Which way around do the pro's have their brakes set up?

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Cyclopathic

Veteran
Location
Leicester.
As they prefer or all the same? If as they prefer does it pose a problem if they have to have their bike replaced, either by their team or by the race organizers bike car?
Very trivial question I know but just curious to know.
 
Rear brake on the left, RD shifter on right. That gives more control when downshifting on the brakes, when banked over. They don't all do the same thing, but I have it on good authority that's the preference. Because most people are right handed.
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
I am surprised, in that case, that most brake calipers are made with the cable entering on the right not on the left, because if the front brake lever is on the same side as the cable entry that means the cable bends through a tighter angle (it also looks ugly, but ...).
 

raindog

er.....
Location
France
I am surprised, in that case, that most brake calipers are made with the cable entering on the right not on the left, because if the front brake lever is on the same side as the cable entry that means the cable bends through a tighter angle (it also looks ugly, but ...).
absolutely - that's why the front calipers are made like that - cable always comes from the left lever

sptdw0138_670.jpg
 
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Cyclopathic

Cyclopathic

Veteran
Location
Leicester.
I wonder if it causes problems when they have to use a replacement bike that may be set up differently. Also apologies if this topic has already been done to death.
 

Citius

Guest
I've got a French mechanic for when my bikes need a serious overhaul ( I like to fettle and replace easy stuff, but they do need big overhauls from time to time) the first thing he did, the last time I took one of my bikes to him, was swap the shifters over, so the rear brake was on the left, he told me to trust him on that, he was so right, it's a lot nicer for me that way round.

Ironically, being a French mechanic, he appears to have set your bike up the UK way. Anyway, you don't need to swap the shifters - only the cable routing into the shifters.
 
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Cyclopathic

Cyclopathic

Veteran
Location
Leicester.
I've got a French mechanic for when my bikes need a serious overhaul ( I like to fettle and replace easy stuff, but they do need big overhauls from time to time) the first thing he did, the last time I took one of my bikes to him, was swap the shifters over, so the rear brake was on the left, he told me to trust him on that, he was so right, it's a lot nicer for me that way round.
Good grief. How many French mechanics do you have? :smile:
 
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Cyclopathic

Cyclopathic

Veteran
Location
Leicester.
I imagine that if you swap them around that it's a bit like the first time you decide to use your left foot on car brakes, you know, just to see what it's like and you nearly catapult yourself through the windscreen.
 
I imagine that if you swap them around that it's a bit like the first time you decide to use your left foot on car brakes, you know, just to see what it's like and you nearly catapult yourself through the windscreen.
Very much so to begin with, once you're used to it, it's sweet as a nut (for me anyway).
 

woohoo

Veteran
The general convention has been/is: if you ride/drive on the left then the front brake is on the right (and vice versa). There are plenty of articles that cover the background to this. However, there are always exceptions e.g. in days of old, Italian riders had the front brake on the right (have a look at some pics of Pantani for example).

I have one bike set up the "British" (and Australian etc) way and another set up a la Continental and have no problems adapting to the different set-ups.

(Also completely OT but Italian lorries used to have the steering wheel on the right so that the drivers knew just how close they were to the edge on mountain passes).

Edit ... and I'm sure that Evans had the front on the right when he rode for BMC but the rest of the team had the front on the left
 
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