Getting brake levers level...

[fmradio516]

Something ive always had problems with. Newer bars have horizontal lines to use when you are mounting road levers to bars to make sure theyre level but mine dont.

Ive always just tried to do it by looks and feel, but I cant get it right on one of my bikes. How do I do this with bars that are already wrapped? Making micro-adjustments just isnt working for me.

[batman1425]

The lines are helpful but not always symmetrical. These approaches work for me:

1) Put your bike on a level surface and place a level across the hoods. Loosen the clamp bolts and see if there is enough wiggle room to get them dialed.

If not, you'll have to unwrap and untape the housing to get it spot on.

2) Use a piece of string or flexible tape measure to measure the distance from the bar end to a fixed (symmetrical) point on the lever lever, following the curvature of the bar. Adjust till both match and are in the right spot on the bar for your preference.

[mktng]

take bars off and use the flat ground to level everything. works for me.

sort of.. makes installing the cables on some shifters a pain. but its never impossible.

[Ed-B]

Remove the front wheel. Stand the bike upright with the fork tips on the floor and the handlebar at a right angle to the frame (as it would be if riding in a straight line).

Stand behind the bike, lift the bike from the seat stays, keep the fork on the floor, and eyeball the tops of the brake levers as you raise the back of the bike.

When the tops of both hoods disappear at the same point the levers are at the same level.

[FlashUNC]

Tape measure from the base of the hood to the tip of the drop, around the outside of the bar. Measure the same distance and voila.

[BlueFly]

Tape measure from the base of the hood to the tip of the drop, around the outside of the bar. Measure the same distance and voila.

+1
Like this technique as I also don't like the horizontal line etched into the bar

[R3awak3n]

The lines are helpful but not always symmetrical. These approaches work for me:

1) Put your bike on a level surface and place a level across the hoods. Loosen the clamp bolts and see if there is enough wiggle room to get them dialed.

If not, you'll have to unwrap and untape the housing to get it spot on.

2) Use a piece of string or flexible tape measure to measure the distance from the bar end to a fixed (symmetrical) point on the lever lever, following the curvature of the bar. Adjust till both match and are in the right spot on the bar for your preference.

This is exactly what I do to level up horizontally. Vertically I do it by eye. I bet they are not 100% perfect but I am content with 98%.

[dddd]

I always just put a long wood ruler across the tops of the levers, then sight down whether the top of the bar is level with the ruler.

Sometimes I look from the front back, sometimes the other way.
Can use either the upper or lower "edge" of the ruler or bars depending on bar height and your preferred viewing angle.
This works well even after the bars have been wrapped.

Doesn't someone make a special tool for this job?

[Davist]

broom handle/hockey stick across the levers is the way I do it..

[old_fat_and_slow]

broom handle/hockey stick across the levers is the way i do it..

+1

[Mark McM]

broom handle/hockey stick across the levers is the way I do it..

Ditto. I'll also peel the rubber hoods back and bit to rest the broom stick directly on the lever bodies, lest the rubber be distorted by overlapping the handlebar tape.

[BubbleWrap]

take bars off and use the flat ground to level everything. works for me.

sort of.. makes installing the cables on some shifters a pain. but its never impossible.

This is the way to do it if you want to ensure that you’re level. Do it for the top and bottom sides.

[fmradio516]

broom handle/hockey stick across the levers is the way I do it..

Can you elaborate? If I set a broom handle on the tip of the lever or top of the hood, how can I tell if its level as the broom can be at a slight angle/pivot on the hood? I guess I could use a level on it, but that wouldnt be accurate enough for this.

[benb]

I replaced 2 bars (different size) in the past month and I am basically doing that hockey stick/broom handle thing but I do it with a 1m carpenter's level instead. I've been doing this for years.

I stick my bike in the trainer for this and make sure the trainer is level first. Way easier than a work stand. I put the level across the two highest points on the hoods. My level is a Dewalt and it actually has an indentation along it's length as well which slots in nicely onto the top of the hoods.

Another way, and it depends on your preferences & parts is to set the brake lever to be perpendicular to the ground with a level. Put the level between the bump at the top of the hood and the curve out at the bottom of the lever. This tends to work really nicely for me with Shimano & SRAM integrated shifters as it gets the right compromise between the hood position being high enough and the brakes being reachable in the drops.

Regarding lines.. I have noticed the majority of bars with lines the lines have not been symmetrical so they're fairly useless. This most recent pair of bars I got were Zipp, 1x Service Course 80 and 1x Service Course SL 80... both bars had the markers symmetrical.

Shoe soles with measuring lines for cleats that are crooked/assymetrical on the 2 shoes are way more annoying IMO.

[scopes]

https://youtu.be/vNTQaKAT4dY?t=102

I saw this on youtube the other day, the builder uses a ruler with holes in it to position the shifters. Pretty neat trick that I'll be using next time I have to align.

[dlui]

Can you elaborate? If I set a broom handle on the tip of the lever or top of the hood, how can I tell if its level as the broom can be at a slight angle/pivot on the hood? I guess I could use a level on it, but that wouldnt be accurate enough for this.

place broom stick across the brake levers in corresponding contact points, from the front of bike, sight down the top of stick and move levers to make stick parallel with bar top

[m_sasso]

https://youtu.be/vNTQaKAT4dY?t=102

I saw this on youtube the other day, the builder uses a ruler with holes in it to position the shifters. Pretty neat trick that I'll be using next time I have to align.

Not so trick, less acurate than a ruler with graduated mm indications, and you wouldn't catch me anywhere near riding the rest of that build.

To begin with White Lithium grease for a cutting edge bike? I don't think so!

[benb]

Not so trick, less acurate than a ruler with graduated mm indications, and you wouldn't catch me anywhere near riding the rest of that build.

To begin with White Lithium grease for a cutting edge bike? I don't think so!

I keep mentioning the level, you can touch the level to the bars + lever just like he was doing with his Holy Ruler and get a more precise result as well.

In the past I did it with a flexible tape measure too, stretched between the bar end and the lever.

Level across the levers is still easier IMO.

Gotcha on the Lithium grease. I stopped watching after reading "Dream Gravel Bike Build" and then seeing SRAM.

[scopes]

Not so trick, less acurate than a ruler with graduated mm indications, and you wouldn't catch me anywhere near riding the rest of that build.

To begin with White Lithium grease for a cutting edge bike? I don't think so!

I keep mentioning the level, you can touch the level to the bars + lever just like he was doing with his Holy Ruler and get a more precise result as well.

In the past I did it with a flexible tape measure too, stretched between the bar end and the lever.

Level across the levers is still easier IMO.

Gotcha on the Lithium grease. I stopped watching after reading "Dream Gravel Bike Build" and then seeing SRAM.

Agreed on all points - not my 'dream' build by a long shot, but click-bait is click-bait.

I agree that an actual ruler would provide better results, and a level across the hoods is the most accurate.

[Joxster]

Use something straight and a spirit level, also check your floor for being level.

[saab2000]

broom handle/hockey stick across the levers is the way I do it..

Same.

Lots of eyeballing and small adjustments. I also like a flat transition from the lever to the bar, at least on modern levers and bars.

Some of the lever installs and bar angles in the bike pics on this forum are eyewateringly awful!

[dookie]

Lasers baby!

Seriously, a laser level that has both horizontal and vertical lines is the ticket.

Put the vertical through the stem center and right down the middle of the head tube and front tire and you know you're plumb, then put the horizontal at whatever lever reference you like and match 'em.

Easy.

[Veloo]

I use the string/ measuring tape method in this Park video.
I use a flexible measuring tape, place on same spots on the lever hood bodies and eyeball if the tape is parallel to the bars from a front view.
Works better without hoods on as I find the lever bodies tend to have more reference points to use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geSok-YQN-U

[benb]

Lasers baby!

Seriously, a laser level that has both horizontal and vertical lines is the ticket.

Put the vertical through the stem center and right down the middle of the head tube and front tire and you know you're plumb, then put the horizontal at whatever lever reference you like and match 'em.

Easy.

That will only work if the Lasers are Italian.

Sounds like a product idea.

[Peter P.]

I use a locking measuring tape. Set the bike level however you want-on a trainer, remove the front wheel and rest on the forks-whatever works.

Extend the locking tape measure until it brushes the bottom of one lever. Move it to the other side and adjust the other lever until it matches.

[seanile]

mount the bars in the orientation you like em, then put the levers on. do not tape yet.
take the cockpit off (bars with stem and levers), and place it on a table.
make sure the levers are not compressed.
you'll have 4 points of contact between the lever tips and the drop bar ends.
any rocking will tell you where and how off they are.

[Dave]

No need for a level or level surface. Place a length of 3/4 or 1 inch of pvc pipe in the area of the hood where the crook of your thumb rests, then measure from the front of the bars to the back of the pipe and make both sides the same. Then the reach is the same.