Front Brake on Right Hand
#1
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Front Brake on Right Hand
05/24/2011 - As a kid I originally set up my bikes with the front brake on the right hand - My Dad recommended this cause motorcycles are set up this way - I don't see many road bikes set up this way though and the bikes I do see set up this way are mostly ridden by guys who also ride Motorcycles - Any Comments...
05/25/2011 - Thanks for the comments - It would appear that people prefer to have their dominant hand on the front brake - Especially on older bikes - Or maybe older riders...
05/25/2011 - Thanks for the comments - It would appear that people prefer to have their dominant hand on the front brake - Especially on older bikes - Or maybe older riders...
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Last edited by zandoval; 05-25-11 at 08:20 AM.
#2
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My hard tail dirt bike is right handed (like my motorcycles). The road bikes are left handed. I changed the road bike once for a while but just didn't like the way the cable lay. After that I started using my right hand to signal right hand turns so I could brake with my left. It might have been better with retro brakes where the cable exited out the top of the lever rather than snaking along the handlebar.
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Front Brake should go to the dominate hand. For most people this is the right, me included. Been riding this way since I had handbrakes.
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#11
I'm english and we always had the front brake on the rightside.
Here in france it is on the left side.
It is to do with making turns into traffic so that you can signal and have your hand on the rear brake.
It is considered safer to slow down with the back brake when signalling with your arm.
So in the US if you are turning left and need to wait for a gap in the traffic you should brake on the rear brake with your right hand.
Well that's the principle anyway.
Here in france it is on the left side.
It is to do with making turns into traffic so that you can signal and have your hand on the rear brake.
It is considered safer to slow down with the back brake when signalling with your arm.
So in the US if you are turning left and need to wait for a gap in the traffic you should brake on the rear brake with your right hand.
Well that's the principle anyway.
#13
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I'm not English and I don't ride motorcycles, so none of those reasons work for me. But I too put the front on the right. With side pull brakes one side or the other usually gives a better cable line. As it happens, my front brakes all work better with the cable coming from the right side of the handlebar. Were I using Campy brakes or something, the other way might well be better.
#14
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While most of the people I know that use the RHS lever for the front brake are in Commonwealth countries using the left traffic lane, it's simply a matter of preference. I also ride motorcycles and have never had a problem, unlike adapting to RHS shifting!
Brad
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