[Closed] Running your brakes t'other way round- experiences? (lefthanders?)

tbh in terms of braking I doubt either hand has that much more feel - then again I play guitar so many have more nimble fingers than most

DO you really think you have greater control with your left...if so do it but be very carefull for the first few rides as you are bound to do it wrong at some point

You get used to it pretty quickly.

I'm right handed, I picked up a cheap set of Deore hydros on Ebay. It wasn't 'til they arrived that I realised they were the wrong way round (international shipping so I should've twigged really!). Anyway, put them on thinking I'd swap the hoses when I got round to it, three years later I still haven't got round to it!

Rented a bike in the alps 10 years ago with euro brakes, you do get used to it but you WILL crash, as a result of forgetting, once.

You could or would get used to it I guess, but if you have another bike or a motorbike, or even ride someone elses bike now and again then you are going to struggle.

You get used to it pretty quick. Did bit riding USA and Mexico last year and was on borrowed bikes.

That said, in a panic moment instinct takes over... over-cooked a manual in a bad spot.. a big handfull of front brake did not help much 😳

😆

As a lefty I've always run my front brakes on the left hand lever. My warped logic is if I need to indicate a right turn on the road, I have better (braking) control with my 'strong hand' - no s****ing at the back.

Unless you have a monster sized bike & some downhill forks the Hoses will be too long & look daft (As well as potentially catching on stuff), so you will have to shorten them anyway, at which point you may as well run them the right way around.

I live in Spain and ride a spanish BH that is the wrong way round.Like others have said you soon get used to it and unlike when braking on a motorcycle you do not get the same fork dive.

Wot most of them sed. Most of the time it will be fine, but it's when things get a bit squiffy and you're reacting on instinct that it'll go pear-shaped

I rented a bike in Canada, Back In The Day* and it didn't take me long before I decided it would be best to swap the cables over, easy to do, rockin' the v-brakes.

Did the same when we rented bikes in moab last year, easy with the cable BB7s on the fat bike, flip flop Avid levers made it easy on the Spesh.

*Are there time limits on how long ago something needs to be before it can be referred to as Back In The Day?

I did same. It takes ages to get used to them. Your muscles are hard wired and it takes some breaking through that programming m8.

I did it my accident on my road bike once whilst wiring them up back to front. Made chuff all difference after the first 5 minutes. Bit like (if you ride motorbikes) swapping between left/right gear shifters and 1down4up and 1up4down boxes. Although maybe because it was whilst I was learning to ride road bikes that the muscle memory wasn't there, maybe it would be harder now.

I put the only brake on my fixed on the left to allow braking and signalling right at the same time

most disturbing muscle memory experiences I've had were both on the same holiday in France

First was setting off on a quad bike under the eyes of the supervisor/instructor. Don't know what he must have thought, watching me picking up speed, eyes popping out, heading for the bushes with every muscle straining, fighting the steering, because my body was expecting the counter-steer/flop reaction.

The other was stoking on a tandem, doing exactly the same thing, with the pilot (?) swearing at me, asking me what the hell I was doing back there!

I've always run my brakes the American/Euro way round. Started doing it when we had cantis and the frame bosses were always designed for the brakes to be run this way round, so doing so made the cable routing smoother and the cables don't rub the paint off the frame. I've just stuck with it ever since.

My warped logic is if I need to indicate a right turn on the road, I have better (braking) control with my 'strong hand'

This is kind of the inverse of why brakes are the way around that they are - in left side driving countries brakes are routed left rear so that you have control of the rear brake (which though weaker won't put you over the bars) when you are signaling to turn right. Fortuitously for us non-sinister types, this also means your strongest and more sensitive hand is controlling the more powerful brake. However for a lefty it would make sense in terms of performance to go to a 'continental' set up. How quickly you adapt to it is personal.

You mean the RIGHT way around surely. My first mountain bike came with euro brakes and I've never gone back. Which makes it easier now I live in Europe.

That said, it's only when you panic brake that you'll forget for the first couple of times. After that, no worries.

What upsets me is that those of us who right front brake don't also get left rear shifters so that we're not trying to do brake, downshift and signal for a right turn at the same time with our dominant hand.

It's fine as long as you don't mind constant face plants.

Does this count? Would look silly to have the brake and shifter on different sides.. 😛

[img] [/img]

I rode a hire bike in Canada and whilst trying to impress the townsfolk I whipped myself over the bars in an instant !
Stupidly thinking I'd grabbed a hand full of rear brake I was slammed on the deck smashing my Oakleys, nose and couple of Teeth !
None of which mattered tho as the humiliation more than made up for my lack of both skill and common sense,

I wouldn't do it simply because I'm too stoopid to remember and altho you never forget how to ride a bike I bet you would forget that the brakes were the wrong way round ?

I've always run my back brake on the right. This stems from riding/ racing BMX in the 80's and only having one brake...on the right ( my stronger hand ).

Nowadays I just think its logical, seeing as the front brake is responsible for approx. 70% of overall braking, that I don't need it on my strong hand. I find it gives me a more balanced braking feel.

Just my tuppence worth.

Its your bike, set them up how it feels best for you. Don't let too many people know you're left handed, We still burn wrong handers as witches in west Yorkshire. 😈

Do it. Like it. My experiences.

My only experience of it was with a rented bike in Italy. No-one explained it to me and I didn't realise until I took a big handful of front brake going into the first switchback out of the cable car. Suffice to say I always get them swapped round now if I rent a bike. I'm a leftie, but I still nearly soiled myself.

It was normal years ago, look at the oldies road bikes. Then it changed.
I think bikes 'have' to leave the shop with front/right rear/left nowadays?

Do it, its what the pro's do.

You'll be able to brake and change gear at the same time, that'll earn you a few more sec's on strava.

(also done it because I bought brakes from abroad and i'm lazy)

I have mine Euro stylee too.
I hired a bike in Chamonix years ago - (v brakes) and I felt more comfortable and stronger with the back brake on my right hand.
Swapped them over as soon as I got back and continued when disc brakes arrived.

I live in Spain and ride a spanish BH that is the wrong way round.Like others have said you soon get used to it and [b]unlike when braking on a motorcycle you do not get the same fork dive.[/b]

Sorry, but WTF are you dribbling on about?

catfishsalesco - Member
Unless you have a monster sized bike & some downhill forks the Hoses will be too long & look daft (As well as potentially catching on stuff), so you will have to shorten them anyway, at which point you may as well run them the right way around.

IMO keep them consistent over other bikes you have. I've done a superman OTB dismount on a rocky fideroad in Canada when hiring bikes with reverse setup. Not an experience I'd like to repeat 🙂

Do "Foreign" Motorbikes have the brakes the "Wrong" way around ?

Aye, replaced the cables 'wrongly' on my V brakes way back when I was an inexperienced teenager and loved it (once I realised what I'd done) - I have done it ever since on all my bikes & wouldn't go back now. Plus you get the hilarity of letting mates borrow your bike and watching them sail over the bars after you 'forget' to remind them 😉 (not that I'd condone such irresponsible behaviour...)

[img] [/img]
[img] https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTCGrxTbFY3KyErP0OVf0tUQAYTlXjOAJSOlZHVM5f98ldCAIlYQQ [/img]
[img] https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRx-Ff8xdZ50WRdEqvByXIST11Rki6UfGGRCqcWl14RCMTgzMkK [/img]

Fortuitously for us non-sinister types, this also means your strongest and more sensitive hand is controlling the more powerful brake.

How often do you borrow mates bikes?

How often do you borrow mates bikes?

Had a quick go on someone else's bike last night too, to try out his brakes funnily enough.

what brakes did you order? if they are avids no need to swap the hoses over just flip the lever and mount them on the english 😉 side of the bars

The 2014 SLX brakes. Apparently all you need is a 8mm spanner and its a pull out plug in.

[i]Do "Foreign" Motorbikes have the brakes the "Wrong" way around ? [/i]

No, the same way the LHD cars pedals are the same as RHD pedals.

Made the switch after my first trip to Canada, just felt right to me. Last time I was over there the helpful guy in the rental place heard my accent and swapped the brakes over without asking. That was pretty scary. 🙂

Hora, have a here about half way down the page for a how to:

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/psa-xt-m785-brakes/page/6

b r - Member

Do "Foreign" Motorbikes have the brakes the "Wrong" way around ?

No, the same way the LHD cars pedals are the same as RHD pedals.

So why the heck do they do it on bikes ?

[b]The late great Sheldon had great knowledge on brakes.[/b]

1./ Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time
So a skilled cyclist would never go over the bars from grabbing the brakes which were wrong way around, they'd just drag the back wheel.

2./ The theory that seems most probable to me is that the national standards arose from a concern that the cyclist be able to make hand signals, and still be able to reach the primary brake. This logical idea is, unfortunately, accompanied by the incorrect premise that the rear brake is the primary brake.

For this reason, I set my own bikes up so that the right hand controls the front brake, which is not the norm in the U.S.

I also do this because I'm right-handed, and wish to have my more skillful hand operate the more critical brake.

Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time

Maybe time for me to experiment then. I'm very dominant with my lefthand- And I noticed that I drag/trail the rear brake alot (and use the rear brake alot more than I do the front).

As a offshoot/result I guess I 'feel' my brakes aren't powerful enough.

Is this a fair thing to say? i.e. I'm braking WRONG. Time to experiment..

I noticed that I drag/trail the rear brake alot

The road bike is set Euro stylee as I purchased it in France. Doesn't make any difference to me. I've just replaced my rear brake cable. The first on that bike since new, some 12 yrs ago. The cable was rusty.
😉
MTB is set to Englandiashire and has DCLs fitted.

A spanner girl told me UK brakes are set as they are for right hand turn signal. Rear brake with left hand. Vice a versa for EuroShire.

I've got a Ti road build coming up later this year. I'm undecided which way round to set the brakes.

I say leave them euro style and don't tell anyone. Then if someone asks if they "can have a go" you then have god like Control of whether they go otb 😀 depends how much you like them. Haha mwuhahahaa 😈

Last time I was over there the helpful guy in the rental place heard my accent and swapped the brakes over without asking. That was pretty scary

I had the same in Whistler. I had to take the bloody thing back after my first run.

In uk when turning right across traffic waving right arm around in the air you brake with your left hand. The bike is easier to control with one hand while braking the rear wheel than it would be if braking the front.

Road bike, Singlespeed & Mountain Bike rear brake on the left

Jump Bike & fixie rear brake on the right

Never had a problem remembering what is where

I'm a bit confused here *prepares for flaming* I commute to work be it not far but I use a dual carriageway and obviously I signal my right turns going to work and coming home those rights becomes left signals. I don't switch my levers over before leaving work and I've not gone otb yet. So should I not left signal in case I die? And to add some background I do this route 5 times per week in all weathers and have done for 8 years. Should I stop playing the odds now? 😕

On a single carriage way you'd not normally signal and turn no need to slow for on coming traffic or stop in middle of the road. The whole left and right brake thing probably goes back before dual carriageways. Have a go at stoping a bike with one hand whilst turning see which one is easiest to control.

My point is that I signal both ways regardless of ease. If I got knocked off my bike because of brake setup and lack of signals then I'd accept I was at fault same as in the car. Also I use single carriageway too. Maybe I just slow down enough to control it before I signal who knows. *flame suit on*

I noticed that I drag/trail the rear brake alot
I do too but if I actually want to stop or slow down properly I'll apply the front.

Dragging the rear brake is crap technique/habit I'm afraid, quite often with me it's not even having any slowing effect at all, something I'm trying to stop myself doing.

I do this too - definitely poor technique! I think I do it as it manipulate the rear suspension into a more stable feeling position on my antiquated filing cabinet 😉

I'm doing it less these days as I've started getting my body weight more forward on the bike downhill. This has come with increased confidence, and has led to more confidence in the front end.

fathomer - Member
Hora, have a here about half way down the page for a how to:

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/psa-xt-m785-brakes/page/6

Just spotted this- ta very much 🙂

They've landed- I only ordered them Tuesday from Germany 😯 so will give them a quick spin tonight euro-style

I bloused out.. swapped but jesus the hoses are LONG