Originally Posted by CanyonChaser
I have a friend from Scotland who says that European bikes have the front brake on the right side (as opposed to left). Is that true? I've already switched out her front brakes actually - I ended up swapping the entire lever/hood mechanism. But can I switch mine? I imagine I can't switch the entire contraption... How hard is it to do? I have Shimano Dura-Ace 10 STI Dual Contol levers, ST-7800's?
dp
I started riding in Germany, and I also worked in a bike shop there for two years. 98% of the bikes that came through were set up with the front brake on the right side. I'm right-handed, so I like having the front on the right, though I don't really think it matters once you're used to either way.
It's easy to switch on a mountain bike, even hydraulic systems are easy to switch. My Prophet was set up with the front on the left, and I was able to switch the hydraulic lines to my preferred setup without having to bleed them.
I still have to do my road bike though, just haven't gotten around to it. Pretty easy to do though (I also have 10 speed DA). Remove bar tape. Unfasten brake lines from the calipers and pull them out from the levers. Switch the housings so the front is on the right, and thread your cables back through (this is a lot easier if you just buy new cables) and adjust your cable tension again when you tighten the cable at the calipers. That's it.