A standard Magura HS33 lever. Note the red turbo pad adjuster.

A brake lever is the control that allows the rider to apply the brakes. It is situated on the handlebars.

Brake levers come in several forms, depending on how the brake is operated. Levers for cable operated brakes have a mechanism to pull the cable, along with an adjuster to alter the engage point. Levers for hydraulic brakes have a piston which the lever compresses to activate the brake pads. Hydraulic levers may have small reservoirs for fluid on them, and sometimes adjusters to allow the altering of the engage point. An example of this is the TPA on the Magura HS33s.