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Reverse-cabled cockpits - post em up!

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Reverse-cabled cockpits - post em up!

Old 03-03-09, 07:10 PM
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Reverse-cabled cockpits - post em up!

I know I'm not the only one with reverse-cabled brakes. Controlling the front brake with my right (dominant) hand just makes sense to me, especially riding in the city.

Anyway, post up pics of your 'reverse' rig, if you got 'em. I find that reversed cabling presents it's own unique challenges in a build... I'll post pics of my latest build as soon as it's done this week.
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Old 03-03-09, 07:12 PM
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This would probably make life interesting for a thief as well.
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Old 03-03-09, 07:20 PM
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Wouldn't you just run the cable housing the same way and cross the cables under the DT in this set up? Seems easy enough to do.
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Old 03-03-09, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by grahny
Wouldn't you just run the cable housing the same way and cross the cables under the DT in this set up? Seems easy enough to do.
brakes, not shifters
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Old 03-03-09, 07:28 PM
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Didn't Sheldon do this too?
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Old 03-03-09, 07:34 PM
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I do it because I was raised riding motorcycles for years and years and when I started Mtn. biking I had a couple "incidents" with the front brake being the opposite of what I was more used to. I don't think there's much that is challenging about routing the cables that way though and I don't have pics either.
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Old 03-03-09, 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by RacerOne
This would probably make life interesting for a thief as well.
On my fixed gear, my right lever controls the front brake and the left lever rings a bell.
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Old 03-03-09, 07:53 PM
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I'll get photos up later, but yeah - I run mine with the front brake in the R hand... no problems though.

What sort of problems are you referring to?
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Old 03-03-09, 07:59 PM
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Actually I run both brakes from the right side but that's by necessity not choice.

Having spent a fair amount of time on motorcycles I learned to be more front brake dependent and to have that brake on the right side.

Of course, the way my last MC ride ended is why my bike is cabled the way it is now.

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Old 03-03-09, 08:08 PM
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Mine are reversed. Nothing special
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Old 03-03-09, 08:16 PM
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A guy I ride with had a stroke a few decades back, and can't control the left side of his body, so he's got both brakes and both shifters on the right side of his bike.
He's a lot better than you'd think.
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Old 03-03-09, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by umd
brakes, not shifters
I really should stop drinking at work *slaps self on head*
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Old 03-03-09, 08:21 PM
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The way I look at it, if you only have one hand, you are really committing yourself during ************. That's dedication right there.
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Old 03-03-09, 08:24 PM
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My FD is controlled through that Kelly Take-Off you can see in the pic above. I'm probably not better than most would think but hopefully not as bad as they'd expect either.

My biggest bugaboo is slow speed 180 degree turns (U-turns). It's a mental hang-up and I have a hard time doing them w/o unclipping. I practice on a cruiser I ride with my kids but still "whig out" when I'm on my road bike.

I don't want to hijack this thread so back to the OP: I think right side/front brake makes sense. Sheldon Brown explained this in detail and I'll only paraphrase. The front does most and at higher speeds nearly all the stopping so, assuming a right handed rider, it makes sense to put that brake into the dominant hand.

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Old 03-03-09, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by patentcad
The way I look at it, if you only have one hand, you are really committing yourself during ************. That's dedication right there.
Fortunately my wife makes the need for such dedication unnecessary..... Maybe you could try counseling?
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Old 03-03-09, 08:34 PM
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As a Brit I don't consider right hand-front to be "reversed", I consider it "normal".

"On your right!"

That said I also consider binge drinking, deep fried Mars bars and free health care "normal"
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Old 03-03-09, 09:07 PM
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Right/front is the way I've set up my bike since 1975.
I've heard the reason we in the USA have left/front is the friggin' lawyers, but I can't confirm it.

I've also heard that in Europe most bikes are right/front. Is that true? What do the pros do?
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Old 03-03-09, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by MrCjolsen
On my fixed gear, my right lever controls the front brake and the left lever rings a bell.
this is awesome. I'd leave the thing unlocked just to see what happens. I've heard that in India some of the working bikes have oversized bells with the same arrangement.

As far as the OP, I have always had the front brake on the right hand. I had even forgotten that it was uncommon until the LBS owner tried to stop the back wheel of my bike and startled when it didn't work.
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Old 03-03-09, 09:20 PM
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Motorcycles, MTB, Road Bike, all RH front brake. One less thing for my already overloaded brain to screw up! Nothing worth photographing in the cable routing dept.
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Old 03-03-09, 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by rollin
As a Brit I don't consider right hand-front to be "reversed", I consider it "normal".

"On your right!"

That said I also consider binge drinking, deep fried Mars bars and free health care "normal"

Ahhh our American cousins are funny.

Who would ever think of having your main brake controlled by your non-dominant hand (assuming you are right handed of course) - must be something to d with them driving on the wrong side of the road...
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Old 03-04-09, 12:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Walter
Fortunately my wife makes the need for such dedication unnecessary..... Maybe you could try counseling?
10 minutes with pcad, and the shrink will be hiding in the corner sucking his/her thumb.
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Old 03-04-09, 12:39 AM
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I'm not American but I'm sure the US has it "reversed" because of the traffic hand signal rule.
Old Pic (sorry about the spinachi bars in the way)

Last edited by giantcfr1; 03-04-09 at 12:45 AM.
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Old 03-04-09, 01:02 AM
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Originally Posted by bryceepoo
I do it because I was raised riding motorcycles for years and years and when I started Mtn. biking I had a couple "incidents" with the front brake being the opposite of what I was more used to. I don't think there's much that is challenging about routing the cables that way though and I don't have pics either.
+10 bikes.
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Old 03-04-09, 01:08 AM
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Originally Posted by giantcfr1
I'm not American but I'm sure the US has it "reversed" because of the traffic hand signal rule.
bicycle laws in the US are by state/city/county and rarely national. there is no single traffic/bicycle laws -- they vary.

I think the reason for it is based in the belief that the right hand is dominant for most people and that a quick brake with the dominant would result in an endo over the bars. Of course, this is generally nonsense.

cyclists in the uk typically do right-lever-front brake, but the rest of europe does left-lever-front brake.

just do what you like. I prefer left-lever-front brake because that's what I have always used.
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Old 03-04-09, 05:16 AM
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As posted above lots of people do it with no problems. If you ever do let someone ride your bike let them know first. I don't let anyone ride mine so I don't worry about that

Here is my setup so you can see it.



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