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Brake lever: left or right?

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Brake lever: left or right?

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Old 06-27-08 | 04:14 PM
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Brake lever: left or right?

Question for the folks that use a brake on their fixie: do you put the lever on the left side (regular since it's the front brake) or the right side?
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Old 06-27-08 | 05:09 PM
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I only have front brake and it's on the left side, partly because it is there on my geared bike, and partly because i thought the cable reached better from the left side.
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Old 06-27-08 | 05:21 PM
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In the UK, the usual side for front brake is on the right.

I however, run mine on the left, as it leaves the right hand free for fending off cards and indicating for right hand turns (as we ride/drive on the left).

However, as I'm now living in the states (as off yesterday), for the same reasons I might ride it on the non-conventional right hand side.
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Old 06-27-08 | 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by motoko
In the UK, the usual side for front brake is on the right.
hahahaha.

The only time I saw reverse wiring was during the brief Mountain-Bike Polo craze of the 80s!
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Old 06-27-08 | 05:46 PM
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since the cross levers come in pairs, i use one on each side on either of my bikes... in other words, it doesnt matter.
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Old 06-27-08 | 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by jpmartineau
Question for the folks that use a brake on their fixie: do you put the lever on the left side (regular since it's the front brake) or the right side?
Whatever _YOU_ are accustomed and are most comfortable with.
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Old 06-27-08 | 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by operator
Whatever _YOU_ are accustomed and are most comfortable with.
Oh, mine's going on the left side for sure, because I ride other bikes and my left hand "knows" how to modulate a front brake properly - my right hand doesn't. That would be, for me, dangerous. Also, My fixie is built from a mountain bike, with v-brakes, so cable routing also suggests I use the left hand side.

I was just curious.
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Old 06-27-08 | 06:39 PM
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I ride with my front brake on the right.
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Old 06-27-08 | 06:50 PM
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I ride with mine on the left but I often think about putting it on the right so it would be easier to do hand signals when approaching a stop.
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Old 06-27-08 | 06:51 PM
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I am used to two brakes on mountain bikes, but on an old BMX bike I had only a back brake on the right, and now with my fixed gear bikes I've had only front brakes on the right.

for one brake, I like it on the right side whether it is front or rear.
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Old 06-27-08 | 06:53 PM
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right side front brake - left hand signal
setup the same on all my bikes -- wouldn't have it any other way in the USA
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Old 06-27-08 | 07:43 PM
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When I ran a brake and on all the builds I've done with a brake I installed the lever on the right.
Right is right.
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Old 06-27-08 | 08:17 PM
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i have mine on the left
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Old 06-27-08 | 08:17 PM
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I run my front brake on the right. I ride motorcycles aswell and the front brake is on the right, so it's second nature now.
 
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Old 06-27-08 | 08:18 PM
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Right side because I'm right handed and have more strength and control in that hand.
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Old 06-27-08 | 08:40 PM
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it was on the right side but i took it off to put on bar tape and it didn't fit back on so i learn to ride brakeless
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Old 06-27-08 | 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted by motoko
In the UK, the usual side for front brake is on the right.

I however, run mine on the left, as it leaves the right hand free for fending off cards and indicating for right hand turns (as we ride/drive on the left).

However, as I'm now living in the states (as off yesterday), for the same reasons I might ride it on the non-conventional right hand side.
First time I rode a bike after moving from Scotland to America I almost died because I didn't know the brakes were opposite, tried to skid and almost went over the bars!
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Old 06-27-08 | 11:17 PM
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Neither. Mine is on my seatpost.
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Old 06-27-08 | 11:30 PM
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right. thats where it was when i rode BMX as a kid
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Old 06-28-08 | 08:56 AM
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my lever's on my right because i am a biker as well as a cyclist
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Old 06-28-08 | 09:16 AM
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Mine is on the right side as I'm an ex-pat from the UK, just used to it that way and didn't think it wise to change. I swap/swapped around any other bike I've had here to be the same, too.
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Old 06-28-08 | 11:05 AM
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On the right due to I signal with the left. Also because I'm a right footed skidder so when i lock up my right leg its not up against the bars keeping me from using the brake in case I'm about to eat the street.
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Old 06-28-08 | 02:41 PM
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When my brake gets here, i'm gona put it on the right side.. mostly because I can't use my middle finger on my left hand for squeezing too hard
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Old 06-28-08 | 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Jcrew689
I ride with mine on the left but I often think about putting it on the right so it would be easier to do hand signals when approaching a stop.
+1 I think about that all the time but left still feels a little more natural to me for whatever reason.
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Old 06-29-08 | 01:13 PM
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Right is right for me. Too bad modern dual pivot brakes all seem to have the cable go in on the right too. It makes for an awkward cable bend; crossing over to the left would be a lot straighter and more natural.
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