Originally Posted by
brianogilvie
For what it's worth, I've read several explanations for the left/front association in North America. One is that it arises from the misplaced fear that a right-handed rider would squeeze the brake too hard and flip over the handlebars.
Sheldon Brown opined that it was so that the rider could use a hand to signal while using the primary brake, but that doesn't make sense since in the US, where you ride/drive on the right, one usually uses the left arm to signal.
It's good to have your signaling arm on the same side as the front brake. That way you can do the rear brake with one hand and slow while signaling. I don't know if people have tried one-handed braking. But mashing on the front brake while having only one hand on the handlbars is a recipe for disaster, where as one-handed braking with the rear brake is much more controllable.
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"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London
Originally Posted by
Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
Last edited by Artkansas; 11-15-10 at 01:52 PM.