US bike has brake levers reversed...any tips to remedy?

rick_hewes

Hi,

I just bought a bike from the USA and the front and back brake levers are reversed. As in the back brake is on the right lever and vice versa for the front brake. I'm used to having the back brake on the left lever.

Are there any easy ways to swap them round?

Ta,

Rick.

maddog 2

swap the cables over :shock:

cougie

Turn the bars backwards ? :idea: :shock:

twowheeledwriter

I've just bought a Bianchi in France and have the same issue - I couldn't remember exactly how the brakes were on my bike back in Blighty, but now I'm convinced they are the opposite way round.

I'd suggest just riding and getting used to it.

My main problem is having to look over my left shoulder when out on the roads, instead of my right shoulder. My neck doesn't twist the other way as easily.

davecooper

I have two bikes, both different. I find it easy to swap between them. Admittedly one is not STI. I always found the cable route to the front brake looked neater with a left lever/ front brake setup as the cable ran in one single curve to the caliper without a return bend.

Monty Dog

I have all my bikes the 'wrong way round' the cable runs and calipers were designed to work that way and it's only an anachronistic British Standard that requires them the other way round - there is an argument that the resultant convoluted cable runs are in fact a contributor to poor brake performance. Also, running a smaller frame and stem makes it very tight otherwise. Equally, when braking I always go on feel, not front vs back - I set up both brakes identically and apply pressure to both evenly. I terms of swapping them round, your only choice is to untape the bars and move the cables over - but it's likely that you'll have to release and unthread the cables to get the cable runs right - you may also have to modify the length of the front brake outer to avoid a kink. I'd perservere with riding it as it, you'll get used to it in time.

nicklouse

Monty Dog wrote:

only an anachronistic British Standard that requires them the other way round

Thought it was the road traffic act?

So if you use your bike on the Roads with the brakes Euro/US style you are actually breaking the law.

not that anyone would notice.

i break the trafic laws out here every time i ride on the roads as my brakes are UK way round.

maddog 2

I don't do it for legal reasons, I want the front brake in my right hand.

I'm right-handed and this is where I want the main braking. Same as my motorbike.

aracer

Having a motorbike is a good argument for front brake on the right. Because you're right handed and that is the main brake isn't - you'd have to be disabled not to have sufficient strength and control in your left hand.

Fairly sure the RTA says nothing at all about which way round you have your brake levers - though British Standards for selling new complete bikes might (note that most high performance bikes sold don't conform to BS anyway - since they are sold without pedals they don't have to). I run mine Euro style for the same reasons as Monty Dog.

portuguese mike

Monty Dog wrote:

I have all my bikes the 'wrong way round' the cable runs and calipers were designed to work that way and it's only an anachronistic British Standard that requires them the other way round - there is an argument that the resultant convoluted cable runs are in fact a contributor to poor brake performance. Also, running a smaller frame and stem makes it very tight otherwise. Equally, when braking I always go on feel, not front vs back - I set up both brakes identically and apply pressure to both evenly. I terms of swapping them round, your only choice is to untape the bars and move the cables over - but it's likely that you'll have to release and unthread the cables to get the cable runs right - you may also have to modify the length of the front brake outer to avoid a kink. I'd perservere with riding it as it, you'll get used to it in time.

so do i, i've got 2 bikes, one set up the English way and one the 'wrong' way and i can honestly say that i have never given it a moments thought when out riding - either is perfectly intuitive to use so unless it really bothers you i'd leave it.

ut_och_cykla

I like my bike set so my left hand controls my rear brake, allowing me to drink/fiddle with things with my right hand and not panic lock my front wheel but here in Sweden I think I'm braking the law :oops: . Not sure there is any right or worng way - will check mix of UK/USA/swedish bikes in cellar!!

nicklouse

ut_och_cykla wrote:

I like my bike set so my left hand controls my rear brake, allowing me to drink/fiddle with things with my right hand and not panic lock my front wheel but here in Sweden I think I'm braking the law :oops: . Not sure there is any right or worng way - will check mix of UK/USA/swedish bikes in cellar!!

makes 2. but not many of mine see tarmac.

and also keeping on the great cycle paths helps keep me of the roads.

drenkrom

Just like the side of the road you drive on, it's you Brits that are the wrong way round. The rear brake should be on the right side, as witnessed by the cable run holes in pretty much any frame that has them.

ddraver

My MTB brakers are reveresed cos i find if i panic brake i grab the right hand , thus throwing me over the bars with a UK set up, whereas with euro i lightly squeeze the back brakefirst out of instinct and then apply the front brake - which i believe is the proper way to do it -

my roadie is back to front the only reason why is lazieness, although i may swap seeing as i have to take the tape off either way soon

schlepcycling

I've just checked and my bikes are all left hand rear, right hand front and to be honest I've never noticed until now and never had a problem.

mdg1157

Run both my bikes continental style, does seem a more natural route for the front brake, but mainly because a mate of mine built me a bike years ago like this. seems natural to me now, and I ride motorcycles ,but dont have any problems.

davman

I have always run my brakes continental style ie the front brake on the left for the following reasons;

I can brake with the front whilst changing gear on the rear with my right. Certainly Ergolevers make this easier than STI

i can look over my right shoulder whilst braking with the front.

Simon

pedalrog

Left hand rear is correct, it's only a legal requirement at point of sale, you can change it to how you like afterwards as far as I know.

cyclingfury

I too run my brakes Euro style as opposed to British for all the reasons others have mentioned above. Also as I tend to use more front brake for stopping than rear, having it on the left hand side allows me to simultaneously use the front brake and click down the gears when stopping at junctions etc so that I'm in the right gear to set off again.

Sheldon Brown speculates that the British set up may gave come about in the mistaken belief that the rear brake should be predominantly used for stopping, and because we drive on the left situating the rear brake on the left allows the rider to use an arm signal when turning right across oncoming traffic. (The opposite applies to those countries who drive on the right). He argues that stopping distances are greatly reduced by more application of the front brake compared to the rear, and that it is only novices that are likely to suffer any danger from plunging themselves over the handlebars.

aracer

pedalrog wrote:

Left hand rear is correct, it's only a legal requirement at point of sale, you can change it to how you like afterwards as far as I know.

Though as I mentioned above that only applies to bikes sold as complying with British Standards - most higher end bikes are sold without pedals, or for "off-road use only", so that doesn't apply!

Rich Hcp

I hired an MTB to go off roading in Lake Placid and that had 'wrong way round brakes'

I ended up grabbing a handful of left, over the bars on to rocks.

Smashed helmet and concussion

Why couldn't they standardise it world wide, or allow either way around when the bike is built up?

vernonlevy

I have a road bike that has the continental set up for brakes. The only thing that I do 'wrongly' when riding it is try to change gear with the non existant bar end shifters instead of the Sor STI that it's fitted with. Never had any issues with 'swapping hands' for front braking.

aracer

Rich Hcp wrote:

Why couldn't they standardise it world wide, or allow either way around when the bike is built up?

If they did, it wouldn't be the way round we have it - it's us who are out on a limb, not anybody else.

Not sure what your second point is - you can route them either way round when building up a bike - or are you suggesting they should allow you to be able to swap them (something you can do quite easily with cable brakes on MTBs)?