BigPolishJimmy

For the last several years since I've gotten back into riding, I've had my brakes set up conventionally. That is the left hand controls the front and the right hand controls the rear.

I don't know if it's because I'm right-handed, or if it's because my right hand is my picking hand and accustomed to subtle changes in attack and fine motor positioning. But when I'm not paying attention, just riding along admiring the scenery, I sometimes notice that when I grab a hand full of brake, it's commonly the right hand that is dominant. This is all well and good if you're braking lightly, or measuring your speed on a decent, but it may have also been a factor in why I dumped my bike in the gravel 2 summers ago.

I'm considering switching the cables around on my bikes so that the right hand controls the front brake.

Am I over-thinking it?

Should I just go for it?

Should I just get over it and continuing to try to break myself of bad habits?

If I go this route, I know I'll have to switch all my bikes over or it will be a mess switching back and forth.

Then again, It may put me more unconsciously in tune with the bike.

Thoughts?

10 Wheels

Practice using both brakes at the same time with the same effort.

melonbar123

Do what's comfortable for you. Many people switch it around. I'm one of them.

MrEss

I love having my bike right-hand-front-brake because it makes it easier to give traffic signals while slowing down for a routine corner or stop (in right-hand-driving countries like USA).

Elmog

I'm thinking of making the switch because I am so used to the braking on motorcycles, which is right hand for front brake. Just makes it easier to modulate the correct brake in an emergency.

GeraldChan

What you are contemplating is the standard way Italian bikes have always been set-up. I have been using this set up for almost 40 years and prefer it. Make sure to do all your bikes this way or you could risk an endo if you are not careful.

furballi

I did a lot of motor racing in my youth. Right hand operates the front brake on a motorcycle (1st 50cc bike). My 2nd bike had coaster brake. All subsequent bikes were modified with right hand operating the front brake. My left hand is only good for shifting and trail braking the rear wheel. I use the front brake 99.99% of the time.

rat fink

This...

and this. are both reasons I prefer the right hand front orientation. I also normally use my left hand to shift, grab my bottle, or get things out of my jersey pockets. I've been doing it that way for years.

gitarzan

Coming from a motorcycle background the left/right stuff mixed me up a little at first.

I eventually figured that:
The right had controls the back end (rear brakes and RD).
The left hand controls the front end (front brakes and FD).

Once I thought of it that way, I never really had an issue again.

matt0ne

I've been riding like this for years now too. Just feels right at this point.

mparker326

BPJ:

I switched my brakes for the same reason as you are contemplating. I rear ended a car because I grabbed a handful of brake and my back wheel locked up and I skidded. It was a split second non-thinking decision. That was 4 years ago and I haven't looked back. Like you, I am a big guy and I doubt you will have any issues with going over the handlebars.

Capecodder

I've been ridding with my brakes set up in the conventional way for 40+ years and see no reason to change. I doubt switching your brake around will save you from a spill in the future (A man must know his limitations).......

wahoonc

I have done it both ways. My first bike was switched over back in the early 80's for bike polo. Then I had another bike that I purchased that was set up with front brakes on the right, so now all but one are set up that way. It doesn't really matter which way it is set up as long as it works for you.

Aaron

rootboy 

I find this thread really interesting. I've never even considered this. Think I might go over the handlebars if I tried this. But, having read these posts and thought about it, I can kind of see your points.

Eileen

All of my bikes are right front brake. My right hand is dominant. UK bikes are all set up this way and I started riding again as an adult on a UK mountain bike.

BigPolishJimmy

Knowing my limitations was not so much the problem as was inexperience. The whole story is I had just bought my recumbent and was out for my 2nd real ride. I was 10 miles into a 12 mile loop when I saw a pickup truck about to turn left right in front of my path.



The driver and I made eye contact and he motioned for me to continue because I had right of way. At that very time a motorcycle came up from the right to a stop sign. I saw the rider aknowledge the truck but not see me, and he looked like he might turn right. This would have put him directly in my path and ready for collison, I had a moment of panic, so I grabbed a handfull of brake. Then the motorcycle rider noticed me but by this time I was in the intersection where they had just chipsealed the road to the right. I was in the little delta of loose stone before I knew what was happening. I hadn't seen the stone because I was attentive to the traffic.

My first mistake, not being aware of ALL of my surroundings. I was probably only traveling about 12 miles an hour, but it was too late. The rear tire slid out from underneath me and I began to dump the bike. I put my legs down to steady my fall, the second mistake. I sat up to correct and lean and the bike overcorrected in the other direction. Third mistake. The bike went down fast and pinned my foot under the pedal and promptly drug it through the stone with my body weight on top.

It was like a cheese grater that ate right through the top of my sock and a little bit of my shoe. I loosened up my leg so It be free to bend instead of break under my body weight and just slid along for what seemed like an eternity. I slowed to almost a stop and was able to fall all the way over to free my leg.





I got up and shook the pain off my leg. The motorcycle looked at me, and I got a sense of queezyness from him seeing another rider down, then he sped off. The truck driver stopped to see if I was ok. I was too embarrased to say otherwise and he left and I rode the remaining 2 miles back home with my foot bleeding.

I can't help wonder if It would have made a difference if I had braked with the front first. Even after this I still go to my right hand first when I'm not thinking. You would think I'd have learned. I'm irritated with myself that I still do this, or that it takes me a moment to realize I'm too quick to the wrong hand. My knee still gives me trouble from this accident.

conspiratemus1

Causing you to crash and then speeding off.... I hope he got so queezy that he threw up into his helmet visor.

I have all my bikes but one set up right->front and I do prefer it. The only exception is my winter commuter. A steep hill I have to descend in the dark in the morning is often icy -- so icy that cars don't even use it in bad weather, leaving it all to me which is why I use that road. If I even touch the front brake I'll fall so I find I use the rear brake first and mostly, and very gingerly at that. My right hand gives me better control. Fortunately the ice is usually patchy and I can use the front brake enough to keep speed under control -- sometimes not more than walking speed. When the road turns into a luge track (during our rare freezing rain) I can't ride it at all.

On weekends if the roads are bare I use a right->front bike for pleasure riding. I don't find I have any trouble switching back and forth -- I think you just get used to the difference in feedback between a rear and a front brake and that reminds you instantly which brake your right hand is squeezing. For normal braking at least -- could be different in an emergency, fair enough.

jeepr

The majority of your braking power comes from the front brake. As long as you get used to which lever does what, it should be fine. I have also been contemplating switching my levers because I also ride a motorcycle and am used to the front brake being on the right. Messes me up every time I switch back and forth between the two. I need to try it and see what happens.

I think the reason for the endo's with the front brakes is because people hit the front brake hard, slide forward and inertia finishes the job. Under hard front braking, the rear brake is not effective. If the rear does lock up, physics will make it try and get around to the front. If you are braced for hard front braking and the front locks up, it should slide out to the side. For fast stopping, the trick is to do threshold braking with the front and leave the rear brake alone. (These are just my thoughts, so take them with a grain of salt.)

wahoonc

If you read Sheldon Brown's treatise on the proper use of brakes...

I use different brake set ups on different bikes, the only common denominator being front brakes are controlled by the right hand. I have a coaster brake cruiser (no front brake) I have a roller brake city bike, I have several vintage Raleighs most with caliper brakes, one rod braked, which BTW is set up left hand front brake (don't know if that one can be changed or not), I have touring bikes with drop bars and canti's, MTB with V brakes, etc, etc. Every bike is going to respond a bit differently to braking input.

The common denominator is knowing how to use the brakes and being prepared for a full emergency stop.

Aaron

GeraldChan

Most of the discussion regarding braking in a straight line is correct but if you are doing a technical descent and you think you are grabbing a bunch of front brake but instead lock up the rear wheel while turning; this could cause your rear wheel to oversteer.

This happened to me on a borrowed bike while coming down a long twisty descent off of Skyline Dr. above Palo Alto or Saratoga in N. CA. Scary.

LesterOfPuppets

Grabbing a handful of either brake while riding over a layer of scree atop a hard surface won't be pretty. Often a rear brake lockup is preferable as it frequently gives you a little more time to correct the skid or tripod. Front braking washouts are less predictable and usually give you less time to react to them.

Veloria

All my bikes are set up right-front now, after I realised that I found that set-up a lot more intuitive.