Which countries have left hand-rear brake and right hand-front brake

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TonyM
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Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:11 pm

by TonyM

I learned that the UK is like this but is there any other countries like this?

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alcatraz
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by alcatraz

You can usually route your cables as you like.

There are frames with special designed rear brake cable guides but usually you can choose to install your cables as you like.

Even in countries where bikes normally have left side front brake you will come across right hand front brake installs. This because if you've ever ridden a motorcycle it feels more natural with the front brake on the right side.

It also helps riding safely while drinking with your left hand. You can still brake fast and switch gears.

/a

cyclenutnz
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Location: Cambridge, New Zealand
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by cyclenutnz

In New Zealand it is the law to sell bikes with right hand front. Those of us running right hand rear are rare.
We are, of course, a British Colony so a lot of things are based on the UK way of doing things.

Digger90
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:34 pm

by Digger90

It dates back a hundred years plus, and is related to which side of the road countries drive on: the right side of the road, or the left (correct :D ) side of the road.

It's to do with which hand was used to make hand signals when turning across oncoming traffic. When riding one-handed and braking, braking on the rear wheel is more stable. Braking on the front wheel, with one hand on the bars, is less stable and can cause the front wheel to wobble or steer all over the place.


I grew up riding motorcycles, which have the front brake on the right. Therefore it just makes sense on a bike to me - the majority of folks are right handed so it's advantageous to use your dominant hand, which likely has more modulation, to control the front brake, which provides ~70% of braking power under extreme conditions.
Last edited by Digger90 on Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

KCookie
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Location: Pom living in Australia

by KCookie

Yep mine is right hand front brake, Australia.

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Conza
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Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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by Conza

I used my old man's road bike; which was left hand front brake, and right hand rear brake.

I then translated that across to my own, several times over.

Not sure how he started with it. Euro though?

Basically I prefer being able to brake on the rear (feathering corners etc, and shift gears).

Left is front, more powerful. Less action needing to happen.

Also Australia.
It's all about the adventure :o .

sienarot
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Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 4:36 pm
Location: Alberta, Canada

by sienarot

Digger90 wrote:
Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:34 am
It dates back a hundred years plus, and is related to which side of the road countries drive on: the right side of the road, or the left (correct :D ) side of the road.

It's to do with which hand was used to do hand signals when turning across oncoming traffic. When riding one-handed and braking, braking on the rear is more stable... braking on the front only, with one hand on the bars, is less stable and can cause the front wheel to wobble or steer all over the place.


I grew up riding motorcycles, which have the front brake on the right. Therefore it just makes sense on a bike to me - the majority of folks are right handed so it's advantageous to use your dominant hand, which likely has more modulation, to control the front brake, which provides ~70% of braking power under extreme conditions.
Yeah, here in Canada the bikes come with LH/front brake cause we ride on the right side of the road and use our left hand to signal. For the reasons stated above, I swapped my front brake to the right hand. I'd prefer my stronger hand to control the important brake and I also ride a motorcycle so it's just safer for me that way.

Since I ride my bicycles far more than I ride my motorcycle, my concern was if I stayed with LH/front brake my first reaction would be to grasp the left lever in an emergency situation and end up disengaging the clutch instead of braking and that could be pretty dangerous. As funny as it sounds, before I made the swap I had to mentally periodically remind myself the bicycle brakes were the opposite of the motorcycle brakes after each motorcycle ride. My bicycle bell is on my right hand side and I was in a situation on my motorcycle one time when I had to honk an oncoming driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road. Rather than honking, I ended up flashing my right signals at them cause that's where my thumbs were used to being on my bicycle :lol: That's when I decided to swap all my bicycle brakes haha

Valbrona
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Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

by Valbrona

TonyM wrote:
Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:50 am
I learned that the UK is like this but is there any other countries like this?
We had an Empire. Like in Star Wars.


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TonyM
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Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:11 pm

by TonyM

They need an article for the bikes with left hand rear brakes etc....

c60rider
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by c60rider

It's down to personal choice really I'm in UK and always used right hand brake for the rear, left for the front but then I also ride a motorbike which has right hand brake to the front. :noidea:

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themidge
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by themidge

If it were up to me to design my own perfect frame I'd definitely close front brake right coz stronger hand an' all that. However, most bikes have the rear cable stops/holes on the left hand side of the top tube, which causes some rather unsightly and inefficient bends if you run rear brake left, so on the frame I just bought (coming to a build thread near you), I'll use rear brake right (and therefore front brake left). As you can see from my sig I have two bikes, the B'twin has front brake right (even with lefty cable stops, still got the stock cables on :D) and the Vitus has front brake left (also came like that and haven't changed it, but it has the cable in the centre of the top tube), so confusing!

ianeire
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Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 2:08 pm
Location: Dublin, Ireland

by ianeire

Right hand front, Ireland. No law that says this is a requirement though as far as I'm aware.

shonanmike
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Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:27 pm

by shonanmike

Japan front brake left.

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silvalis
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Location: Aus

by silvalis

Valbrona wrote:
Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:26 pm
We had an Empire. Like in Star Wars.
Did you have a death star too ? :D
Chasse patate

by Weenie


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