Continental brakes - Wrong way round

[ColinJ]

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

Grabbing too much either brake on a corner will have you off soon enough!

 

[pjd57]

I could'nt tell you which way round mine are.
Both at once is my preferred option

 

[raleighnut]

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.

They also drive on the proper side of the road.

 

[Sharky]

In the uk, we have the rear brake on the left so that when turning right and doing a hand signal with the right arm,, you can apply a gentle brake to steady yourself. If the left hand operated the front brake, it could be too fierce and easy to go over the bars. (I have proven this!!).

Interesting though, if you are a fixie and only have a front brake, it is customary to have a left hand front brake. Google some images of fixie riders from the old days. So fixie riders can apply back pedaling for a gentle braking, can still indicate with the right arm and if needed can still use the front brake.

 

[rd83]

Just got back from Holland, where the hire bikes required you to pedal back to brake!

 

[Venod]

I always ran front brake left for 35+ years, I then built yet another bike but the best cable routing was a front right lever, so I changed all my others to suit, no problem getting used to it, .

 

[TheDoctor]

I'm not actually sure which way round my brakes are. I rarely brake hard enough that it becomes an issue.
Quite possibly they're different on my various bikes.
You've got me worried now.
*worries*

 

[Ian H]

Grabbing too much either brake on a corner will have you off soon enough!

It's much easier to recover from a rear wheel slide.

 

[Ian H]

I've always had my brakes 'continental-style'.

 

[Specialeyes]

I have my old Italian bikes set up Italian style and British/non-retro bikes set up UK-style. As we live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac, the first couple of hundred yards of any ride from my house is gently uphill so I occasionally have to feather the 'front' lever and watch the calliper just to fix in my mind which one's which. After that it's second nature, like driving onto the autoroute at Calais. There, I've gone and tempted fate now...

 

[ColinJ]

It's much easier to recover from a rear wheel slide.

I know - I've done it lots of times, but that is my definition of 'almost too much'. 'Too much' is beyond recovery! (I've done that a few times too; usually with the front brake, but once or twice with the rear one.)

 

[Milzy]

Yeah it’s weird when you higher a bike for a few days in Mallorca. By the time you’re used to it you’re then back home getting used to normal.

 

[GuyBoden]

In the uk, we have the rear brake on the left so that when turning right and doing a hand signal with the right arm,, you can apply a gentle brake to steady yourself.

Also, why we still ride on the left.

"In the past, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road because that was the most sensible option for feudal, violent societies. Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent and their scabbard further from him."

Slow down with your back brake, so that you can draw your sword with your right hand.

 

[Globalti]

There's another theory about coachmen passing mail between them.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have both Danish and English bikes and find your brain switches into automatic once you have ridden them for a while. Then there is the one with one brake lever and you pedal backwards to brake. Now thats a death trap