Whatever works best for you , there is no one correct way its all about what suits the user.

 

Agreed. What you feel is comfortable. I have mine angled down about 45 degrees. Maybe a little more. That's where my hand falls when I'm sitting on the bike.

 

personal preference

 

Personaly somewhere in between the 2. Brakes are at the natural line of my hands when in the attack position. Shifters are where my thumb rests when seated.

My wifes bike is set up slightly more down than the rear but more horizontal than mine.

And I set them both up.

 

I find the best position (and I got this from Ned Overend's book) is that in which your wrists are comfortable while you're going down descents. That's when you're using the brakes the most, so you don't want your levers in a position where your wrists are being strained.

 

A 45 degree angle works well for most people in most situations, it's a good place to start. Also, it's a good idea to have a 4-5mm gap between the brake lever and shifter pod clamps. You can easily establish this gap by putting a 4 or 5mm hex wrench between the two. You'll notice a bend at the inside of the brake lever, that bend is there so that your index finger doesn't get in the way or squished when you hit your brakes. That 4-5mm gap between the clamps helps ensure your index finger will be in that gap...and not in the way of the brake lever.

 

I thought you were supposed to try to maintain a straight line down your forearm to your knuckles, or close to it.

 

A 45 degree angle works well for most people in most situations, it's a good place to start. Also, it's a good idea to have a 4-5mm gap between the brake lever and shifter pod clamps. You can easily establish this gap by putting a 4 or 5mm hex wrench between the two. You'll notice a bend at the inside of the brake lever, that bend is there so that your index finger doesn't get in the way or squished when you hit your brakes. That 4-5mm gap between the clamps helps ensure your index finger will be in that gap...and not in the way of the brake lever.

Uhh...yea. That bend isn't there to clear your index finger. It's there because it's where the brake lever bends to the part your fingers engage. I hope you never crash and squish your finger between the lever and the bar...:cryin:

 

Fair enough, the bend is probably there for a purely functional reason. But it also works really nicely for the purpose I described as well. If I crash the last thing I'm worried about is a smashed finger It's something I've found to be very handy when going downhill, especially technical downhill situations. It allows me to more comfortably keep a grip on the handlebar with my index finger and thumb while also using my brakes.

 

Putting your finger in there with the strokers is nuts! I only use my index finger for braking and the rest of my hands on the bars. As for the position whatever feels comfortable while going downhill. If they are too far up your wrist will be bent awkwardly and same thing if they are too far down...

 

Too each their own, I suppose...

Fair enough, the bend is probably there for a purely functional reason. But it also works really nicely for the purpose I described as well. If I crash the last thing I'm worried about is a smashed finger It's something I've found to be very handy when going downhill, especially technical downhill situations. It allows me to more comfortably keep a grip on the handlebar with my index finger and thumb while also using my brakes.

I wouldn't worry about a smashed finger but I would worry about it being cut off. Use your brakes however you like but placing your finger between two pieces of metal pivoting around a fulcrum seems like a poor idea to me.

Many people brake with their index and middle fingers. Your approach seems to look like people would break with their index finger.

 

Okay, should've been more careful with the picture: angle etc. Really, there is lots of room in there even with the levers fully engaged...only because the shifter pod is 5mm more toward the center of the handlebar. I like grasping the bar with my index finger and thumb, quicker easier access to shifters. I do mostly cross country and all mountain riding, lots of ups and downs, lots of shifting.

I guess in short this is a demonstration of the fact that the placement of shifters and brakes on the handle bar is largely personal preference. The setup I described was recommended to me by an experienced well trained mechanic and former racer, it's worked really well for me and the type of riding I do. That's all. I'll shut up now

 

And that is the reason I run SRAM shifters. Thumb runs the shifting, index finger does the braking and the rest of the hand holds the bar. Better control and less gripping of the bar. More relaxed and in control.

 

And that is the reason I run SRAM shifters. Thumb runs the shifting, index finger does the braking and the rest of the hand holds the bar. Better control and less gripping of the bar. More relaxed and in control.

Good point here. I run Shimano shifters and there are several times going downhill where I have my index finger on the brake yet I want to shift for the next hill going up. I guess Sram for me next year

I think the OP means in what order the shifter/brake are placed on the bar. If that's the case, it depends on the setup and personal preference.
For me it goes: grip, shifter, brake. But on my wife's bike it goes: grip, brake, shifter. On my wife's bike, I can't set it up like mine due to the shifter and brake reservoir interfering with each other (Shimano m486 w/ Alivio shift pods vs me @ XTR reservoir w/ Alivio shifter pods).

 

And that is the reason I run SRAM shifters. Thumb runs the shifting, index finger does the braking and the rest of the hand holds the bar. Better control and less gripping of the bar. More relaxed and in control.

I was riding a buddies bike for a while with SRAM shifters and then when I got back onto my bike with $h!tmanos I naturally used my thumb for both shifting up and down. Turns out I can can shift the shimanos either shimano style or SRAM style. I was pretty pumped when i found this out...:thumbsup:
Is there anyone else that can shift their shimano's like a SRAM?

 

I've never used Sram shifters, but I can shift up and down with my thumbs and Shimano LX shifters.

 

^Please explain in more details. I'm interested in knowing how to do that also.

 

And that is the reason I run SRAM shifters. Thumb runs the shifting, index finger does the braking and the rest of the hand holds the bar. Better control and less gripping of the bar. More relaxed and in control.

My XTR Shamano does both, ie SRAM style shifting (push push) or Shamano shifting (push pull)

 

Most newer Shimano shifters are push-push AND push-pull, All the way down to the LX line I think, not sure about Deore, I have never used them.

 

^Please explain in more details. I'm interested in knowing how to do that also.

The smaller forward lever can be pulled with your index finger or pushed with your thumb to shift. It works in either direction.

 

The smaller forward lever can be pulled with your index finger or pushed with your thumb to shift. It works in either direction.

I'm guessing this only applies to what ThePinkBarron said right? Only with the newer shimano shifters.

 

It says right on them, 2 way action or something of the sort.