Originally Posted by
maddog34
the shorter straddle cable will increase braking power... the longer cable typically goes on the rear brake to decrease skidding.
the front tire can accept more braking force because of weight transfer when braking hard, so the shorter cable gets placed on that brake.
The longer cable requires longer lever travel for a given measure of caliper travel. It's like gearing. Lower gearing on the input side means more power on the output side (for climbing hills). Higher gearing on the input side means more speed on the output side. Therefore, the longer straddle cable allows more braking force for a given measure of hand strength. Use long cable on the end where the bosses are farther apart.