Is it worth swapping brakes over?

[helston90]

Just picked up a second hand bike for my daughter, it was just what I was after and only £25 so happy days.

The only niggle is that the brakes currently operate the American way with right doing rear and vice versa.

My daughter is only 7 so hasn't got huge amounts of miles behind her so wondering if it's worth swapping them over or if it's something she'll get used to (opposite to her current bike) pretty quickly?

I don't want to set her up to fail but also don't want to carry out a job for no reason when it all works fine at the moment.

 

[I like Skol]

Is it flat bar brakes? If so then swapping should be a two minute job. Drop bars are more involved as the cables usually need pulling through.
IMO you should swap to standardise. Having said that, my wife still doesn't know which lever does which brake!

 

[Sharky]

The reason for having the rear brake on the left in the UK is for when you are turning right and hand signalling at the same time. A front brake can be fierce and stop you quickly and if it was being used when signalling, then you can go over the handle bars (I know). So the logic is to have the gentler brake (the rear) operating on the left, so you can slow down whilst signalling and turning right, but no danger of going over the bars.

 

[Milkfloat]

Personally I would swap them over for her, even if it meant re-cabling.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Speaking as someone who does a lot of cycling training with kids, I'd swap them.

 

[Cycleops]

As has been said a simple job to swap over. Brakes are a very important aspect especially for a seven year old and if the bike is old I would make sure they are operating well.
I would replace the cables, grease them as well then check the blocks, do they operate efficiently? If you have steel rims they are poor in the wet and you need to replace them with blocks that will work.

 

[biggs682]

swap it over , just imagine how you would feel if another child jumped on it with more miles behind them and pulled on what they thought was one break and it turned it out it was the other one and they had an accident

 

[helston90]

All good points well made, I haven't had a full check over of it yet but will do before she rides it.

This is what we're dealing with so I may be able to slacken off the cables enough just to unhook on the lever end - not had a chance to look yet.

 

[raleighnut]

All good points well made, I haven't had a full check over of it yet but will do before she rides it.

This is what we're dealing with so I may be able to slacken off the cables enough just to unhook on the lever end - not had a chance to look yet.

View attachment 353801

2 minute job, release the noodles and swap the cables over, job done.

 

[raleighnut]

All good points well made, I haven't had a full check over of it yet but will do before she rides it.

This is what we're dealing with so I may be able to slacken off the cables enough just to unhook on the lever end - not had a chance to look yet.

View attachment 353801

p.s. Don't forget to hook the noodles back in after.

 

[helston90]

p.s. Don't forget to hook the noodles back in after.

 

[Globalti]

TBH I would simply buy new inner cables and refit on the British sides. While you're at it, loosen the pinch bolts on the levers and rotate them so that they are angled down by about 35 degrees, which will be more in line with the natural line of her arms and hands. I would also fit new inner gear cable and replace the outer at the RD and shorten the other gear cable outers a little to make them tidier and reduce friction.

 

[helston90]

TBH I would simply buy new inner cables and refit on the British sides. While you're at it, loosen the pinch bolts on the levers and rotate them so that they are angled down by about 35 degrees, which will be more in line with the natural line of her arms and hands. I would also fit new inner gear cable and replace the outer at the RD and shorten the other gear cable outers a little to make them tidier and reduce friction.

This all sounds like a good plan, I noticed the front brake cable outer looks suspiciously tight as well, think someone may have cut that short at some point!
Definitely need to rotate brake levers.
Just need to find someone doing purple or sparkly gear/ brake outers now.

 

[raleighnut]

This all sounds like a good plan, I noticed the front brake cable outer looks suspiciously tight as well, think someone may have cut that short at some point!
Definitely need to rotate brake levers.
Just need to find someone doing purple or sparkly gear/ brake outers now.

it looks more like someone has swapped the cables over previously, the front may well be long enough once it's back on the 'british' side.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I noticed the front brake cable outer looks suspiciously tight

@raleighnut has beaten me to it: that length outer will be fine from the RH brake lever (and from the image, vice versa).
With any pre-used bike which is 'new to you' I think it is sensible practice to replace the brake cables. These are safety critical items and you don't know what condition they're in, until you pull them right out. This also allows you to I'd remove the rear one, and if it's visually OK, cut it short and use as a 'new' front one; and then replace the rear with a new one. This type of bike will have had minimal use and so the outers are probably functionally OK.