Front or Rear brake?

Bikerguy15

Hiya,

Just out of general interest, which do you prefer using? Personally I prefer using the rear brake just to scrub off any speed, it always seems easier & feels like I have more control over the steering. Now I'm starting to recognise why americans have it the other way around 8).

supersonic

I use both.

bennett_346

This doesn't make sense at all.

ricardo_smooth

supersonic wrote:

I use both.

This

Raymondavalon

supersonic wrote:

I use both.

+ potato..

Daz555

Bikerguy15 wrote:

Now I'm starting to recognise why americans have it the other way around 8).

Eh?

Anyway I use both, one getting more or less attention than the other as required.

Rushmore

I use both...

However, I tend to use the front a tad more on normal flat riding as it stop you faster... as long as it's dry and relitivly grippy..

Down hills or slippy stuff I use the back more and feather the front as needed....

bennett_346

I use whichever is the best brake to use to control the bike in the way i want it to be controlled... It makes no sense to ask which you prefer using because you can't have a preference for something that is dictated by the conditions, not the rider.

prawny

Neither.

Foot on the back tyre, it's the only way.

El Zomba

Brakes are for sissies. Real men slow down by riding into trees, rocks, shrubbery, etc.

Anonymous

I use my head, though that's not to stop the bike, just myself.

TommyEss

Bikerguy15 wrote:

Now I'm starting to recognise why americans have it the other way around 8).

Americans, Europeans, and pretty much everyone else who rides on the other side of the road, have their brake levers the other way round to us, i.e. front brake, left lever.

Anonymous

They're all wrong. Both bike levers and side of the road.

schmako

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 70% of your braking should come from the front brake.

For me because i've cycled so long I rarely think about it, it just happens..

dusk

TommyEss wrote:

Bikerguy15 wrote:

Now I'm starting to recognise why americans have it the other way around 8).

Americans, Europeans, and pretty much everyone else who rides on the other side of the road, have their brake levers the other way round to us, i.e. front brake, left lever.

Their motorbikes don't do the same do they?

cooldad

dusk wrote:

TommyEss wrote:

Bikerguy15 wrote:

Now I'm starting to recognise why americans have it the other way around 8).

Americans, Europeans, and pretty much everyone else who rides on the other side of the road, have their brake levers the other way round to us, i.e. front brake, left lever.

Their motorbikes don't do the same do they?

Harleys don't go fast enough to need brakes

sniper68

dusk wrote:

Their motorbikes don't do the same do they?

No.Which is why the Yanks refer to Front/Right,Rear/Left as "Moto-style" we on the otherhand just refer to it "correct"

The Rookie

Schmako wrote:

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 70% of your braking should come from the front brake.

When travelling in a staright line, circa 70% of the weight is on the front wheel under braking (unless you use enough to lift the back wheel) but that has nothing to do with where the braking 'should' be.

I have the MTB levers the normal way round as I usually start to brake the rear first for stability and to judge the grip at the end where a lockup is less of an issue, the commuter has them the other way round so I use the same left lever first as it makes more sense on the road, also it saves weight as the calliper is that side and so I need slightly less cable between both brakes!

Simon

Richie63

it saves weight as the calliper is that side and so I need slightly less cable between both brakes!

Simon[/quote]

where that the statement is most likely true I suspect in a blindfold lift with either way of mounting the brakes weight difference could not be noticed and therefore this is codswollop

The Rookie

So you agree with it and it's codswallop - I think you're talking Bollox.

It IS lighter, not by much which is why I have kept left rear on the MTB as I prefer to use the brakes that way round on the road, but when you get into weight weenieing, it's a case of shaving grams everywhere, I dare say you need a massive difference (probably nearly half a kilo) to spot it in a blindfold lift, but if I put lots of them together you would notice it, the commuter has lost 1.7Kg since I first built it, I think you'd notice that.

Simon

dusk

ibbo68 wrote:

dusk wrote:

Their motorbikes don't do the same do they?

No.Which is why the Yanks refer to Front/Right,Rear/Left as "Moto-style" we on the otherhand just refer to it "correct"

That must be interesting if you ride bikes (motorised and pedal) on the continent

Markmjh

Who actually thinks about which brake you have used, when and what percentage? Surely braking is just instictive once you have been riding a while? I had to seriously think about(and place hands out and pull air brakes) to figure out which brake was on which side when i started reading this :-(

cooldad

Pretty much this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If you have to think about braking, you've probably crashed.

chez_m356

ibbo68 wrote:

dusk wrote:

Their motorbikes don't do the same do they?

No.Which is why the Yanks refer to Front/Right,Rear/Left as "Moto-style" we on the otherhand just refer to it "correct"

isn't a motorbikes rear brake foot operated, as the left hand side of the handlebars usually has something called a clutch lever on it ?