Rural Roadie

This is my first poll so bear with please.
Like most cyclists I started with left brake lever to front brake. Then I started motorcycling where the standard is right lever front brake, I have since converted any bike I owned to this system for 2 reasons.
#1: I want the most efective brake to be used instintivley, regardless of two wheeled transport.
#2: Like most people my right hand is stronger, and very slightly bigger, hence capabile of modulating the brake more efectivily.
BTW with the improvements in brakes I find I can lift the rear wheel while brakeing with hands on the hoodsand still low on the bike, red KoolStops help lots.
pharmer kev

WorldIRC

who needs brakes.

Joe Gardner

Left, as stock. One of my motorcycle buddys also changed his brakes to right front left rear. I really hate riding that bike!

MediaCreations 

You missed the option: Right, because that's how bikes are sold in Australia.

RegularGuy

Left. Not because the bike came that way. I make other modifications to my bikes...swapping saddles, handlebars, pedals, etc. to suit myself. Left, because I am not a motorcyclist, just a bicyclist. It's a bikey thing. It's what I learned. It's what I am used to. It is what I like.

Maelstrom 

Ride it on the left. Kind of interesting as I am missing a couple of fingers. Unless I try really hard I naturally feather the brake. Really handy.

chewa

And in Scotland, and since we invented the bike....................

velocipedio

Left... That's the way I've been riding for years and it's too late to retrain muscle memory.

Having said that, a lot of cyclocrossers swap their brakes so that they can modulate the rear brake more effectively as they dismount to the left. I've always wondered if those 'crossers who are also roadies [like Roger Hammond, Tim Johnson, Sven Nijs] have their road bikes set up the same way...

Richard D

Right - but not because it's better, but because that is the way bikes have always been set up in Britain.

lotek 

Left because thats what I'm used to.

Marty

Rich Clark

Motorcycles should be like bikes, not the other way around.

RichC

Walter

Right side* .

Sheldon Brown makes a convincing argument for the most powerful brake being controlled by the dominant hand.

Also I motorcycle for a number of years an only then really learned how to properly use a front brake and as a result seldom used the rear anyways.

* Actually as a result of what ended up being my last motorcycle ride 2 of my bikes have the brakes coupled so in effect I use both brakes from the right side but I've got it set up so that the front brake grabs first.

Soberone

If the front brake was in my right hand I would crash every time I turn. I would have to learn from scratch. Like swiching the shift levers.

urban_assault

left front brake on my bicycles and right front brake on my scooter.

Rural Roadie

1# Im glad none of you are affraid of the front brake!!!
2# I wish I had worded it " I use my left hand" and "I use my right hand", if the moderator wonts to change this it's fine by me.
3#Ther doesn't seem to be any middle of the road on this preferance and I can't fault those who use there left hand. Retraining ones self can be a big job and not worth it for many riders but maybe worth it to those with small hands who need every advantage for control they can get.
4# I didn't relise that in other countrys they have been doing it "RIGHT" all along!
farmer kev

Joe Gardner

Changed the poll options.

Cadd

Left because it's the one I've been using since I was 7.

MediaCreations 

I'm just a little concerned about those who have selected the option of crashing instead of braking. That's gotta hurt.

WorldIRC

like i said earlier.. who needs brakes.

IowaParamedic

I prefer to keep my front on the left side. I signal with my left arm, because it is on the traffic side. I think the bike is hard to control when only one hand is on the bar and the front brake is applied.

WoodyUpstate

Left side = front brake. It never even occurred to me that anyone would want something different, until I read that the UK & Co. use the right side, as do motorcyclists.

Question for UK & Co.: How are your shift levers oriented? Still left for front and right for rear, or they the other way around, too?

Richard D

Left shifter front, right rear.

Rural Roadie

Some might find using the same hand to run the front brake and the rear derailer confusing but it works fine for me, but I did have a few years in there off the bicycle to let the old habit die.
Thanks Joe for improving my poll!
Hope you all have plenty of good miles tomarrow, I gotta work.
farmer kev

adrian cooper

Well, I just learnt something, I though all road bikes had right front brakes and only MTB's had variable sides and that was only because those from a Motocross background had them the other way round. I know realise that the other way round (as quoted in American mags) is actually the way that I and most of the rest of Australia have our brakes. Right front makes sense, the front brake should do most of the work and the majority of people are better coordinated and stronger with their right hand (sorry lefties).

Stor Mand

No no no...

On the right, just like motorcycles ... and pretty much everywhere else in the world.

There's always the option of the Fred Flintstone brakes, Just need to replace shoes more often.