Quote Originally Posted by Catrin View Post
During my ride I basically had my thumbs on the handle bars and my fingers were touching the brakes - not putting any pressure on them
I don't know if it's right or wrong but I don't tend to leave mine on the brakes - I've had to brake in a hurry more than once and it's not a problem to grab them when you need to. I think it's more of a confidence thing than a habit thing - once you get more comfortable on the bike in general you won't feel so reliant on "needing" the brakes for security.

That said, the "reach" on those brake levers can be adjusted.. you shouldn't need to strain yourself to reach them, or cause fatigue/pain because of them.