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Front Brake on Left or Right?

Ok i thought i'd ask the question after id been looking through the ride bicycle magazine and noticing almost everyone has it on the left. But i saw a picuture of Cadel Evans also in the mag and it had it on the right. I checked my bike and found it also on the right. So a couple of questions:

1. Is there a side it is supposed to be on?
2. Is it just me with it on the right or is it an aussie thing (sort of like how we drive on the left hand side of the road and on the right of the car).
3. What way do you have it.
4. Your thoughts about it (does it bother you, have you ever noticed other peoples being different etc, etc.)

Cheers
 
Mar 19, 2009
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Keep it on the left. How are you going to downshift and brake at the same time going into a hard corner and have to accelerate out of it? Some people set it up reverse, but it's usually those weirdo ex-mtb'ers:D

This would've been great in the "gear" section.;)
 
Mar 11, 2009
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El Imbatido said:
Ok i thought i'd ask the question after id been looking through the ride bicycle magazine and noticing almost everyone has it on the left. But i saw a picuture of Cadel Evans also in the mag and it had it on the right. I checked my bike and found it also on the right. So a couple of questions:

1. Is there a side it is supposed to be on?
2. Is it just me with it on the right or is it an aussie thing (sort of like how we drive on the left hand side of the road and on the right of the car).
3. What way do you have it.
4. Your thoughts about it (does it bother you, have you ever noticed other peoples being different etc, etc.)

Cheers

In Australia it is set by the Australian Standards that the front brake must be on the right and rear on the left. This is for safety.

Link
http://www.bv.com.au/bikes-and-riding/11156/
 
Mar 19, 2009
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Man, you guys have it rough in Australia. Too bad you got that assbackwards road system of the Brits. Forced helmet wearing enforced by the bicycle Taliban in a form of Sharia law adapted to cyclists. Next thing you're going to tell me is all bikes require a backup alarm and solid rubber tires, I mean tyres. Beep-beep-beep:D
 
Mar 3, 2009
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RDV4ROUBAIX said:
Man, you guys have it rough in Australia. Too bad you got that assbackwards road system of the Brits. Forced helmet wearing enforced by the bicycle Taliban in a form of Sharia law adapted to cyclists. Next thing you're going to tell me is all bikes require a backup alarm and solid rubber tires, I mean tyres. Beep-beep-beep:D

It's true. Although, we also have sun and sandy beaches...so it's not all as bad as the motherland.

Cheers
Greg Johnson
 
Greg Johnson said:
It's true. Although, we also have sun and sandy beaches...so it's not all as bad as the motherland.

But it also appears that nearly every creature down there is deadly in some way or another. Plus there are giant ozone holes that pillage the countryside.

:)

What other countries put the front brake on the right? What is the relation to motorcycle standards?
 
Mar 11, 2009
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RDV4ROUBAIX said:
Man, you guys have it rough in Australia. Too bad you got that assbackwards road system of the Brits. Forced helmet wearing enforced by the bicycle Taliban in a form of Sharia law adapted to cyclists. Next thing you're going to tell me is all bikes require a backup alarm and solid rubber tires, I mean tyres. Beep-beep-beep:D

It is also a requirement that all bikes are sold with a bell and reflectors :) usually they are just put in a bag and given to the purchaser.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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BroDeal said:
What other countries put the front brake on the right? What is the relation to motorcycle standards?

Clutch on the left, front brake lever on the right on motorcycles...in the US and here at least (is it the opposite in the UK and Australia?).

I know a lot of MX racers and motorcyclists in general that have picked up cycling for various reasons (all of which are great if you ask me), and have the brake levers swapped to be more in line with what they're used to on their motorcyles.
 
Apr 8, 2009
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I think it is more to do with which side of the road you drive on. In Europe the front brake is usually on the left, at least that how Eddy Merckx had his, so that is how I set mine up when I started way back.

I am not sure of the logic but if I am riding on the left side of the road, I can brake with the front brake and still indicate with my right arm.

In reality, riding in Europe I dont have any problem the other side of the road, but it means using the back brake if you have to slow whilst indicating. I think maybe the intention is to always use the back brake in preference to avoid over the bars accidents, but for most experienced cyclists this is not a problem.

As always the great thing about standards is that you can have more than one.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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El Imbatido said:
Ok i thought i'd ask the question after id been looking through the ride bicycle magazine and noticing almost everyone has it on the left. But i saw a picuture of Cadel Evans also in the mag and it had it on the right. I checked my bike and found it also on the right. So a couple of questions:

1. Is there a side it is supposed to be on?
2. Is it just me with it on the right or is it an aussie thing (sort of like how we drive on the left hand side of the road and on the right of the car).
3. What way do you have it.
4. Your thoughts about it (does it bother you, have you ever noticed other peoples being different etc, etc.)

Cheers

1.No
2.Donno, I live in the USA
3.Right to front-friction shifters, explain below.
4.See below

Originally it came from things like getting mussette bag with right hand, braking with left hand to rear to not launch one over handlebars. Plus ability to slow with left hand, again to rear and shift rear derailleur with right hand on downtube shifter.

I drink, eat, etc with my right hand so it makes sense to brake with left hand. Also motorcycle background which has the same gig, right hand to front brake.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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It's actually very simple and has nothing to do with motorcycles or mtb. It has to do with what Davidg mentioned. While riding in traffic you should be able to signal for a turn and operate the rear brake. So if you're riding on the left side of the road you are signaling with your right hand which means your rear brake needs to be on the left lever. Australia, Japan and the UK are the main places where this is the standard, but there are quite a few other small countries that drive on the left.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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justme said:
It's actually very simple and has nothing to do with motorcycles or mtb. It has to do with what Davidg mentioned. While riding in traffic you should be able to signal for a turn and operate the rear brake. So if you're riding on the left side of the road you are signaling with your right hand which means your rear brake needs to be on the left lever. Australia, Japan and the UK are the main places where this is the standard, but there are quite a few other small countries that drive on the left.

In some places, whilst riding far right, it is legal to signal a right hand turn with your right arm, not left.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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El Imbatido said:
Ok i thought i'd ask the question after id been looking through the ride bicycle magazine and noticing almost everyone has it on the left. But i saw a picuture of Cadel Evans also in the mag and it had it on the right. I checked my bike and found it also on the right. So a couple of questions:

1. Is there a side it is supposed to be on?
2. Is it just me with it on the right or is it an aussie thing (sort of like how we drive on the left hand side of the road and on the right of the car).
3. What way do you have it.
4. Your thoughts about it (does it bother you, have you ever noticed other peoples being different etc, etc.)

Cheers
It is supposed to be on the Right, everyone else is wrong.

Driving on the Left is also how God intended. Everyone else is wrong.

What really bothered me is that my Trek Madone came with the brakes the wrong way round and had to have the cables re-routed through the frame. Which is a complete and utter hastle!
 
Apr 8, 2009
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Ovidius said:
It is supposed to be on the Right, everyone else is wrong.

Driving on the Left is also how God intended. Everyone else is wrong.

What really bothered me is that my Trek Madone came with the brakes the wrong way round and had to have the cables re-routed through the frame. Which is a complete and utter hastle!

Actually you are unfortunate because not only did your Trek come with the brakes the wrong way round, it came with the wrong brakes full stop. Should have been Campag - lol. If you look at most brakes, they are designed to work better with the front brake on left as it is a more natural run for the cables to the clamp on the stirrup. Look at the photos from the Giro and you will see what I mean.

Drive on the left, front brake on the left. Easy to remember :)
 
Apr 9, 2009
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In the UK 99% of bikes have there front brake on the right. When I recieve bikes from Orbea I have to swap the frotn and rear breaks around as Spanish bikes have the front brakes on the right.
I dont know the reason why.
I rode for a small amateur team in France and was asked by the team mechanic what side I wanted my front brake on.
And in the UK we too have to sell a bike with refelctors and a bell.
 
Mar 14, 2009
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Front on left for me, but . .

Brakes designed by Campy, SRAM & even Shimano the front brake lever should be on the left.

I think all the laws/regulations (including the Oz ones) are concerned with supermarket & cheaper bikes, so do not have to apply to most of us riding custom & racing bikes, so do according to your own logic.

I'm left handed, so my logic is to use my dominant hand to work the brake needing the most power & control.

As we indicate using both hands (left with left hand & right with right hand), I'm not sure how indicating can really be the determining factor?

PS. I believe that orignially everywhere in Europe drove on the left, but Napoleon decided to use his power & changed it to the right.
 
Apr 22, 2009
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Milessio said:
I'm left handed, so my logic is to use my dominant hand to work the brake needing the most power & control.

Me too, but then I also notice that my left hand is the one I'm most likely to take off the bars if I need a hand for something, so not the best if you need to stop suddenly in those circumstances.
 
I just moved to Au from the US and soon after moving had to replace a front shifting STI. Naturally it was a left side shifter. I asked my wife to go to the shop and talk to them about ordering her piece (I have been in there way to much lately).

They told her they could only order left shifters that changed the rear. When my wife told me this is what they said I was like WTF!?! They can’t sell you a front left shifter!?!? So when I went down to ask myself. They confirmed it and told me the sort of shifter I wanted was not legal. I had to order it from ebay.

Hot Damn finally I can be a bikie outlaw!!
 
May 19, 2009
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Old school sprinters used to put rear brake on left so they could drop their right hand to the down tube shifters and shift while feathering the rear brake in the last turn of a criterium. Some still do it because their instinct and habit patterns are locked in.
 
Mar 11, 2009
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Major Taylor said:
I just moved to Au from the US and soon after moving had to replace a front shifting STI. Naturally it was a left side shifter. I asked my wife to go to the shop and talk to them about ordering her piece (I have been in there way to much lately).

They told her they could only order left shifters that changed the rear. When my wife told me this is what they said I was like WTF!?! They can’t sell you a front left shifter!?!? So when I went down to ask myself. They confirmed it and told me the sort of shifter I wanted was not legal. I had to order it from ebay.

Hot Damn finally I can be a bikie outlaw!!

Me thinks you are telling a joke here. There are no sti/ERGO shifters that shift the rear that mount on the left side of the handlebars and besides, if it shifts the front derailleur, it can be used on either brake.
 
Mar 14, 2009
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username said:
I might be wrong but doesn't DiLuca have his front brake Right and so did Marco Pantani? Both Italians (duh) where cyclists use Left front.

Not sure about Pantani, but you're correct about Di Luca. I think that shows they can think and don't just follow.

urace4me2: I keep reaching down to pull my toe straps up, and lean over when cornering so I don't tip my little trike over :)

(BTW, you can operate downtube levers with either hand, so I still think it's really all down to which is your dominant hand & which brake you want it to operate).
 

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