(This is the third of three secrets that, when combined, will give you the skills and the brake and shifter set-up to brake on a mountain bike just like the Pros.)
Follow this fuss-free 5 step guide for the perfect brake lever and shifter set-up and positioning for one finger braking. Your new setup will give you new speed, confidence and control that you never had before.
When you’re done come back here and check out the first secret and the second secret. You’ll be blown away by the difference all three secrets make to your mountain biking.
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Mountain Bike Brake and Shifter Set-up
Starting with one side first…
1. Loosen Control
- loosen the brake body where it clamps to the handlebar, so that it slides…just
- loosen your shifters so that they can slide side to side as well
- sit on your bike near a wall to aide your balance
- wear mountain bike gloves and shoes and assume your usual riding position
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2. Brake Body Tilt
While holding the bar…
- rest your pointer finger on the lever, pointing your finger in a straight line
- tilt the brake body till your finger and back of your hand make a straight and level line with your forearm
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Bent Wrist No-No – riding with your wrist bent too much in any direction can strain or jar the wrist and cause injury.
For Downhillers – the typical downhilling position places your body lower and further rearward, which lowers your arm angle to the handlebars. Assume this downhill position over the bike and set brake body tilt based on your hands in this position. This way you’ll have a more direct grip on the bar and you’ll operate the brake levers more effectively.
Cross Country – if you ride mostly cross country, but there’s still a touch of downhill, check that you can still comfortably reach the brake levers when you’re off the seat and over the back wheel in the deep downhill position.
3. Position the Finger
- Grip the bar
- Rest your pointer finger on the lever
- Using your other hand and without tilting the brake body, slide it inward
Position the brake body so that your finger just fits on the end of the lever with about half a finger width spare room to the end of the lever. Then clamp the brake body in place.
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4. Lever Reach
- with your finger now in the one-finger braking position, adjust the reach of your brake lever
- consult your brake system instruction manual if you don’t know how
- adjust it so that at rest, the lever sits in or just behind the crease under the first knuckle from the tip of your finger
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5. Shifter Sweet Spot
Now that the brake lever is in the ideal position, re-position the shifter unit for best shifting performance. This may take a bit of trial and error, depending on your level of equipment. If you have a multi-position brake/shifter clamp set-up such as the Avid™ MatchMaker system, it will be a breeze.
Try different positions and do test runs, changing gears and applying the brake. If you can’t position the brake and shifter exactly where you want them because of their design, go for a compromise. While not ideal, it should be better than before. Then make a mental note for a fully adjustable brake/shifter combo on your next bike!
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Keep In Mind…
Any adjustment you perform might affect the one you did previous. If needed, re-do angle, bar position and reach until you find your ideal position. The few extra minutes spent getting it right will be worth it once you get back on the trails.
Once one side is done simply position the other shifter and brake in the mirror image of the first side. Then go for a quick spin around the house with your mountain bike gloves and shoes on to check your new brake lever and shifter positions are within finger’s reach. The new positions might feel a little weird at first. That’s normal, but nothing a good trail ride won’t fix.
By the way, did you find secret one and secret two of how to brake on a mountain bike just like the Pros?
Thanks for checking the site out, Yair.
Moving your brakes inward (resetting as you call it) to position them for one finger braking puts at least two things in your favour –
1. It MAKES you get used to one finger braking, because there is less room for you to sneak that second finger back in and slip back into your old two-finger braking habits!
2. (It may not seem like much, but) Moving your brakes inward and setting the levers for the ideal OFB position gives your index finger a greater mechanical advantage – your index finger will have more leverage – because it will be closer to the end of the lever. (this is assuming your index finger pulls the lever at the same position whether your second finger is there or not). Better leverage means you will be able to apply more force for the same amount of effort.
Sure, you could leave your brake levers as they are in a two finger position and perform OFB but to get the best leverage for your index finger you would have to point your index finger sideways to get nearer to the end of the lever for better leverage. I know it's not much of a move sideways, but the 'Brake and Shifter Set-up' guide is all about finding the natural position that your index finger rests on the levers, with a half finger width gap before the end of the lever.
If I didn't move my brakes inward and I was riding a course that had thousands of braking points, the action of pointing my index finger sideways just to find the end of the lever each time I brake would soon feel very un-natural and/or cause me to ever-so-slightly hesitate when I'm braking because my finger isn't 100% comfortable. And hesitation has broken many bones…
(being 100% comfortable on the bars means your fingers will distract you 0% )
Does that help answer your question?
Cheers,
Chris
Awesome tips mate!
I'm still reading through your site(:
I have tried one finger breaking while doing your figure 8s exercise on my ride today.
It did feel strange, mainly because of the unfamiliar tension between the index finger and the middle finger (when extending the middle finger to the breaks). Maybe I just need to get used to it..
My question is – if your current break levers setup is good for two fingers breaking, why do you actually need to reset it to fit one finger breaking? I reckon the one finger still needs to get to the same location as it did when you did 2 fingered breaking, isn't it?
Thanks for putting this information out there!
Cheers!
Yair