Which side do you have front break on - Left or Right ?

bilabonic

Hi

Just wondering what people prefer, some like it same as motorbike, some other way ?

My front is on the LHS. I am right handed so have more strength for rear.

nickwill

The British convention is to have the front on the right, and rear on the left. On the continent it's usually the other way round.
I gues either way is ok as long as you are used to it!
I'm just a bit curious as to why you think it's an advantage to have your stronger right hand to control the rear brake!

nicklouse

Right as that is the way i have always done it. Also does not the front brake do most of the braking and as rear will lock up easier?

Stewie Griffin

nicklouse wrote:

Right as that is the way i have always done it. Also does not the front brake do most of the braking and as rear will lock up easier?

My back brake is only there in case my front cable goes .

Quick edit, the link to Sheldon Brown is what I was taught as a kid.

http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Tailend Charlie

Having disappeared over the bows of a Calgary mountain bike three times in rapid succession before I worked out what the problem was, I can only say that I will never ride a bike with the front brake on the left had again. :shock:

The left hand is for the rear brake or the clutch, depending what you are riding.

nicklouse

Tailend Charlie wrote:

Having disappeared over the bows of a Calgary mountain bike three times in rapid succession before I worked out what the problem was, I can only say that I will never ride a bike with the front brake on the left had again. :shock:

The left hand is for the rear brake or the clutch, depending what you are riding.

I hope that also happened to the person that stole an MTB of mine years ago.

there is also something in the Highway code (or some other publication) regarding covering your "safe" brake while indicating to turn across traffic.

meagain

"covering your "safe" brake while indicating to turn across traffic."

Which is why on a front-brake-only fixed the lever is traditionally on the left!

Steve Kish

MTB = right lever is front

Road = left lever is front. This is because I still use downtube shifters and can brake and change gear at the same time.

AlanW

Another vote for having the front brake on the right, same as my motorbike.

bigmat

I have front brake on left, my early 90's mtb came like that and then so did my first road bike a few year's later. I think the important thing is what you are used to. I do find it handy to be able to put your front brake on, lift the rear wheel and pedal up or down the cassette at junctions as well.

roger_merriman

Tailend Charlie wrote:

Having disappeared over the bows of a Calgary mountain bike three times in rapid succession before I worked out what the problem was, I can only say that I will never ride a bike with the front brake on the left had again. :shock:

The left hand is for the rear brake or the clutch, depending what you are riding.

i did some impressive endo's though i didn't come off, when i took old red out first time and had to do a sharpish stop... got the brakes switched after that, as was asking for trouble, my other bikes being the other way round, though i've come closer to going over it's brow as it's got much more powerful disc brakes which if it's been i while i forget...

mattsccm

Front = right every time. a) its the same as the motorcycle. No logical reason to be different. b) most of us are right handed thus its stronger and also more sensitive and therefore to be used for the brake that is used most but in dodgy conditions needs more control. c) the colonials do it the other way round thus it must be wrong

Vivid

Right front, more power and control due to right handed.

synchronicity

I did a load of swapping around when I fractured a scaphoid bone. Swapped the brakes over to gain a bit more control. Then a year later, the other wrist broke. :roll: sort of became ambidextrous for a while there...

Anyway, most of my personal bikes are back to right front again ... but I can and still do ride with the either way... just requires a bit of mental adjustment.

But most of my rental bikes are left front, so be careful!

I used to ride a sports motorbike and for that reason put the fron brake on the right hand side... but riding a motorbike is not the same thing as a bicycle. I've never gotten mixed up about what bike is between my legs. One you have to pedal, one you have an engine... so that tends to remind you what you are riding!

synchronicity

I did a load of swapping around when I fractured a scaphoid bone. Swapped the brakes over to gain a bit more control. Then a year later, the other wrist broke. :roll: sort of became ambidextrous for a while there...

Anyway, most of my personal bikes are back to right front again ... but I can and still do ride with the either way... just requires a bit of mental adjustment.

But most of my rental bikes are left front, so be careful!

I used to ride a sports motorbike and for that reason put the fron brake on the right hand side... but riding a motorbike is not the same thing as a bicycle. I've never gotten mixed up about what bike is between my legs. One you have to pedal, one you have an engine... so that tends to remind you what you are riding!

synchronicity

I did a load of swapping around when I fractured a scaphoid bone. Swapped the brakes over to gain a bit more control. Then a year later, the other wrist broke. :roll: sort of became ambidextrous for a while there...

Anyway, most of my personal bikes are back to right front again ... but I can and still do ride with the either way... just requires a bit of mental adjustment.

But most of my rental bikes are left front, so be careful!

I used to ride a sports motorbike and for that reason put the fron brake on the right hand side... but riding a motorbike is not the same thing as a bicycle. I've never gotten mixed up about what bike is between my legs. One you have to pedal, one you have an engine... so that tends to remind you what you are riding!

roughestrider

The Chinese do it the opposite way as the Continental Europeans.
It knocked me off my bike on the first serious downhill i did on my brandnew mountainbike here in China!!
Landed it right on my face. Aaaww.

thiscocks

Right. Rode a bike on the continent for a while and never got used to the front being on the left, kept locking the rear. Horrible!

synchronicity

Sh¡t. sorry about the triple post. Had a really slooooow internet connection that day...

John.T

Not you. It's the site. We are all doing it.