It’s new bike day, either you’re waiting for it to turn up, or you have it in your front room. 

Whether you’re a seasoned rider wanting a reminder or a new cyclist who needs some help, we are here to support you. In that vein, we’ve written a few guides to get you started. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive guide, just to get you moving and comfortable on your new bike. 

As always if we’ve missed something or if you need any further help, give us a call or an email on the contact form which you can find here and one of our team will be happy to help.

Continuing from our New Bike Guide, which you can find here. In these articles, we’re going to take a deep dive into some of the more important topics.

In this one, we're going to tackle cockpit set-up. Most fully built bikes already come with the bars, stem and contact points it was designed around so we're going to split this in two. The first section will be based around getting your cockpit dialled in and the second around how you can make changes to improve it. The latter inevitably involves buying new things and is not strictly necessary, but I want to include it anyway.

Part One: Out-of-the-box setup

Handlebars

Lets assume you've already attached the bars to the bike, you've torqued them to spec and it's ready to ride. You put your hands on the bars and they don't feel right, the brakes are in a weird place and the bars make your wrists feel weird.

The first thing we need to look at is bar roll. Handlebars are made with three measurements, upsweep, back sweep and rise.

As a baseline, when we set the bike up. we position the bars so the rise goes vertically up. The back sweep curves the bars into your hands and the upsweep provides the same feel when your head is over the bars in the attack position.

Because we're not all the same size and shape, some of is ride over the front and some ride all the way over the back, what works for us might not work for you. 

First steps

1. Find a safe area to lean your bike, preferably not on the bars.
2. Loosen the stem bolts, just enough to let the bar move.
3. With both wheels on an even surface, look from the side of the bike and roll the bars so the rise coming from the clamp goes vertically up.
4. Check the bars are central in the stem.
5. Tighten up the clamps evenly in a cross pattern until you reach 5nm

Get on the bike and see how it feels, you can either roll them forwards or backwards, we recommend moving them in small increments and making sure you ride it before you change it because we don't often sit on the bike in the riding position.

Brakes and Shifters

Proper brake lever positioning is critical for both comfort and control. Poorly adjusted levers can lead to wrist strain, hand fatigue, and a lack of braking confidence, especially on technical descents. Getting your levers dialled in will make braking more efficient, less tiring, and more instinctive—so you can focus on the trail ahead rather than struggling for grip.

Lever Angle: 

The angle of your brake levers affects how your wrists, arms, and shoulders align when riding. A good starting point is positioning the levers at a 30-45-degree downward angle relative to the handlebars.

• Too flat (0-20 degrees): Places excessive strain on your wrists, forcing them into an unnatural upward bend. This is inefficient and can cause discomfort over long rides.
• Too steep (50+ degrees): Rotates your wrists too far down, reducing braking power and making it harder to maintain a secure grip on rough terrain.
• The sweet spot (30-45 degrees): Encourages a neutral wrist position, aligning your forearm and fingers for maximum comfort and braking efficiency.

The ideal angle may vary depending on your riding discipline:

• Downhill & Enduro: Many riders prefer a steeper lever angle (40–45 degrees) to stay in a strong attack position when descending.
• Trail & XC: A slightly flatter setup (30–40 degrees) may be better for comfort during long rides and technical climbing.

Pro Tip: To set your lever angle, hop on your bike in a standing attack position, with your elbows slightly bent and your hands naturally resting on the grips. Adjust your levers so you can reach them without bending your wrists awkwardly.

Reach Adjustment: 

Most modern brake levers allow you to adjust reach—the distance between the lever and the grip—to suit your hand size and preference. Ideally, you should be able to brake comfortably with just one finger (usually the index finger), allowing your other fingers to maintain a firm grip on the bar for better control.

If the levers are too far away: You’ll strain to reach them, leading to hand fatigue and delayed braking response.
If they’re too close: You risk accidental braking and reduced leverage, making it harder to modulate braking power.

How to adjust reach:

1. Locate the reach adjust dial or screw on your brake levers (usually near the pivot).
2. Turn it clockwise to bring the lever closer or counterclockwise to move it further away.
3. Test it while riding—your index finger should rest naturally on the lever without overstretching.

Bite Point (Free Stroke) Adjustment

Some high-end brakes also allow you to fine-tune the bite point (or free stroke), which controls how soon the brakes engage after pulling the lever.

• A shorter free stroke makes the brakes engage quicker, which can be useful for aggressive riding.
• A longer free stroke provides a more progressive feel and is useful for better modulation on loose or technical terrain.

Final Check: After adjusting your brake levers, take a short ride and test them under different conditions. Braking should feel effortless, natural, and precise. 

Take the time to do this properly, if your brakes are in a natural position, you'll feel more in control and confident.

Shifter and Dropper post positioning

Your controls should be positioned so you can activate them without adjusting your grip or overreaching. If you have to shift your hand around, it can lead to delayed reactions, missed shifts, or an awkward dropper-post actuation just when you need it most.

• Shifter Positioning: Your thumb should naturally land on the shift paddles without lifting your hand off the grip. If you're stretching or twisting, bring them closer.
• Dropper Post Lever Positioning: The lever should sit in an ergonomic position below the left-hand grip, where you can press it effortlessly with your thumb while keeping a secure grip on the bars.

Just like your brake levers, shifters and dropper levers should follow the natural angle of your hands and wrists.

• Shifters: Angle them so that your thumb can easily press the paddles with minimal movement. SRAM and Shimano have different ergonomics so experiment with paddle height and tilt until shifts feel effortless.
• Dropper Post Levers: The best position depends on your hand size and riding style, but typically, the lever should be positioned in line with your brake lever for quick, instinctive access.

After setting up your shifter and dropper post lever, take a short test ride and ensure every movement is smooth, efficient, and comfortable. If something feels off, make micro-adjustments until it feels completely natural.

Grips

Some grips have a different textures around the circumference, these are designed to give you a different feel on your palms versus your fingers increasing grip and dialling in the feel. They're all going to be different but when you make a change to your bars, check the grips have followed suit.

Part Two: Big changes

In this section we're going to talk about stem lengths, cutting down handlebars and different-sized grips.

You might be one of the lucky ones, the riders that fit into the bracket and the spec that comes on the bike is perfect, in which case read on and don't worry about it. If you don't then you might need to make some changes.

Handlebar width

The first and most common one is bar width, generally, if you buy a bike, it'll come with uncut handlebars, typically 800mm on trail, enduro and DH bikes. You might find lighter 760mm bars on XC or flat bar touring bikes.

A common way to find a good starting point is:

Shoulder Width Rule:

• Measure the distance between the bony points of your shoulders (acromion process).
• Your handlebar width should be equal to or slightly wider than this measurement.

Arm Extension Test:

• Sit on your bike in a neutral riding position.
• Your arms should be slightly bent, and your wrists should feel neutral, not strained.
• If your elbows feel too tucked in, you may need wider bars.
• If your elbows flare too much, consider narrowing the bars.

A Quick Formula for Bar Width (Based on Shoulder Width)

A rough starting point formula:

Bar Width (mm)=Shoulder Width (cm)×3.5

Example: If your shoulders are 45cm wide, a good starting bar width is:

45×3.5=157.5 (Round to  760mm)

This formula works well for trail and enduro riding. Downhill riders may go wider, XC riders may go narrower.

When cutting down bars, unless you're absolutely sure, go in 5mm increments and test it each time. You can't put it back on.

Tools:

A tape measure: Birzman Tape Measure

A pipe cutter is the easiest way. Try the Birzman Tube Cutter

Cutting guide: Essential when using a hacksaw, make sure the cut is actually straight. Birzman Threadless Saw Guide

Hacksaw, metal or carbon blades: Birzman Hacksaw 12" and Birzman Carbon Saw Blade 12"

A file: For taking off the burrs from the cutting process. Birzman File

If you have carbon bars, make sure you have a well-ventilated area and don't breathe in the dust. Don't use a pipe cutter as it will split the layers.

Handlebar rise and stack height

Riding Style Typical Handlebar Rise (mm) Notes Downhill (DH) 30–50mm Higher rise for better front-end control on steep descents. Enduro 20–35mm A balance between climbing efficiency and downhill control. Trail 10–30mm Versatile, and adaptable for different terrains. Cross-Country (XC) 0–20mm Lower bars for a more aggressive, aerodynamic position.

As a general rule: 

• Higher rise = More upright, stable, better suited for steep, technical descents. Can also help with back pain.
• Lower rise = More front-end weight for climbing and aggressive cornering.
• If you’re too stretched out, consider adding spacers under the stem before changing the bars.

Stem Length

Bike reach and stem length go hand in hand, generally, they balance each other out but if you're finding the bike a little short or a little long, you want to change your weight balance on the bike or just want to try something new then switching out your stem is a great idea. Just make sure you get the right bar clamp diameter, they normally come in 31.8mm and 35mm.

Check out our stem collection

As always make sure to test it out before you change it. Modern bikes are easy to change and fine-tune. Embrace the process and have fun with it.