Brake handle mounting left vs right

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

JT

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Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do.

??? I use the rear brake more than the front. The front brake is more
aggressive and I've gone over the handlebars plenty of time by squeezing
that brake too hard.

Quoted message said:

But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs,

It's hardly overworked.

Quoted message said:

I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

1. If you agree that something that is unconventional goes against
convention, then yes. Otherwise, no.

2. Every bike I've ever owned had the left hand for the front brake, the
right for the rear. What kind of bikes do you own?

-- mike elliott

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

Thanks.
--

if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
easily.

jim beam said:

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

Thanks.
--

if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
easily.

Often without intending to do so......

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jim beam said:

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

Thanks.
--

if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
easily.

Sorry for not going into that level of detail. I am actually using
Campagnolo's flat bar brake/shifter... Veloce 10.
--

that's my point - campy's only real usability flaw is the difficulty of
braking and shifting simultaneously, hence your original question. this
is not an issue with shimano for the reason stated.

In article <[email hidden]>,

jim beam said:

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

Thanks.
--

if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
easily.

Sorry for not going into that level of detail. I am actually using
Campagnolo's flat bar brake/shifter... Veloce 10.
--

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Rocket J Squirrel said:

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do.

??? I use the rear brake more than the front. The front brake is more
aggressive and I've gone over the handlebars plenty of time by squeezing
that brake too hard.

Quoted message said:

But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs,

It's hardly overworked.

Quoted message said:

I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

1. If you agree that something that is unconventional goes against
convention, then yes. Otherwise, no.

2. Every bike I've ever owned had the left hand for the front brake, the
right for the rear. What kind of bikes do you own?

One reference to this is,
http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

I've gone over the bar once down a dirt track. But that was because the
front wheel got jammed b/n two rocks.

I suspect the article's reference is more specific to road biking
conditions.
--

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

So there's no convention on this issue?
--

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Rocket J Squirrel said:

Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do.

??? I use the rear brake more than the front. The front brake is more
aggressive and I've gone over the handlebars plenty of time by squeezing
that brake too hard.

Quoted message said:

But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs,

It's hardly overworked.

Quoted message said:

I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

1. If you agree that something that is unconventional goes against
convention, then yes. Otherwise, no.

2. Every bike I've ever owned had the left hand for the front brake, the
right for the rear. What kind of bikes do you own?

One reference to this is,
http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Well, then I stand corrected! My bad.

-- mike elliott

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Rocket J Squirrel said:

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Mike Rocket J Squirrel said:

Artoi wrote:
> I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
> do.
??? I use the rear brake more than the front. The front brake is more
aggressive and I've gone over the handlebars plenty of time by squeezing
that brake too hard.

> But given that the right hand already has more work with the
> changing of rear derailleurs,
It's hardly overworked.

> I am wondering if there's any convention
> going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
> work load?
1. If you agree that something that is unconventional goes against
convention, then yes. Otherwise, no.

2. Every bike I've ever owned had the left hand for the front brake, the
right for the rear. What kind of bikes do you own?

One reference to this is,
http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

Well, then I stand corrected! My bad.

Please don't. My initial reaction was quite sceptical too. But it made
good sense and worth giving it a go. I'll have to find out how difficult
it is to switch the brake cables.
--

In article <[email hidden]>,

jim beam said:

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jim beam said:

Artoi wrote:
> I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
> do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
> changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
> going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
> work load?
>
> Thanks.
> --
if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
easily.

Sorry for not going into that level of detail. I am actually using
Campagnolo's flat bar brake/shifter... Veloce 10.
--

that's my point - campy's only real usability flaw is the difficulty of
braking and shifting simultaneously, hence your original question. this
is not an issue with shimano for the reason stated.

Ok, I see your angle now. But Shimano brake/shifter equipment for flat
bars aren't any different are they? I agree with your point if we are
talking about brake/shifter for drop bars.
--

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any
convention going against having the left hand control the front
brake and share the work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

So there's no convention on this issue?

I switch all my bicycles to match my motorcycle - right hand control the
front brake. This makes for some interesting cable routing on the front
brakes, fixed with Cane Creek Direct Curve 5 v-brakes, and allowing the
housing to exit the bar tape early on the road bikes. Campy brifters are no
problem to shift while braking (almost always shifting down, that is).
--
Phil Lee, Squid

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jim beam said:

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
jim beam <[email hidden]> wrote:

> Artoi wrote:
>> I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
>> do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
>> changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
>> going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
>> work load?
>>
>> Thanks.
>> --
> if you used shimano, you could brake and shift at the same time quite
> easily.
Sorry for not going into that level of detail. I am actually using
Campagnolo's flat bar brake/shifter... Veloce 10.
--

that's my point - campy's only real usability flaw is the difficulty of
braking and shifting simultaneously, hence your original question. this
is not an issue with shimano for the reason stated.

Ok, I see your angle now. But Shimano brake/shifter equipment for flat
bars aren't any different are they?

the current xt/xtr's are. you can brake in the normal way while
simultaneously tilting the brake levers to shift. great system. cable
or hydraulic.

Quoted message said:

I agree with your point if we are
talking about brake/shifter for drop bars.
--

In article <[email hidden]>,

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

So there's no convention on this issue?
--

There are country-specific conventions: almost all road bikes on this
(North America) continent will be set up front-brake-on-left. The EU
standard is apparently front-right.

I am fond of the left-front standard, but I am left-handed, and thus
have sinister motives for favouring it.

http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html#whichside

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

So there's no convention on this issue?
--

the only people i know which seem to favor right-front are the brits
[and maybe colombians?]. i think most everyone else is generally
left-front as it makes shifting while braking simpler.

Mike Rocket J Squirrel said:

I've gone over the handlebars plenty of time by squeezing
that brake too hard.

On the road? Or off-road?

Sorry that this will sound harsh, but I wouldnt' take advice from
someone who has braked themselves over the bars often.

JT

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Artoi said:

I understand that braking using the front brake is the proper thing to
do. But given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

Thanks.
--

No problem doing this -- some people prefer it. I accidentally set up
one bike this way when I built it up, so I left it for a while to see
how I liked it. It worked fine, but I had to remember which brake was
which every time I switched bikes, and I had a lingering fear that my
reflexes might fail in a panic stop -- so I switched it back. I guess it
doesn't mater which way you go as long as you're consistent if you have
more than one bike.

Ryan Cousineau ha scritto:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So there's no convention on this issue?
--

There are country-specific conventions: almost all road bikes on this
(North America) continent will be set up front-brake-on-left. The EU
standard is apparently front-right.

Ehm, not really, we're front-left in Campyland as well. And apparently
we're EU, aren't we?
Ciao
Luca

Artoi said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Artoi said:

given that the right hand already has more work with the
changing of rear derailleurs, I am wondering if there's any convention
going against having the left hand control the front brake and share the
work load?

In some countries, including the one I live in (the US) it's quite
common to have the left hand control the front brake.

So there's no convention on this issue?

No, there are two conventions on this issue. Pick one.