This applies to the Shimano 105 ST-5700, 5800, R7000, R8000, ST-R9100, brifters (or as Shimano calls them, dual control levers).

Are your Shimano brake levers hard to reach when in the drops? On my old cyclocross bike equipped with cantilever brakes, I have cross levers which I usually use for descending mountain bike style. On my gravel bike, I have been debating whether to add cross levers because I am so used to them. If it’s rocky or rutted, descending on the hoods is a bit sketchy. Although the most secure, I’ve found descending in the drops (even with shallow bars) to be a bit more uncomfortable and dicier than what I’m used to. In order to to help with lever reach, I decided to adjust the reach of my levers to be closer to the bars. I had previously left them at the default reach. Here’s how to adjust them (and how to fix them if they seem to not stay put).

Tools required:

2mm hex wrench

Blue thread locker (optional)

Lift up the top of the rubber hood lever. Using a 2 mm hex wrench, turn the screw on top counterclockwise to increase the reach, or clockwise to decrease the reach. Test the lever on the drops with your hand to see what reach is comfortable for you.

For more detail, take a look at the Shimano dealer’s manual.

After adjusting them, on rocky descents I find it easier to put more of my hand around the levers for better control. YMMV depending on your hand size and riding style. Now go bomb some DH on your gravel rig!

Got a screw loose?

I ran into a problem on one of my levers where the screw seemed to work, but the during rides seemed to return to the longer reach position. After tightening and loosening the screw and peering into the lever slot, I noticed that the screw was loose and not fully seated in the threads. I’m not sure why this is the case, but maybe due to a crash, over tightening, or just regular riding it no longer stayed put. In order to fix it, I removed the screw completely, applied some blue thread locker and reinserted it. So far, so good and the screw has stayed put.

Other potential fixes would be to replace the screw with a longer length one with the same thread, or to try and affix a small hex nut to the end of the screw so that the lever has a larger surface to rest against.

Happy riding.