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

Reply to comment by ramriot in TIL bicycle brakes in the UK are reversed from the US and Europe by UlisKromwell

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.