GeraldChan

Which of you have the right brake lever controlling the front brake on your vintage rides?

It seems to me that after 1975 bikes sold in this country switched from the R being the front over to activating the rears.

The Euro-style makes the most sense to me and all for of my bikes at set up that way.

Perhaps this has already been beaten to death, but I'm bored at the moment.

Gerry

dbakl

Typically a British setup rather than American, but, whatever you like or you're used to!

USAZorro

Whatever you're used to. Doesn't really make any functional difference.

Allen

I set my bikes up that way.
When I'm signaling to turn I prefer to have my right hand (I'm right handed) on the brake that has the most stopping power.

USAZorro

Very rational - however that couldn't be why the Brits do it - since they ride on the left, and would use the right arm for signaling.

redtires

The way that I understand this is it is/was more of a regional thing where riders in Italy tend(ed?) to use the right lever for the front brake, and the English and Spanish riders used the right lever for the rear. And, since I'm totally bored as well, being stuck at home with a sick kiddo, I'll happily join in the conversation. Every now and then, I'll see a pro rider with the right/front set up, but for the most part, everyone I see nowadays use the right/rear configuration. I knew of one rather prominent American mountain bike designer who swore by the right/front set-up on all his bikes stating that it was just more "intuitive" and that one should NEVER use the rear brake for descending...although, I've personally never gone over the bars while using my rear brake...lol.

ModoVincere

I think the reason most bikes are set up the other way is this....the left hand is the one you signal with (if you signal the legal way) and therefore, if you were to have the right hand on the front brake, you could easily lock that wheel and lose control. It is much easier to control a bike with the rear wheel locked than it is to control one when you are flying over the bars.

RB1-luvr

Being a motorcycle rider, i'm surprised I've never had any problem switching back and forth from bicycle to motorbike. You'd think I'd change my bicycles to be right lever for front caliper.

tuz

Yes a right front brake lever is better for keeping your braking power while signalling, where driving is on the right side.

I think the (dubious) rationale for the lever placement in north America (and in the UK, where the lever placement and diving side are opposite to NA) is that skidding the rear tire is the best way to stop. I didn't know about Italy but it seems they had it right

GeraldChan

I heard that in the mid-70's the US Product Safety Commission mandated the changeover and prior to that Americans also used the R lever to work the front brake.

My reason for posting this here is b/c since many C&V'ers are so meticulously "correct" shouldn't all vintage bikes be set-up this way?

04jtb

I do, but then again I live and have always lived in England, so this was how i have learned to do it, even though I am left handed, and almost always only use my front brake

redmist

i had my "old" commute bike set-up this way. after years of riding motorcycles, i wanted my bicycle to emulate my motorcycle for continuity's sake (for you non- motorbike riders, a motorbike's front brake is operated by the right lever). i'm doing a build atm, and i'm strongly considering building it with a right front operated brake.


btw, Sheldon "right hand has more control" Brown preferred a right-front set-up.

R.I.P

Peedtm

I subscribe to Sheldon's argument as well, but I'm left handed. First thing ever set up for lefties, stock! YES!

Okiegonian

The side-pull calipers on my bike are on the left for the front brakes, and the right for the rear. I have moustache bars, so this means that the cable routing has significantly less bend crossing from the right lever down to the front brake on the left. After initially playing with a left-front setup, I notice that the front brake is much smoother and more responsive without the awkward cable bend that was happening in the left-front setup.

San Rensho 

One functional advantage to a left hand front brake is that you can brake withe the safest, most effective brake, the front brake, and at the same time downshift with your right hand.

coelcanth

i do right-front..
especially on a fixed gear where it's the only brake

wahoonc

Most of my bikes are set up with the right lever controlling the front brake. IIRC I have 2 that aren't at the moment. I started doing it years ago when I was playing bike polo, being right handed and needing that hand for the mallet, the rear brake gave you just enough control at the "lower" speeds of polo. I also subscribe to the Sheldon "Front Brake" Brown theory(s) of brake set up and braking.

Aaron

ascend

Right-front is default here in Australia, where we ride on the left. The argument behind it is basically that, when you're in the middle of the road preparing for a right hand turn with your right arm out to indicate what you're doing, if you need to stop for some reason your gumby left hand is more likely to be able to control the bike on it's own when it's stopping the rear wheel and not the front wheel. I can see how this is a less effective argument when you reverse it all for the US, since at least there when you're turning across traffic you've still got your good hand on the handlebars, but in Australia it makes perfect sense.

aesmith

I've never seen a British bike with right-hand rear brake, even going back over 40 years.

Tony S

dbakl

They may have mandated a standard, but in my experience, the right lever was almost always usually the rear in the US, even the 50s, 60s.

pastorbobnlnh 

I have 4 early to mid '60s Schwinns. They were all set up with the left hand for the front brake.

Dr.Deltron

This topic always make me chuckle!

It's YOUR bike! Set it up for YOU!

Some rollerskaters use the toe-stop whilst skating forward!

Right lever/front brake & toe stops whilst skating backwards is how this boy rolls!

and anyone borrowing one of my bikes gets the warning...."The brakes are BACKWARDS!"

gnome

All my bikes are Right/Front. I did have to change my RANS to the correct brake set up (R/F).

Here in NZ, being tied to mother England for many decades, we, like Australia, followed their lead. I only ever learnt to ride with a right hand front brake. I would probably crash any bike set up the other way round.

JeanCoutu

+1

Also once some teen stole my bike while I was at the park, it was on the ground right next to me. Anyways so he went around the park and came back after a while, guess he wanted to try out the bike and never heard of asking (I would have said NO)... Tried to do a skidding stop on pavement, with my brand new Schwalbe tires too... He hit he head pretty hard, that was sweet. Bike got one of the grips damaged though.

GCRyder

My bicycles are right-front for that very reason. The front brake is the one with stopping power, and on a motorcycle, the rear brake is the one that will send you into a high-side and get you killed. I don't recall ever having difficulty with the transition before I switched my bicycles to motorcycle mode, but I did it mostly because I saw no reason to risk confusion.