Sigurdd50

okay, while people are floating questions out there...

ever since the beginning of my riding years, the left brake lever controlled the front brake and the right brake lever controlled the rear...
BUT I instinctively grab the LEFT brake first, engaging the front brake -- potentially disastrous if moving at fast speeds. Now with majority of gear changing happening on the RIGHT side, I'm thinking I'd like the LEFT brake to control the rear brake

Is this traditional arrangement by design? and are there other riders who have switched Left for right and front for rear? And... is it easy enough to do at home, re-route the brake cables?

Dr. Moto

There's nothing inherently disastrous about braking with the left as long as you don't lock up. Locking up the rear wheel can also be disastrous if you're not prepared to deal with the slide. Have you figured out why you always grab the left? Maybe you can train yourself to brake with the rears more often, or modulate your brake pressure so it's not an issue.

sydney

It's been done. Before tearing things apart, if you are dealing with a road bike look at the adverse bend the rearrangement will put in the front cable.

LordOpie

I know peeps coming off motorcycles do this... tho I've never had a problem with this on any of my bikes, granted, I always grab the clutch when braking anyway.

If you're worried about grabbing the front brake hard at high speed and endo'ing, then try shifting your weight over the rear wheel when braking anyway. Works for me on both pavement and dirt. YMMV

Sigurdd50

I can stop good enough, and I am acutely aware of balance and pressure when stopping at higher speeds (once you go over the bars due to locking the front brakes, you don't forget how it happened... happened when I was in HS). Has more to do with habit and that I just go for the left lever first...

nitropowered

I've seen bikes in Japan in stores with reversed brakes. However, they weren't road bikes. They were single speed commuter bikes (since most local travel in japan is by bike, foot, or the subway, or combinations of them).

If you also think about it, motorcycles have the right lever control the front brake. I wonder where in time it got switched.

jitteringjr

I have seen and read about a lot of cyclocross racers shifting their brakes around so they can have easier access to the rear brakes from the side they mount and dismount so you should have no problem at least mechanically.

telenick

Traditionally, the "switched" configuration was a Euro standard. I don't know when it got switched.

AndrewP

The Euro standard is to put the front brake to the right since most people are right handed, and that is the brake that does the most braking. It was switched in N America on the mistaken understanding that front wheel braking is dangerous - only true for high wheelers.

darryldavy

having just bought my first US bike I have to say that it is very disconcerting to have the brakes switched like that...

MichaelW

I have the right lever controlling the front caliper brake. The cable is more highly stressed than using the left lever (the brake accepts the cable on the right side so there is no crossover) but it works.
The front brake is your dominant stopping brake and should be the first port of call if you need to stop quickly. Going over the handlebars is a rider, not a brake malfunction and is easily prevented by good technique and a bit of practice.

Sigurdd50

Okay... now we are getting somewhere. Perhaps I have a deeply seeded desire to be European.

Yes, of course. I don't need to practice as I have been riding for a good 45 years and on road bikes for the past 35... I think there is something to be said for 'traditional placement of brake levers to front/back' as well as 'dominant stopping brake.' Perhaps, as one poster pointed out, and if this was the case, I'd be fine... that is, I would feel more comfortable with braking options. I've adapted fine... just curious about the pros/cons of considering the change and any technical issues with make the change.

thanks
Mark

Ivan Hanz

Yea I had it for a while it worked for me, you will need new housing probably and like Syd says maybe minor routing issues but with enough housing and maybe a tie it's not a huge operation.

Sigurdd50

Quoth Sheldon Brown..

What a quandry!
Now, after browsing some articles (namely Sheldon's at his site) regarding proper braking (Front is better!) Now I'm thinking I DO have my hand on the correct brake lever (the LEFT) and I WILL learn that the FRONT brake is the safer braking option

But... in an accompanying article, he mentions the quandry of braking and LEFT hand directional signals (Left turn/right turhn/Stop)
If you are using your LEFT hand to brake (correctly) then how do you signal?

is this for a different forum?

jim-bob

Right front is the way to go. I've been setting my brakes up that way for fifteen years now.

LV2TNDM

If you reverse the brakes from the standard US config, just be sure to warn anyone who might give your bike a spin! (LBS, friend, etc.) And although the experienced rider would figure it out quickly and adjust, the less-so might take your nice ride for a tumble!

LV2TNDM

I don't think there is a RIGHT way to go. The one that works for you is BEST, IMHO.

beppe

Seconded.

BTW, does anyone know of a manufacturer that has the long part of the caliper on the right side (when looking at the brake from the front)? This would make a smooth cable line.

I have a pair of old Dia-Compe brakes like this, but haven't seen anything recent like it, not that I am an expert.

ed073

Left rear is more specifically Italian. France, Spain, Benelux etc tradtionally set up right rear.

Senna94

Absolutely....I ride, and roadraced m/c for 8 seasons, had to do it, no other way.
It was easy to swap the brake levers just had to re-do the tape and re-rout a bit.
It poses no problem or safety issue whatsoever. A year and half of riding, and there are no problems with change.

What is crazy to me, it doesn't make sense, why motorcycles and scooters
have the front brake on the right and bicycles on the left is just wacky.
Two wheels...you think it would be the same. The guy at the bicycle company
and the guy at the motorcycle company just couldn't agree...
reminds me of the hot dog company and the hot dog bun company!

Allot of m/c riders are bike riders and vise versa...
it just plays havoc with the cabeza...for me
Although, I guess it would be a good argument for teaching the brain..
and staving off alzheimer's and other brain degenerative conditions.
But, personally I like reaching for the front anchors on the right.

telenick

Actually, not a dumb thread after all. Its been an education. Thanks for posting this. When I get my cables replaced this summer, I might go "Italiano" style. For now, I'll leave it. Hmmmm.

ed073

Careful.....first time a car pulls out of a driveway in front of you after you change over, there is a fair chance you'll go over the bars!!

climbo

left front brake is nice as you can grab front brake and downshift at the same time with the right hand. I am used to doing it this way now and wouldn't go the other way. It is very evident how useful this is when mountain biking as you need to brake and shift at the same time a lot.

toomanybikes

Loosen off your front brake a little so it doesn't apply as much braking pressure when you grab the lever.

telenick

Ah, but me a mtb racer. I never go OTB ...anymore.