Like BMX rider said. I use the back brake to wash off speed. if the wheel locks up the skid is controlled. I use the front brake only when I've slowed down. Too many endo's I've learnt my lesson.

I am left handed and, like all the other lefties, I have learned to adapt to a right handed world. I like my brakes set up in the more common left-front, right-rear configuration. It's not a matter of dominance or strength, it's just for consistency. In a panic stop, you go with what you are used to, so you don't have time to think about which lever is for which brake.

Unless they want you to do it differently, I would follow the normal convention and use left-front, right-rear.

Good point. I would think the dynamic behavior of an MTB is very different from a road bike.

70% of braking force is on the front. Go with the front for the most reactive hand.

For motorcycles, clutched on the left, it allowed for panic stops without drivetrain interference.

I reminisce about my Schwinn Varsity,
It had a serious bulge in the front rim from hitting a curb to hard.
Which caused a pulsating feel to the front brake.
Even worst it would lock up if I wasn't careful.

"Left handed brakes"? Do they work in the opposite manner of right-handed brakes?

For me: Front brake to right hand.

YMMV

The one and only reason I use right rear is for convenience when drive maintenance, tuning or building on a stand. I can reach up easily and stop the rear wheel from the drive side.

Something out of the norm for a single rider but where I've been accustomed to scrubbing off speed on a tandem (having near double the mass). On one particular bike I'm using a dual caliper pull single lever mounted on the right side. Zero on the left.


For the tandem, the right lever pulls both front and rear brake--- its the primary. Brake bias is set more to the front. (The left lever only operates a 'drag' drum brake. Not much use for stop braking but primarily serves in controlling speed in long or fast descent further dissipating heat and transfer to the tire.)


I figured the right dual pull lever works so well, why not try it on a conventional single lightweight. Works perfect and rather like the modulation. Weirdly it naturally balances under hard braking in the wet and very confident.
There are few things that negate the dual pull single lever such as not being able to ride the hood hand position and should a mild crash happen wrecking the only lever, well that ends the day.

My front brake is the right hand. I don't have a particular reason. I don't ride motorcycles.

I'm sure no one except me cares about that.

I'll cast another vote for deciding based on traffic, not the rider's being left or right handed. Riding in the US, I'm more concerned with signaling left turns and being able to brake, so my preference is to have the right hand control the front brake (stronger braking) while being able to signal with the left hand. I've switched most of the bicycles that I ride frequently.

Obviously, this preference can and should be over ruled in the case of the riders preferences or injuries. I'll also admit that I'm glad the rod brakes on the Raleigh DL1 are set up for the front brake with the right hand. I have no desire to try to switch the brake attachments for the rods, so I'm glad they are set up well for US braking.

If the front is on the left, you get full braking while also being able to shift with the right.

If you expect to be riding in traffic, then the answer is NO. The let hand is used for turn signals and you'd rather be breaking the back wheel than the front in those situations. If you're mostly riding trails or whatever where turn signals don't apply, then go for it.

whatever works.

Don't mess with someones long ingrained instincts. When 'stuff happens' your actions will revert to what you know / are used to doing. My new Moulton came with the brakes switched, different from every bike I have ever ridden in my life. I didn't bother to change it to what I am used to at first thinking that it wouldn't matter, but finally did that recently. The turning point was that I needed to brake a bit while turning on a sketchy/gravelly surface and I accidentally used the unintended brake (the front), and in such instances and it added to the chances I was going to go down. I didn't go down, but my front wheel did an unpleasant sideways mini-skid before my conscious brain told my hands to switch what they were doing. If I had been feathering the back brake instead, things would have been more predictable.

No, actually I wouldn't. (But I would rather break the back wheel than the front!) YMMV

May you not break any wheels, Ed.

Thank you, kind Sir. One this year was enough (front too).