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deepoctarine t1_iu359lo wrote

One of the few examples of UK being correct where Europe got it wrong, people are predominantly right handed, you need to pull harder on the front brake, so the right brake lever should operate the front brake, it also matches nearly every motorcycle in the world.

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Zelensexual t1_iu3h8r1 wrote

Hell no. The right brake is the main one you use. You have to be much more careful and lighter with the front brake, otherwise you'll go flying.

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neongecko12 t1_iu3jobk wrote

About 70% of the stopping power comes from the front brake. It's why higher end bikes generally use bigger front rotors compared with the back. Same thing with motorbikes, they usually use a pair of large front disks.

The rear brake really only slows you down, it's the front brake that stops you. You just need to shift your weight back as you stop, otherwise you will fly off the front, it's a simple fact of physics.

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GaijinFoot t1_iu4rgro wrote

I'm a decently well seasoned cyclist but no, you do not smash the front brake, you will go flying. It stops you faster but you don't want it to lock up. Your stat is more relevant to motorbikes, not bicycles

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teh_maxh t1_iu4enn1 wrote

> You have to be much more careful and lighter with the front brake

Which is why — assuming you're right-handed — it should be on the right.

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[deleted] t1_iu3mcnk wrote

[deleted]

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deepoctarine t1_iu3qvi8 wrote

Everything to do with handedness then, we drive on the left because we rode horses on the left because the people who rode horses also wore swords which are worn on the left so it can be drawn by the right hand which is the dominant hand in humans and that would be the side you want any oncoming person to be on. It is also easier to mount and dismount a horse to the left when you are wearing a sword, and you want to be on the "pavement" side of the horse not the "road" side when doing so. TL:DR you ride/drive on the wrong side of the road too.

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snow_michael t1_iu4g7b4 wrote

It's also been shown repeatedly that the 'off' hand should be the one for gear changes, fiddling with indicators and radio etc. while the hand that has better control grips the wheel

For most people, that's the right hand

Hence the safer way is to drive on the left

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r4tch3t_ t1_iu45lhs wrote

While correct for the UK you aren't thinking past that and assuming any other way is incorrect.

The reason driving on the right hand side of the road became popular in America is similar to left hand drive in the UK.

When the Americas were being colonised wagons and carriages were use extensively for shipping and transport. These had multiple horses to draw them. With the right hand being dominant it was benificial for the driver to be on the left of the wagon so his right arm was in the centre to control the animals. Because of this it was easier to see the road if you were on the right as it put the driver closer to the centre of the road. Therefore the roads and facilities were constructed to accommodate this.

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agolf_twitler_ t1_iu3cb4m wrote

>One of the few examples of UK being correct where Europe got it wrong, people are predominantly right handed, you need to pull harder on the front brake

Im sure some bike accident statistics analysis should be out there to prove this hypothesis.

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[deleted] t1_iu3fwmd wrote

[deleted]

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deepoctarine t1_iu3k29m wrote

Hence "nearly", I am fully aware there are some exceptions, especially with older motorcycles, some only have one brake, and some had two on the same wheel!

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Merengues_1945 t1_iu4ycwi wrote

Bicycles predate motorcycles by a long while... and the reasoning is so that you can do hand signalling with the hand opposite to the side where you drive.

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Desperate-Face-6594 t1_iu39vcy wrote

Nah, if you need to break the front wheel hard you’ll go over the handle bars and into incoming traffic. A back break results in a skid that can, to a degree, be controlled or more safely dismounted from.

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AtebYngNghymraeg t1_iu3bkvq wrote

Brake. Not break.

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BobbyP27 t1_iu3z85d wrote

The comment wasn't wrong, though. If you break the front wheel you will go over the handlebars.

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snow_michael t1_iu4fozc wrote

Been there, done that, tree still bears the mark (mine healed)

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dirtiehippie710 t1_iu3aqu0 wrote

Ya wtf who's instinct tells then to lock up the front brake?!? Learned this the hard way as a kid lol

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Desperate-Face-6594 t1_iu3avhv wrote

It’s breaks at the same time is best but always work the back break harder. It’s more than science, it’s common sense.

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Greeboth t1_iu3i6jr wrote

Common sense maybe but it’s not science. Predominately using the rear is certain safer and too much front brake will result in going over the bars. But to stop the quickest, you need to use the front brake more as weight transfer forward means the front wheel can withstand more brake pressure before locking up than the rear. This is exactly the same on motorcycles and cars for the same reason - Physics.

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Viper_JB t1_iu4h0cu wrote

Apart from the going over the bars thing from a mountain biking perspective if you lock up the front wheel you have no control over the bike anymore, you can afford to lock up the back wheel though and still maintain control over the bike, same reason why generally you will run a more aggressive tyre on the front of a mtb.

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willie_caine t1_iu3gq1a wrote

>It’s more than science, it’s common sense.

Wow :)

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Desperate-Face-6594 t1_iu3gty0 wrote

As in kids know this through lived experience, they don’t need science lessons to know this.

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willie_caine t1_iu3u14e wrote

So when you said "science" you meant "science lessons". Gotcha.

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deepoctarine t1_iu3d4ku wrote

That is why you are supposed to shift your weight backwards to reduce the chance of going over the bars. It is about how hard you have to squeeze to achieve a lock up and how much retardation that can be achieved before the wheel locks, not how controllable the bike is when it's locked up. A locked up wheel has less grip than a rolling wheel and gives less retardation. The fastest way to slow down is with the primary effort through the front wheel, end of story, the mass of rider and bike are thrown onto the front increasing the effective weight through the tyre onto the road and increasing the contact patch and therefore the grip. Watch some moto gp or superbikes, they brake into corners with their rear wheel off the ground and that must be the fastest way to slow down otherwise they wouldn't be doing it and they are operating under the same laws of physics as everyone else.

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Character_Past5515 t1_iu3mpwv wrote

But you use your right hand more because of the rear derailleur so the left hand can focus on the braking and because it will have less to do will be less tired.

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deepoctarine t1_iu3q093 wrote

Rule #5

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Character_Past5515 t1_iu3s9mz wrote

No, it's not only to hard its also annoying, it's just good that one hand can focus on the braking and one on the gear shifting, heck why has every single 1x the shifters on the right side?!

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