other to try and make the cables miss, but this would then be awkward for my son.

Any ideas????

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Any ideas????

Because the end points of the housings are different, both a) the angle of the levers in relation to horizontal (yours look a little too level, they will probably be more ergonomic if they point down at say 40 degrees) and b) lengths of the two housings will change their routes, and therefore interference.

 

[TissoT]

The Outer/inner cabling looks to have a very sharp bends in them(going into the front brake) ..... Try shorting the outer cable length and defiantly move them apart

 

[Crackle]

Because the end points of the housings are different, both a) the angle of the levers in relation to horizontal (yours look a little too level, they will probably be more ergonomic if they point down at say 40 degrees) and b) lengths of the two housings will change their routes, and therefore interference.

I think that's the answer.

 

[Sterba]

Rather odd looking levers, if you don't mind me saying so. Too close to the bars at their outer ends. They look a bit like levers that are meant to be used as secondary levers feeding off drop-bar levers which allow you to work them when riding on the top of the drops. Or am I barking here?

 

[lejogger]

Rather odd looking levers, if you don't mind me saying so. Too close to the bars at their outer ends. They look a bit like levers that are meant to be used as secondary levers feeding off drop-bar levers which allow you to work them when riding on the top of the drops. Or am I barking here?

That's exactly what they are!
This is my 10 year old's road bike that has drops and shimano road brifters but his hands are a bit tiny to get any braking power when on the hoods. I'm adding the top bar levers so he can stop himself a bit more easily. The set up will be as per a CX or touring bike with 2 braking options.

 

[lejogger]

Because the end points of the housings are different, both a) the angle of the levers in relation to horizontal (yours look a little too level, they will probably be more ergonomic if they point down at say 40 degrees) and b) lengths of the two housings will change their routes, and therefore interference.

Cheers RAFN and @Crackle.
I've got it all set up and working. Angled the levers down which did help a little. Routed the right hand front brake cable closest to the stem and then increased the length of the rear cable so it looped out a bit before coming back to the top tube. When I've got the new brake pads on I'll keep everything taut and minimal gaps to the rims so there's not a huge amount of play in the levers.

Cheers all