Adjusting brake lever reach

[DaveReading]

Granddaughter (5) has a new bike, she enjoys riding it but complains that it's too hard to reach the brake levers, which need bigger hands than hers.

I know that some levers can be shimmed to bring them closer to the bars - the Shimano brifters on my tourer came with a set of shims, though I've not needed to use them. But is there a more generic solution to achieve the same result ?

I don't have access to the bike to ascertain what brand (if any) the levers are.

 

[cyberknight]

im guessing it a flat bar bike of some variety and the levers normally come with a screw that you tighten to reduce the brake reach

 

[DaveReading]

Thanks - have requested a photo of the offending levers in the meantime.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Interesting thread
I would say that I don;t think my brake levers have an adjustment to bring it closer to the bar

It would make sense to bikes designed for kids - and hybrids designed for anyone - to have thus adjustrment

I do find that I often have to adjust the brakes when a LBS (or major national chain) fiddles with the bike. I like the front brakes to engage pretty much as soon as I pull the lever and be full on way before the bar - but the back brake I like to enagage slowly and need most of the travel before it is full on

Which is probably wrong but I slow down with the back brake and only use the front one to actually stop

 

[DRM]

It might be a good idea to align the brake levers with your granddaughter’s hands, get her to sit on the bike and with her hands on the grips with fingers extended out, loosen the mounting screws and rotate the levers so they’re in line with her fingers/arms, along with adjusting the reach, if possible, it will make it a lot easier for her to operate the brakes

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you put the lever in a vice and heat it you should be able to bend the lever to reduce its reach. Just make sure you don’t bend it so much that the lever doesn’t touch the bars before the brakes are fully engaged.

 

[Andy_R]

Don't forget that if you adjust the reach inward to accommodate smaller hands, you will need to let out a little bit of cable, either at the barrel adjuster or the pinch bolt.

 

[T4tomo]

Granddaughter (5) has a new bike, she enjoys riding it but complains that it's too hard to reach the brake levers, which need bigger hands than hers.

I know that some levers can be shimmed to bring them closer to the bars - the Shimano brifters on my tourer came with a set of shims, though I've not needed to use them. But is there a more generic solution to achieve the same result ?

I don't have access to the bike to ascertain what brand (if any) the levers are.

Sadly an issue with a lot of kids bikes, which is why Isla and similar brands have done so well. My son, at a similar age, stopped his by riding into tree. Fortunately neither tree nor son were injured.

as above, playing with level angle as well a reach screw (it hopefully has one) will help.

 

[mickle]

'Reach': 1. The point in the lever's range of motion at which the brakes contact the rim. 2. The resting point of the lever. Two different adjustments, the first via cable adjuster and cable anchor bolt, the second via the lever's reach adjust screw.

 

[Punkawallah]

Does the bike have ‘large’ levers? Those on ‘kids’ bikes are usually smaller, and easier to reach with small hands. Try a search on ‘short pull brake levers’ on t’Interwebs.

 

[MichaelW2]

You may be better off swapping brake levers. You may have to cannibalise an old kids bike for parts, I dont think they are regular bike shop stock part.

 

[DaveReading]

Belated response from son, with photo of the brake lever.

Am I right in thinking that screw visible will alter the hands-off angle of the lever (with some adjustment at the barrel and/or cable clamp at the brake end maybe being required)?

N.B. son is one of the least mechanically-minded people I know.

 

[keithmac]

Belated response from son, with photo of the brake lever.

Am I right in thinking that screw visible will alter the hands-off angle of the lever (with some adjustment at the barrel and/or cable clamp at the brake end maybe being required)?

N.B. son is one of the least mechanically-minded people I know.

View attachment 617167

You're spot on, although there's no slack left to adjust out of the cable so it my need pulling through slightly at the other end.

I've had to adjust my son and daughters the same when they were younger.

 

[DaveReading]

Son advised to find the nearest LBS.