General Cycling Discussion - Why is the chain rings always on the right?

Why is the chain rings always on the right?
Silly question I know but it would be interesting to know if there is a specific reason.

Is it just tradition or some mechanical reason that the chain ring is always located on the right of any type of bicycle?

There are several possible reasons. The most likely to me seems to be to do with mounting the bicycle, and when wheeling it on foot. The majority of people apparently mount their bike from the left side, and stand on the left when pushing it (something to do with right-handedness?). It therefore makes sense to put the transmission on the right, away from the rider's leg when standing beside the bike. Tandems of course usually have a chain on each side, and it's technically possible to set up a fixed gear with left-side-drive, though the pedal threads will be the wrong way round.

Standardization. To put it on the left side, you'd have to come up with an entire new drivetrain's worth of parts. And the frame would need the dropouts switched. Disclaimer: A tandem puts the captain's chainring and timing chain on the left side.

Mechanical sensibility. If you have chainring botls etc on the right side, the transmission turns in a direction that tightens the components. If it were on the left side, it would be going against the right tighty left loosey thingy. Stuff might come loose. ;)

Like bar tape, you wrap it in a direction that tightens it when you grip it. Although the last shop to do our newest bike didn't. They suck!:D

Disclaimer: A tandem puts the captain's chainring and timing chain on the left side.

Where do they put the stoker's timing chainring?:D

For the same reason all motorcycle mufflers are mounted on the right side--a vast majority of crashes and tipovers occur on the left-hand side. The drivetrain (especially the delicate derailleurs) are protected by mounting them on the side which statistically sees the fewest crashes. I have three theories why we have this tendency:

~Our hearts (which are big, heavy organs) are located on our left, which makes us asymmetric bipedal primates more prone to tip that way.
~We have a Darwinian tendency to protect our sword (right) hand. I've even seen left-handed people who seem to do this when you're attacking them.
~(This one probably doesn't apply to you), because we drive on the correct side of the road, we tend to have better visibility when negotiating left-curves, than right-curves, so we naturally ride them more quickly and aggressively.

Mechanical sensibility. If you have chainring botls etc on the right side, the transmission turns in a direction that tightens the components. If it were on the left side, it would be going against the right tighty left loosey thingy. Stuff might come loose. ;)

I vote for this answer.

Because you carry your sword on your left side and you don't want it
in the chaining!

I have no idea what I am talking about! but it makes no sense any way!!

LOL...

The real reason is, the French invented the bicycle and they don't need
a reason for any thing, it is just French!

Because you carry your sword on your left side and you don't want it
in the chaining!

I have no idea what I am talking about! but it makes no sense any way!!

Actually you're closer than you think. It's the same side people mount horses from.

[QUOTE=Marauder9;12599314]Why is the chain rings always on the right?
QUOTE]

If the chain rings were on the left, there would be some unforgettable cross chaining. :D

Where do they put the stoker's timing chainring?

well track tandems and Rohloff Hub Tandems
all 3 chainrings can be on the Right, BUT..
derailleur bikes, the timing chain nowadays connects the captains crank.
to the left of stokers Crankset.. 3 on the right 1 on the left

the 40's~ 50s setups, there was often a really long final drive chain,
and the Captain had the chainrings on both sides of the spindle, then..

so in that situation, the stoker could be considered connected by 'their' timing chain..

current setups I'd say it was the Captains timing chain..

SO, The folly of universal generalizations, not Always

tandems are commonly having 2 chainrings on the left..

Mechanical sensibility. If you have chainring botls etc on the right side, the transmission turns in a direction that tightens the components. If it were on the left side, it would be going against the right tighty left loosey thingy. Stuff might come loose. ;)

That's what I think too. Whether you use a freewheel or a fixed cog, if you install it on the right side of the hub a more common right hand thread will self-tighten as you ride down the road.

That's what I think too. Whether you use a freewheel or a fixed cog, if you install it on the right side of the hub a more common right hand thread will self-tighten as you ride down the road.

Yes, the freewheel would be the best example. Me and my little chainring bolts.:p

I saw an article from WorkCycles (http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2011/04/18/fixed-gears-at-workcycles/) in the Netherlands...they built a left side chain ring fixed gear bike for someone so their dog wouldn't get tangled up while running along side.

Aaron :)

Sheldon Brown to the rescue: http://sheldonbrown.org/gunnar/
Just because!

http://sheldonbrown.org/gunnar/thumbnails/gunnar-asc.jpg

Well, if it were on the left, drive train would get a lot more dirty because the motor vehicles are always on the left. On an average, people in England clean their chains way more often.

I vote for this answer.

Well, you would be wrong, because the bearing cup on the drive side is a left-handed thread (lefty-tighty). Evidently the torque forces on the cup are opposite the direction of rotation, and would tend to loosen a right-hand (normal) threaded cup.

Well, you would be wrong, because the bearing cup on the drive side is a left-handed thread (lefty-tighty). Evidently the torque forces on the cup are opposite the direction of rotation, and would tend to loosen a right-hand (normal) threaded cup.

That's precession causing rotation in the opposite direction of the shaft rotation.

Chainring bolts/nuts may experience a different rotation force. Witness lug nuts on certain older heavy duty pickup/van axles - the left rear wheel uses lugs with left hand thread.

once I accidental put the drive train on the left side on my fixed gear. rode it for a block and the thing fell apart. still not sure why.

It's on the right because that's the only way a balance is achieved between the coriolis force, precessionary reaction of the crank arms, and the electromagnetic induction caused by moving through the earth's magnetic field..... that's why all bikes in the southern hemisphere have the drivetrain on the left.

BTW, you should never lube your chain during a full moon because the tidal effect of the moon's gravity will prevent the lube from penetrating into the links where it's most needed.

' could be because most people are right leg dominant (righty vs lefty kinda thing)?

Actually you're closer than you think. It's the same side people mount horses from.

Motorcycles too.

Mechanical sensibility. If you have chainring botls etc on the right side, the transmission turns in a direction that tightens the components. If it were on the left side, it would be going against the right tighty left loosey thingy. Stuff might come loose. ;)

Like bar tape, you wrap it in a direction that tightens it when you grip it. Although the last shop to do our newest bike didn't. They suck!:D

The engineer in me approves of this logic :)

Why is the chain rings always on the right?

Because if it is not right it is wrong?

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do!

201161
We hang chainrings (used) as windchimes . . .

My wife had a question about this, "If the chain was on the other side
would the bike go backwards?"!

Remember guys, she is a lawyer, no an engineer.

Standardization. To put it on the left side, you'd have to come up with an entire new drivetrain's worth of parts. And the frame would need the dropouts switched. Disclaimer: A tandem puts the captain's chainring and timing chain on the left side.

This...

What I want to know is why the front hand brake is on the left side? Most people are right handed, so shouldn't the brake that supplies the most braking power be at the hand that has the most gripping power?

~Our hearts (which are big, heavy organs) are located on our left, which makes us asymmetric bipedal primates more prone to tip that way.

Well, we can count that out out for sure.

My wife had a question about this, "If the chain was on the other side
would the bike go backwards?"!

Remember guys, she is a lawyer, no an engineer.I was going to post that and see if I got anyone to believe it.:innocent:

Well, the easiest answer is that the chainring is on the right side because that's the side the chain is on!

I was going to post that and see if I got anyone to believe it.:innocent:

Trust me, she really is a lawyer!

What I want to know is why the front hand brake is on the left side? Most people are right handed, so shouldn't the brake that supplies the most braking power be at the hand that has the most gripping power?That's pretty easy -- and the reason that you've given is the reason that it's done this way.

If you grip your left (front) brake really hard, you endo and crash. If you grip your right (rear) brake really hard, your back wheel skids a bit but you probably don't crash. And inexperienced riders aren't good at modulating their brakes.

Of course, on the other hand, a skilled rider wants maximum braking. But maybe after a lot of riding, the left hand becomes strong enough to do the front brake so the issues is moot.

But unlike the drive train, this one is easy to change if you want to -- though it may confuse somebody else who rides your bike, or cause you to do an endo if you ride somebody else's bike, or until you get used to your changed bike.

My wife had a question about this, "If the chain was on the other side
would the bike go backwards?"!

Remember guys, she is a lawyer, no an engineer.Maybe she's smarter than we give her credit for.

If you simply swapped your drivetrain over to the other side, and assuming a standard single speed bike, your back wheel would be flipped around and indeed you could only pedal backwards due to the freewheel -- pedaling frontwards would either do nothing or engage the coaster brake.

Didn't somebody make a bike that could be pedaled frontwards and backwards with a hub that changed gear ratio between the two? It was a gear mechanism before gears became commonplace?

Didn't somebody make a bike that could be pedaled frontwards and backwards with a hub that changed gear ratio between the two? It was a gear mechanism before gears became commonplace?

I've seen that in vintage pictures and in person at industry bike shows. I've never seen one in the wild.

Here's Sheldon Brown's version: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bichain-fixed-free.html

What I want to know is why the front hand brake is on the left side? Most people are right handed, so shouldn't the brake that supplies the most braking power be at the hand that has the most gripping power?

I would say that this is because you use your left hand for hand signaling (In the US anyway...) If you grab a handful of brake with one hand off of the bars, a rear wheel skid is much easier to control.

~Our hearts (which are big, heavy organs) are located on our left

Barely:
http://images.inmagine.com/img/purestock/prs140/prs140132.jpg

I would say that this is because you use your left hand for hand signaling (In the US anyway...) If you grab a handful of brake with one hand off of the bars, a rear wheel skid is much easier to control.


HAND SIGNALS! Good point! I completely forgot about that little aspect, but your mentioning of it reminded me of a time I almost went over the handlebars because I did a one handed braking. Not fun...

To keep your left pant leg clean?

To keep people a 100 years later occupied?

Because anything left handed was the Devils work?

A coin flip and left side lost?

The guys wife b*tched at him for putting it on the left?

Nobody could make a chain that ran backwards?

I give.....Why?

Why is the chain rings always on the right?
Silly question I know but it would be interesting to know if there is a specific reason.

Is it just tradition or some mechanical reason that the chain ring is always located on the right of any type of bicycle?

Because the people who invented the bocycle were right handed.

It's all really a conspiracy of the big hub and freewheel corporations... :p

What I want to know is why the front hand brake is on the left side? Most people are right handed, so shouldn't the brake that supplies the most braking power be at the hand that has the most gripping power?

I read somewhere, maybe 40 years ago, that the rear brake was on the right side because that's where the rear shifter was located.