ramriot t1_iu415xj wrote on October 28, 2022 at 12:04 PM

Why would anyone expect different. From what I understand this is to allow the rider to make hand signals with lower risk & is thus dependant upon which side of road is correct in the country.

clegane t1_iu4mdt6 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 2:49 PM

On motorcycles, the front brake is on the throttle hand (right). After riding a motorcycle for years, I found the mixup to be annoying enough to switch the brakes on my bicycle ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ramriot t1_iu5jngf wrote on October 28, 2022 at 6:31 PM

If in your country you are riding bicycles on the right then having the REAR brake on that side would I think still allow you to use breaking while indicating a maneuver across traffic.

If though you switch them then you would end up applying the front break in such a situation, which considering you would only have one hand on the handlebars could prove "unhelpful".

For motorcycles with turn signals it's not a problem, other than I suppose keeping the clutch & throttle opposite each other.

clegane t1_iu6qbzy wrote on October 28, 2022 at 11:42 PM

I mean, I get it, but I don’t ride my bike on the street. I just prefer them switched after spending a lot of time on motorcycles.

SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_iua57gx wrote on October 29, 2022 at 7:18 PM

Yup. People who consider the rear brake to be the main one, obviously ride on roads only. And likely on dry, even roads.

Where bicycle braking becomes interesting, is steep downhill, on low-traction surface. 80%+ of the braking force comes from the front brake, and it's a balancing act better suited to one's dominant hand.

I live in the EU, and it always annoyed me that they default the front brake to the left handle. It's an accident waiting to happen, on a mountain bike with hydraulic brakes and soft front suspension.

xmastreee t1_iu47ykp wrote on October 28, 2022 at 1:03 PM

Well I was told you make hand signals with either hand. So which side of the road you're on is irrelevant.

The front brake should be on the right. It's the more important one because you can actually stop with it rather than just skidding. Sure, excessive force will put you over the handlebars, but that's why you need your dominant (most people are right handed) hand to get the fine control required.

And look at motor scooters. Not bikes, automatic scooters with no foot controls and only levers. The front brake is always on the right wherever they are in the world. Why should it be different for bicycles?

ramriot t1_iu4bx89 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 1:34 PM

I agree partly, but there is a ton of subtlety about signalling a move out into traffic should leave a hand for the rear brake. Here is a good answer to that issue from Quora.

I can't speak to scooters if you mean the modern uprated kids toy device, but for mopeds which were also called motor scooters in the UK the brake layout seems to have settled down internationally to I think rear on left, front on right. But since almost all of these today have turn signals that can be operated by the thumb there is no need to hand signals, see above.

xmastreee t1_iu8qn0h wrote on October 29, 2022 at 1:02 PM

Yeah, scooters like mopeds, but also larger ones. Anything twist and go basically, with no foot controls.