Ask The Editors: Free Brake Power
The answer is right there in the name.
Actually, yes. And it’s a simple one. Try sliding the brake perch a little further in on your handlebar. Why? Even though we call the things levers, it’s easy to forget the principle at play every time we give them a squeeze.
Leverage works when a rod pivots on a fixed hinge (fulcrum). Thanks to our pal physics, this action makes the output force greater than the input force. And while it may seem minor, small changes in where you finger makes contact with the lever can be felt the way you describe. This is because as we grab closer to the fulcrum, we lose critical leverage in the process.
Start by moving the perch a bit inward to see if you can recover some of the feel you lost and if that doesn’t give you enough, don’t hesitate to try longer levers until you find that sweet spot.
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