Bandera

Cyclo-Cross racing is my "why".

The traditional: Dismount, shoulder, run, drop & re-mount is executed from the NDS and requires a Front/Right lever.
Try the opposite configuration on wet/loose terrain to get "why" when a "whack" in the head results instead of an easily controlled rear slide on the dis-mount.
All of my machines are so configured for consistency in an emergency or when dead-dog tired.

That it's the same set-up on my motorcycles for the last 40 years is a plus, a well trained automatic & appropriate control response is a Good Thing.

As always, suit yourself.

-Bandera

rico_mack

Just had this conversation with my brother in law recently when he was out for a visit and told him I needed change the brake cables around on my CRUX to be traditional US for him and why.

I've been right handed front brake for more that 30 years and although it seems to be less of an issue for a road bike, but maybe not, than a mountain bike. I say this because about a decade ago I lent a friend one of my mountain bikes and wanted to swap the brake cables around for him and he said no - I doesn't matter. Found him on the trail, went over the bars and broke his collar bone. I accredited that to the brakes cables not being switched. In any event I decided I would go back to the US brake orientation convention so this wouldn't happen again. Well it did happen again but this time to me..... I slid right off a gravely hill with my rear brake locked up and not enough front brake. My thought process during this slide off the hill (and it was quick believe me) was "you dumb s*** the brakes are switched - act accordingly." But my mussel memory was over riding what my brain was telling me. Weird ... Anyway right hand - front brake for me.

Like others have said the bike don't care. But your body might if you're used to one way or the other.

djb

I'm another right front preference guy because of the ingrained motorcycle thing.
In most situations it doesn't matter, if I have a smidge of time to think about it, but those few emergency situations where I react on instinct and instant front/right instincts just happen.
I figure it was all the motorcycling on street and on track and being a lover of late braking.

I set up my first disc bike this way as well and it works great. My old mountain bike is Scottish so have been riding right front on it for about 15 years. Will switch my other drop bar bike as well when I change the bar tape one of these days.

rbrsddn

I've been riding motorcycles and bicycles for years, and have never had a problem figuring out which brake does what, when switching bikes. In fact, I prefer the rear brake on the right on the bicycles.

djb

This small focus group shows that there is no right or wrong, just preference.

HerrKaLeun

Thanks for all your insightful comments. Everybody has a good point and there is no right or wrong. I received my rear brake yesterday and I made sure it is the same type as my front brake to have the option to swap them. today i shortened the hydraulic lines and changed them to the standard front/left and rear/right. My reasons (after thinking about it forth and back many times)
- with hydraulic brakes the "strong" hand argument isn't there.
- Since all new bikes have it set up that way, I have a better chance to not get confused using a different bike assuming most people don't change it. Same for my wife or daughter assuming i want all bikes the same in our household.
- When I buy a new bike, I would have to change it. With hydraulics that is not as simple as with cables. Hydraulic lines may not have enough slack on one side.

I used the bleedless method to shorten my lines, but since i had to do both at the same time and accidentally hit the right lever, I needed up bleeding some air afterwards anyway. I never had hydraulics before and i have a bleedkit and did it as described here. All went well, but this is still not something I want to do without reason.

There is still the argument of better control with the right hand (I'm right-handed), but I end up using both brakes (rear only ~10% force) anyway. And even with hydraulics I can't lock my front brake and didn't have the feeling to fly over the bar (I only tried at low speed on dry asphalt, though). If you have a motorbike, the situation may be different since you are trained to use the right brake, but that does not apply to me.

Thanks for the insights and opinions. I also appreciate that this did not turn into those forum wars where people yell at each other for disagreements on a topic with no right answer :-)