sprcoop

Is there a proper spot to mount the brifters or is it a personal thing? I have the bars rotated so I am comfortable in the drops but feel stretched on the hoods. I don't want to rotate the bars up or get a shorter stem because that would change where I am in the drops. I was wondering if it was practicle to move the brifters up more in an attempt to shorten the reach. Your thoughts?

sydney

They can be moved to where ever feels good. The correctness police may crap a chainring.

Mentor58

A tip that I've found help getting them set right. I used to have problems getting them even on the bar, I'd eyeball them again and again, tighten them down, ride a bit, and feel like one was just a tich higher than the other. A mechanic friend showed me the technique. Put a ruler or flatedge along the bottom of the drop, and measure how much of the lever extends below the ruler, or how much of a gap there is between the ruler and the tip of the lever. Takes a bit of practice to make sure that your setting the ruler the same on each side, but made it a LOT easier to get them even for me.

Steve W.

sprcoop

Both good tips. Sydney, thanks for the visual. OUCH!!!

Thanks

Michel Gagnon

Do whatever suits your fancy. It's your bike, after all!
In terms of style, as long as both levers are at the same level, the bike will look good. But even then, you might have a good reason to act otherwise...

I never liked riding on the hoods: too stretched out, uncomfortable hand position, fear and likelyhood of "loosing my grip" over one of the numerous potholes we have... So I put my handlebars a bit higher than most people and get a very comfortable yet efficient position on the drops. My brake levers are a bit lower than what most people would consider normal (i.e. hoods are horizontal), but that way, brakes are easy to reach from the drops and relatively easy to use from the tops.