Right front back, left front front

[Crankarm]

Brake set up on a Boardman CX at my local Halfords.

Halfords shop asst told me this was how all brakes on European bikes and rest of world are set up and how they receive them in. Ok ……………..

 

[raleighnut]

5 mins to swap the cables over, bit longer if you've gotta re-tape the bars

 

[Crankarm]

5 mins to swap the cables over, bit longer if you've gotta re-tape the bars

But this was a brand new bike on display in the store.

 

[raleighnut]

But this was a brand new bike on display in the store.

As far as I know the guy is right, there may be some other countries that have our set up but most of Europe is reversed to us for sure.

 

[ScotiaLass]

As far as I know the guy is right, there may be some other countries that have our set up but most of Europe is reversed to us for sure.

What he said...

 

[Ian H]

It used to be illegal to sell bikes in the UK with a continental brake set-up - is it not now? But most club-men would straightaway swap them over to left-hand front. All mine are like that.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Brake set up on a Boardman CX at my local Halfords.

Halfords shop asst told me this was how all brakes on European bikes and rest of world are set up and how they receive them in. Ok ……………..

Yes, this is true. Brakes are set up so that when you have an arm out indicating to turn across traffic you are controlling the brake that won't throw you over the bars if you pull it suddenly. So, left for countries that drive on the left and right for everyone else.

Since the vast majority of the world's bikes now come out of the same few factories in Taiwan it's quite likely that a lot get shipped with the brakes wired the wrong way round for us. As this was the display bike they've probably just got it out of the box and done the absolute minimum to make it presentable.

 

[winjim]

That's how they display them. Is it how they set it up for a customer?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

It used to be illegal to sell bikes in the UK with a continental brake set-up - is it not now? But most club-men would straightaway swap them over to left-hand front. All mine are like that.

It is still a requirement to sell bikes with the brakes set up for the UK. Unfortunately some retailers can be a bit lax.

 

[mattobrien]

Believe it or not my last bike came without forward and rear reflectors fitted. The horror

 

[Archie_tect]

I can't remember which way round my bikes' brakes are.... it's just a reflex- never gave it a thought til Crankarm raised it!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Couldn't tell you how mine are set without going and pulling them TBH. I can see the sense in setting them right tho. It's my weekend tomorrow so may have a little check and fettle if needs be.

 

[MontyVeda]

As far as I know the guy is right, there may be some other countries that have our set up but most of Europe is reversed to us for sure.

yeah but... we're a little island off the coast of Europe... we do things differently here. If they sold cars would they be left hand drive??

...

The only reason you'd have the reversed set up was if the majority of people were left handed, as it's nothing to do with signalling (that's a bit of an internet meme) but to do with the dominant hand and braking.

Some manufacturers do it one way - others do it another.

which would suggest it's got bugger all to do with your dominant hand theory.

 

[summerdays]

It is still a requirement to sell bikes with the brakes set up for the UK. Unfortunately some retailers can be a bit lax.

I didn't realise that, I just assumed it was who made them. Doesn't decathlon have the reverse setup?

 

[Ian193]

The handlebars are on the right way round I assume did read somewhere that they had seen a bike with the forks the wrong way round so anythings possible