I have an odd reason to use 2-finger braking on any levers that allow it: very long finger bones. So don't neglect the ergonomic aspect.

Better quality flat bar brakes (e.g. the hydraulics on my hardtail) are less bad; with cheap v-brakes I couldn't stop in an emergency with my middle finger behind the lever.

If I try to brake with just my index finger, I could get easily enough force, but the lever travel is limited by it hitting the knuckle of my middle finger. Rotating the lever around the bar doesn't help, just puts my wrist on a worse angle. Moving the levers inboard a long way would help, but then they clash with lights/bar bar/phone mount.

The solution would be to commit to one finger braking at all times, with cut down levers, but that removes the option to use 2 fingers at the end of a long day in the saddle, and I use my MTB for mixed surface long distance.

I have an odd reason to use 2-finger braking on any levers that allow it: very long finger bones. So don't neglect the ergonomic aspect.

Better quality flat bar brakes (e.g. hydraulics on my hardtail) are less bad:

_{MT200 hydraulics on my hardtail- they'd have to move a long way inboard to clear the shifter}

_{TRP Spyres on the tandem (despite the "V-brake" text on the lever; anyway I had the same levers on my hybrid with V brakes). Moving inboard means moving the shifter to an awkward position and rules out a bar bag. Even with a light stoker, I can easily be stopping 160kg, so want 2 fingers}

On both the MTB and the tandem I can use a single finger on my back brake to control speed on steady descents with good visibility, covering the front with 2 fingers.

With cheap v-brakes (on a bike I keep near work so don't have here to photograph) I couldn't stop in an emergency with my middle finger behind the lever.

If I try to brake with just my index finger, I could get easily enough force, but the lever travel is limited by it hitting the knuckle of my middle finger. Rotating the lever around the bar doesn't help, just puts my wrist on a worse angle. Moving the levers inboard a long way would help, but then they clash with lights/bar bar/phone mount.

The solution would be to commit to one finger braking at all times, with cut down levers, but that removes the option to use 2 fingers at the end of a long day in the saddle, and I use my MTB for mixed surface long distance.