Brakes

[JackStraw]

Hi All,
I hope you are well.
I have a quick question about the brakes.
Is there a particular reason why the rear brake is on the left side of a handlebar and front brakes are on the right?
I found this is not good for me.

I try to break it down 😆 for you.
I am right handed however I only feel comfortable to steer with my left hand alone (but not with a right hand). I don't know why.

On the other hand 😆 I see a tendency for me to squeeze the brakes on the right side (front brakes) more often and sooner than the rear ones which is not good.

I think the reason I do it is because I am pretty much blind to my left eye and while cycling I don't see my left hand very well what I think makes my right hand dominant in this type of scenario.

I think best if I swap the wires over.

 

[markemark]

Think it’s something to do with indicating (arm out) to cross oncoming traffic and which you can use with the remaining hand. Think that’s why U.K. is opposite to other countries as we cycle on the left so are free to indicate to turn right.

 

[rogerzilla]

You can swap the cables if you like. The UK requirement for right-front only applies when bikes are sold new.

The theory is that a cyclist signalling for a right hand turn (the most risky type) has the less snatchy brake, but it's down to personal preference really.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Hi All,
I hope you are well.
I have a quick question about the brakes.
Is there a particular reason why the rear brake is on the left side of a handlebar and front brakes are on the right?
I found this is not good for me.

I try to break it down 😆 for you.
I am right handed however I only feel comfortable to steer with my left hand alone (but not with a right hand). I don't know why.

On the other hand 😆 I see a tendency for me to squeeze the brakes on the right side (front brakes) more often and sooner than the rear ones which is not good.

I think the reason I do it is because I am pretty much blind to my left eye and while cycling I don't see my left hand very well what I think makes my right hand dominant in this type of scenario.

I think best if I swap the wires over.

This is UK specific, bikes purchased in other countries will be the other way around. The theory is that you use the front brake to modulate your speed so having that brake on most people's dominant hand is better (yes, this can't account for left handers). The rear brake when pulled too hard can also lock up and cause a skid, so again having this on most people's 'weaker' hand is seen as safer.

There are other theories such as in the UK, bikes originally had coaster brakes with no lever, when a brake lever was added originally it was a single lever front brake and was just added on the right hand side, when a second lever was added, the only space available was the left. In France single brakes were originally rear brakes but the lever went on the 'dominant' right hand, when a front brake was added later on, the lever had to go on the left.

 

[Nollaig]

Machinery is all a mystery until you get your head around it for example an automatic car is marked "D" and "N" daytime and night time driving! i told a friend car shopping.... result bus ride home

 

[briantrumpet]

I'm trying to get used to having my bikes in France with both sorts of cable routing. My old brain seems to cope reasonably well, though I've not had an "oh sh*t!" emergency stopping event yet to test my subconscious instinct yet.

 

[Alex321]

In general, the brake set upi for new bikes in most countries is such that the rear brake is the one operated by the hand still on the bars when indicating to turn across the traffic.

So on Left lane driving countries such as the UK, the rear brake is on the oeft, while in right lane driving counbtries such as all those in mainland Europe, it is on the right.

you can always change them round to your own preference, the ruels only dictate the setup for bicycles sold new.

 

[Sharky]

I can verify the risk, in the UK , of having a front brake lever on the left.

As a youngster I had this setup, indicating right and braking with my left hand. Braked too quickly and went over the handlebars.

In my defence, I had been riding a fixed gear bike for several years. For these bikes, with only one brake, the convention is to have the lever on the left and had kept the preference on my first geared bike. I very soon afterwards switched the front brake to the right.

 

[JackStraw]

I can verify the risk, in the UK , of having a front brake lever on the left.

As a youngster I had this setup, indicating right and braking with my left hand. Braked too quickly and went over the handlebars.

In my defence, I had been riding a fixed gear bike for several years. For these bikes, with only one brake, the convention is to have the lever on the left and had kept the preference on my first geared bike. I very soon afterwards switched the front brake to the right.

I know what you mean, in my case front tends to skid on dry sand. I swap them over as I don't drive on the roads with cars however these off-road bikers are reckless, I think they are friendly only because they want to zoom past you at 40mph🙂

 

[Ming the Merciless]

, this can't account for left handers

Make no difference as primary difference of dominant hand is fine motor control. For braking you’re not using fine motor control and braking works just fine with either hand. I am left handed.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You want to apply the rear lightly to slow you, then rear and front to stop. When approaching a right turn you can nicely slow with your left hand brake, whilst indicating you are turning with right arm.

If you are yanking on the brakes, that eventually is not going to end well, whether front or rear.

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

Make no difference as primary difference of dominant hand is fine motor control. For braking you’re not using fine motor control and braking works just fine with either hand. I am left handed.

Fair point, I just meant the theory was that it was done on the basis of most people being right handed as the OP asked for the reason behind it.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Fair point, I just meant the theory was that it was done on the basis of most people being right handed as the OP asked for the reason behind it.

The original theory was that it allowed you to control your speed whilst freeing up your sword hand to do battle with passing miscreants.

 

[Alex321]

The original theory was that it allowed you to control your speed whilst freeing up your sword hand to do battle with passing miscreants.

That is the theory of why we drive on the left here, but I don't think it has much to do with which brake is the left on a bike

 

[mjr]

I can verify the risk, in the UK , of having a front brake lever on the left.

As a youngster I had this setup, indicating right and braking with my left hand. Braked too quickly and went over the handlebars.

Whereas if you'd snatched too much back brake, you would have skidded the back and slid over instead. There is no escape from mechanical insensitivity!