Continental brakes - Wrong way round

[levarg]

I'm based in the Czech Republic and the brakes on bikes here are the wrong way round. i.e. right lever is rear brake, and left is front. Took a little bit of getting used to at first.
Anybody know why they are like this?

 

[DCBassman]

USA is the same. Maybe it's just us?

 

[raleighnut]

I'm based in the Czech Republic and the brakes on bikes here are the wrong way round. i.e. right lever is rear brake, and left is front. Took a little bit of getting used to at first.
Anybody know why they are like this?

It's to make hand signals easier as they ride on the other side of the carriageway.

 

[DCBassman]

There you go...never even considered that.

 

[levarg]

How exactly does it make hand signals easier?

 

[MichaelW2]

It assumes that you are right handed, making an offside turn ( continental left) and that you prefer to operate the rear brake.
No real sense in the setup. Personally I prefer dominant hand on front brake.

 

[Smokin Joe]

USA is the same. Maybe it's just us?

It is mainly us, most other countries have front left (As do I by preference).

The cable clamp on most calipers gives a smoother cable run from the left lever.

 

[levarg]

It assumes that you are right handed, making an offside turn ( continental left) and that you prefer to operate the rear brake.
No real sense in the setup. Personally I prefer dominant hand on front brake.

I agree. Surely it is better for right-handed people to operate the front brake with the right hand. Personally I do a lot more braking than I do hand signals.

 

[Illaveago]

It is fun if you try doing a tail wheel skid not knowing they are the wrong way round. I did it years ago and wondered why the front wheel skipped about madly.

 

[User66445]

It can be a nuisance. Bought the Brompton in the UK then had to swap the brake levers as I was so used to right hand back.

Oz follows the British pattern, so it could be a hangover from the days of Empire more than anything else.

 

[PK99]

It assumes that you are right handed, making an offside turn ( continental left) and that you prefer to operate the rear brake.
No real sense in the setup. Personally I prefer dominant hand on front brake.

Dominant hand is irrelevant - you don't want to grab too much front brake part way into a turn.

 

[Old jon]

Brazil is wrong way around as well. I found out riding the bike in the shop, before I bought it.

Motorbikes are all the right way round, I think. Why should pedal bikes be different?

 

[levarg]

Motorbikes are all the right way round, I think. Why should pedal bikes be different?

Good point.

 

[Drago]

It all dates back to the end of WWI and the Treaty of Versaille. Only the British were able to have their bikes set up that way, and thus fire a Webley service revolver whilst riding.

 

[MichaelW2]

Dominant hand is irrelevant - you don't want to grab too much front brake part way into a turn.

Grabbing too much rear brake on a corner will have you off sooner