Cheap bright tail light

Joerg wrote:
Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
14:40:11 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.
It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.

A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.

Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.
Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.

Ever ridden a mountain bike?

Lots of them. All, without exception have had the front brake on the
right. Same for other bikes and that includes some American ones
Riding one with a dangerous left operated front brake can get you
killed dead, and John Wayne would have put it.

100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left. Same for other bikes and that includes non-American ones.
Not being used to that can get you killed dead, as John Wayne would have
put it.

BTW, I have a road bike custom built in Europe (Germany), early 80's,
all high-end stuff back then. It has the front brake on the left.

They must have set up that way specially for you.


Nope. Just as they came from the factory. For example, during my last
trip to Germany early this month I rode a Nishiki trekking bike and of
course it had the front brake on the left. Same for a (non-US) mountain
bike. Neitehr had been modified.


How many motorcycles have you ever seen with left front brakes?


None. Which is why the brake handle arrangement on bicycles always
puzzled me. Also because the coaster brake bikes I had as a kid had the
front brake on the right. But none of the freehub bikes ever did.


Go look at a Harley Davidson - I think even you'll accept that is an
American two wheeler. And the front brake will be on the right,
except in those very rare circumstances where the bike has been
extensively modified for a rider with little or no right hand function
(the same exception I would allow for pedal cycles).


On motorcycles it's different, they all have them on the right and the
clutch handle on the left. It couldn't be any other way because the
accelerator is on the right and having the clutch on the same side just
would not be practical. Bicycles don't have a clutch and usually have
the front brakes on the left. Not that this makes any sense but it's
just the way it is.

Have you had one person in North America tell you front brakes on bicycles
are on the right? Maybe that's a clue. 😄

--
duane

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
17:21:29 -0700 the perfect time to write:

James wrote:
On 26/09/14 08:44, Joerg wrote:
James wrote:
On 26/09/14 07:40, Joerg wrote:

Ever ridden a mountain bike?
You make it sound like they are something special.

Since the late 80's, I haven't found riding a MTB to be *much* different
from riding any other bicycle.

It isn't.


100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left.
I have never ridden nor seen a MTB with the front brake on the left.

Interesting. What brands are they? Did they modify them for your country?

Repco (local brand), Fisher Procaliber, and now Azzurri Lava
http://www.dinkos.com.au/Azzurri+Lava+MTB-1140177.htm

The Azzurri I bought in the box and performed the final assembled
myself. The levers were already on the bars. I don't recall if the
cables were attached to the brakes already or not.

Cables? On a mountain bikes?

Anyhow, if they weren't attached yet you get your pick, of course. I
never understood why bicycles have the brake handles on opposite sides
as motorcycles but all the ones I ever rode had front on left. So I got
used to it. Except, of course, the kids bikes with coaster brake and
only one lever on the right.

So you HAVE found right front brake arrangements.
Why make kids re-learn when they move up to a larger bike?
Leave the front brake lever where it belongs, and where the've got
used to it being.
The same reflexes will stand them in good stead if they ever go on to
ride motorcycles as well.

And keeping consistent reflexes speeds up reaction times, as you never
need to consciously consider whick lever operates which brake - your
brain calls for whichever brake and it happens, wired into the muscle
memory.


Doesn't work. You have to flow with the masses. It is very customary for
guys like me to rent a bike, borrow one from someone while at a remote
location or sometimes we'll swap our rides on the trail to test ride
each other's bikes. If my brakes were different from the rest there'd be
nasty crashes.

Whether it makes sense or not, whether you like it or not, the bicycle
industry has settled for front brakes on the left.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, September 26, 2014 3:04:08 PM UTC-4, Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014

17:21:29 -0700 the perfect time to write:



James wrote:
On 26/09/14 08:44, Joerg wrote:
James wrote:
On 26/09/14 07:40, Joerg wrote:
Ever ridden a mountain bike?
You make it sound like they are something special. Since
the late 80's, I haven't found riding a MTB to be *much*
different from riding any other bicycle.
It isn't.
100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake on the left.
I have never ridden nor seen a MTB with the front brake on
the left.
Interesting. What brands are they? Did they modify them for
your country?
Repco (local brand), Fisher Procaliber, and now Azzurri Lava
http://www.dinkos.com.au/Azzurri+Lava+MTB-1140177.htm The
Azzurri I bought in the box and performed the final assembled
myself. The levers were already on the bars. I don't recall
if the cables were attached to the brakes already or not.
Cables? On a mountain bikes? Anyhow, if they weren't attached yet
you get your pick, of course. I never understood why bicycles
have the brake handles on opposite sides as motorcycles but all
the ones I ever rode had front on left. So I got used to it.
Except, of course, the kids bikes with coaster brake and only one
lever on the right.


So you HAVE found right front brake arrangements.

Why make kids re-learn when they move up to a larger bike?

Leave the front brake lever where it belongs, and where the've got

used to it being.

The same reflexes will stand them in good stead if they ever go on
to

ride motorcycles as well.



And keeping consistent reflexes speeds up reaction times, as you
never

need to consciously consider whick lever operates which brake -
your

brain calls for whichever brake and it happens, wired into the
muscle

memory.

Geez Phil, MILLIONS of BICYCLES are sold every year with the FRONT
brake controlled by the LEFT lever.


Exactamente. Maybe Phil hasn't used any modern bikes lately.


... It's a BICYCLE and most riders of
BICYCLES never ride motorcycles.


Mountain bikers actually do. Most of the ones I know and also my MTB
riding buddy are very active dirt bike riders. KTM, Yamaha, and so on.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Duane wrote:
Joerg wrote:
Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
14:40:11 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.
It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.

A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.

Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.
Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.
Ever ridden a mountain bike?
Lots of them. All, without exception have had the front brake on the
right. Same for other bikes and that includes some American ones
Riding one with a dangerous left operated front brake can get you
killed dead, and John Wayne would have put it.

100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left. Same for other bikes and that includes non-American ones.
Not being used to that can get you killed dead, as John Wayne would have
put it.

BTW, I have a road bike custom built in Europe (Germany), early 80's,
all high-end stuff back then. It has the front brake on the left.
They must have set up that way specially for you.

Nope. Just as they came from the factory. For example, during my last
trip to Germany early this month I rode a Nishiki trekking bike and of
course it had the front brake on the left. Same for a (non-US) mountain
bike. Neitehr had been modified.


How many motorcycles have you ever seen with left front brakes?

None. Which is why the brake handle arrangement on bicycles always
puzzled me. Also because the coaster brake bikes I had as a kid had the
front brake on the right. But none of the freehub bikes ever did.


Go look at a Harley Davidson - I think even you'll accept that is an
American two wheeler. And the front brake will be on the right,
except in those very rare circumstances where the bike has been
extensively modified for a rider with little or no right hand function
(the same exception I would allow for pedal cycles).

On motorcycles it's different, they all have them on the right and the
clutch handle on the left. It couldn't be any other way because the
accelerator is on the right and having the clutch on the same side just
would not be practical. Bicycles don't have a clutch and usually have
the front brakes on the left. Not that this makes any sense but it's
just the way it is.

Have you had one person in North America tell you front brakes on bicycles
are on the right? Maybe that's a clue. 😄


Neither did that happen in Europe where I've lived over 35 years. All
the "serious" bicycles had the front brake handle on the left. Only city
bikes with coaster brakes sometimes didn't but those are for slow rides.
Was never my cup of tea. After about 1975 I never rode anything but
road bikes and lately switched to mostly mountain bike because it's more
fun. High yearly mileage and lots of offroad use (didn't have MTB in
Europe back then) so I wore out one bike per year on average. Always
bought used replacements so they were more like early 70's bikes. None,
not one, had the front brake on the right and they were all pretty much
unmodified (until I got them). Countries of origin were mostly Germany,
Netherlands, Belgium and France. Some came from behind the iron curtain
and were sold through the equivalent of Sears over there.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

In article , AMuzi
wrote:

On 9/26/2014 1:34 PM, Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
14:40:11 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.

It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.

A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.

Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.

Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.


Ever ridden a mountain bike?

Lots of them. All, without exception have had the front brake on the
right. Same for other bikes and that includes some American ones
Riding one with a dangerous left operated front brake can get you
killed dead, and John Wayne would have put it.

100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left. Same for other bikes and that includes non-American ones.
Not being used to that can get you killed dead, as John Wayne would have
put it.

BTW, I have a road bike custom built in Europe (Germany), early 80's,
all high-end stuff back then. It has the front brake on the left.

They must have set up that way specially for you.
How many motorcycles have you ever seen with left front brakes?
Go look at a Harley Davidson - I think even you'll accept that is an
American two wheeler. And the front brake will be on the right,
except in those very rare circumstances where the bike has been
extensively modified for a rider with little or no right hand function
(the same exception I would allow for pedal cycles).


There's no right or wrong about it.
Nearly all bicycles in USA have left front, merely by
convention, but true nonetheless.

When I was young, French bicycles always arrived with left
front but many Italian bikes[1] had right front. After
1974[2] all imports were left front.

Raleigh USA catalog for 1951= Right front
http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleigh...and/index.html

Raleigh USA catalog for 1971 = Left front:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/11pumpb.jpg

Someone older than I might know when that changed over.

Japanese roads are left (British) side, so you'd expect
their bicycles to be right front. Nope, left front. Your
comment?

I reiterate; neither is 'better' but please do not change.
Stay with your own hard-wired reaction habits.

[1] Many brands but not all brands. Hub QR on the right side
were also common then. We changed both QR and front brake
cable to left side.
[2] CPSC imposed quite a few national bicycle regulations
that year. Brake routing may or may not have been specified.

From the CPSC website: "(b) Hand levers have to be on the handlebars
and*readily usable. *The distance between middle*of a hand lever and the
handlebar may be no*wider than 3 ? inches (3 inches for levers
on*sidewalk bicycles). *Unless a customer*specifies otherwise, the hand
lever that*operates the rear brake must be on the right*handlebar. *The
lever that operates the front*brake must be on the left handlebar. *A
lever*that operates both brakes may be on either*handlebar. *Please note
that, if a bicycle has*hand lever extensions, all tests are
conducted*with the extensions in place."

Phil W Lee wrote:
Lou Holtman considered Fri, 26 Sep 2014
07:37:25 +0200 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee schreef op 25-9-2014 22:45:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.


It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.


A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.


Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.

Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.


This is as asking the UK to drive on the right side of the road.
We/I are used to left/front. No need to change that.

Good luck learning to ride a motorcycle.
Putting the front brake on the wrong side just made that far more
difficult.
And in emergency braking, old reflexes are liable to kick in, making a
bad situation worse.

We manage. Riding a motorcycle is a different mindset you have also a
clutch and a throttle to manage. You make it sound as if front/left is rare
on a bicycle or difficult/dangerous in an emergency situation. It is not.
--
Lou

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
14:42:00 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Tue, 23 Sep 2014
17:56:16 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Mon, 22 Sep 2014
07:57:29 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Saturday, September 20, 2014 11:23:57 AM UTC-4, Joerg wrote:
[...]

The (very experienced) cyclists who died in Folsom (California) in a
scenario like in the above movie, four-lane road, died because the
driver behind her was drunk. Had there been a bike path she would not
have died. It's as simple as that.
Correction: It's as simplistic as that.

So should we all stop riding until there are bike paths wherever we want
to go?

No, but it is prudent to avoid major thoroughfares and for some trips
take the car instead of bicycle. Fact is, if bike paths are built people
begin using their bikes for more of their errands. If no bike paths are
built then people don't. It's as simple as that.

See Stevenage, Basingstoke, Milton Keynes, Telford, or Harlow, versus
Cambridge or Oxford for examples of how this just is not true.

In fact, it seems to be rather the reverse.
Put bicycles on the road, and the road becomes safer for cyclists, so
more people cycle.
It's as simple as that.
That has never worked anywhere I lived. The contrary has.
We've already established that your perceptions are at odds with
reality, established by considerable quantities of research.

What research? Care to quote?


Was there something new you wanted to add to that?

Please quote the research.

Well, there's this from the BMJ:
http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cont...3/205.abstract
Which is fairly recent, but the principle is well enough known to have
a law associated with it - Smeed's law, established in 1949.

Bonham, Cathcart, Petkov and Lumb (2006) University of South Australia
Ekman 1996, Institutionen för Trafikteknik, Sweden,
Jacobsen 2003 and Leden, Gardner and Pulkkinen 2000 all found exactly
the same effect.
It has been observed in the UK, US, Canada, Several different states
in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands
and ten other European countries.
That list may not be exhaustive, as it's so well understood that it's
taken as unremarkable, to the extent that it would be remarked upon in
any case which /didn't/.follow Sneed's law.

It's sufficiently well understood that it's even been possible to
quantify it.
Doubling the number of cyclists encountered by motorists equates to an
increase of 32% in the number of incidents, making each cyclist 33%
safer.


Well then, this gets debunked already at the introduction.

Quote "Across Europe and North America, the amount of walking
and bicycling varies tremendously—from 6% of all trips
(USA) to 46% (the Netherlands). Yet the per capita fata
injury rate to people walking and bicycling is more or less the
same in the two countries: 1.9/100 000 in the Netherlands and
2.1/100 000 in the USA. This surprising result shows that the
numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists fatally injured does not
vary linearly with the numbers of walkers and bicyclists".

There is absolutely nothing surprising about this. I have lived in both
countries long enough. Long meaning many years, with my primary
residence and thus my bicycles in the respective country. The reason is
very simple and just what I am saying all along: The US has an
incomplete and largely non-existent bike path system. The Netherlands
has an almost complete and rather excellent bike path system. That's the
difference.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 9/26/2014 3:35 PM, Joerg wrote:
Duane wrote:
Joerg wrote:
Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Thu, 25 Sep 2014
14:40:11 -0700 the perfect time to write:

Phil W Lee wrote:
Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014
09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:

wrote:
SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.
It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the
front brake hard.


... With road contact
motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways
weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.

A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a
plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might
come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose
front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.
He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.

If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make
you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the
bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.


Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and
down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing
brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.

Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can
scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.
Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?
It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a
very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.

Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and
stop using dangerous brake setups.
That way you'll never need to re-learn again.
Ever ridden a mountain bike?
Lots of them. All, without exception have had the front brake on the
right. Same for other bikes and that includes some American ones
Riding one with a dangerous left operated front brake can get you
killed dead, and John Wayne would have put it.

100% of the MTB I rode have the front brake
on the left. Same for other bikes and that includes non-American ones.
Not being used to that can get you killed dead, as John Wayne would have
put it.

BTW, I have a road bike custom built in Europe (Germany), early 80's,
all high-end stuff back then. It has the front brake on the left.
They must have set up that way specially for you.

Nope. Just as they came from the factory. For example, during my last
trip to Germany early this month I rode a Nishiki trekking bike and of
course it had the front brake on the left. Same for a (non-US) mountain
bike. Neitehr had been modified.


How many motorcycles have you ever seen with left front brakes?

None. Which is why the brake handle arrangement on bicycles always
puzzled me. Also because the coaster brake bikes I had as a kid had the
front brake on the right. But none of the freehub bikes ever did.


Go look at a Harley Davidson - I think even you'll accept that is an
American two wheeler. And the front brake will be on the right,
except in those very rare circumstances where the bike has been
extensively modified for a rider with little or no right hand function
(the same exception I would allow for pedal cycles).

On motorcycles it's different, they all have them on the right and the
clutch handle on the left. It couldn't be any other way because the
accelerator is on the right and having the clutch on the same side just
would not be practical. Bicycles don't have a clutch and usually have
the front brakes on the left. Not that this makes any sense but it's
just the way it is.

Have you had one person in North America tell you front brakes on bicycles
are on the right? Maybe that's a clue. 😄


Neither did that happen in Europe where I've lived over 35 years. All
the "serious" bicycles had the front brake handle on the left. Only city
bikes with coaster brakes sometimes didn't but those are for slow rides.
Was never my cup of tea. After about 1975 I never rode anything but
road bikes and lately switched to mostly mountain bike because it's more
fun. High yearly mileage and lots of offroad use (didn't have MTB in
Europe back then) so I wore out one bike per year on average. Always
bought used replacements so they were more like early 70's bikes. None,
not one, had the front brake on the right and they were all pretty much
unmodified (until I got them). Countries of origin were mostly Germany,
Netherlands, Belgium and France. Some came from behind the iron curtain
and were sold through the equivalent of Sears over there.


Yeah, it seems like the argument that a bike should have the front brake
on the same side as a motorcycle is a bit weak to begin with but arguing
that it actually does is pretty nutty in the face of nearly everyone,
including our local LBS guy saying it ain't so.

On Friday, September 26, 2014 8:09:56 PM UTC+1, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, September 26, 2014 3:04:08 PM UTC-4, Phil W Lee wrote:

MILLIONS of BICYCLES are sold every year with the FRONT brake controlled by the LEFT lever. It's a BICYCLE and most riders of BICYCLES never ride motorcycles.

There is a clear impression one gets from reading the bicycle fora that bicyclists are more likely to be or to have been motorcyclists than other people. Doesn't necessarily operate the other way round... As I say, impression; I haven't even looked for statistical evidence.

The European standard is left handle front brake, right handle rear brake. The British used to be contrary but may not be any longer. Good custom bike makers and the better dealers ask you on which side you want which brake. I've had only one bike on which I wasn't asked, a Giant Revive bought from a notoriously slack dealer; I was specifically asked on each of my last four bikes on which side I wanted the front brake, and the rotary gear controls.

Andre Jute

On Friday, September 26, 2014 3:23:49 PM UTC-4, Phil W Lee wrote:
Lou Holtman considered Fri, 26 Sep 2014

07:37:25 +0200 the perfect time to write:



Phil W Lee schreef op 25-9-2014 22:45:

Joerg considered Wed, 24 Sep 2014

09:50:07 -0700 the perfect time to write:



wrote:

SLIDING BACK is more dirt motion than road grip.





It is about not going over the bars when you have to reach into the

front brake hard.





... With road contact

motion to side, inside best but go with the flow. Adding a sideways

weight vector should stay a trip over bars into at worst a fly by.





A sideways slide? That sure would be impressive, coming to a stop in a

plume of blue smoke on the road, but I wouldn't dare. Plus a tire might

come off. On mountain bikes it may be needed, like with a friend whose

front brake faded out during the last 100ft of a steep downhill section.

He set it sideways and came to a stop in an impressive dust plume.



If you meant while still going in a straight line that would just make

you sail off the bike a few inches lower but you'd still go off and the

bike will likely endo as well. You can't get much of a CG shift this way.





Last endo on asphalt was at speed after a fine day cycling up and

down a canyon, with cliff, from inexperience with the setup grabbing

brake levers to lift front wheel over a speed bump.





Some European bikes had (have?) the front brake on the right. That can

scare the daylights out of a rider not used to it.



Why on earth would you want it anywhere else?

It's a universal standard for two wheelers, that is only broken in a

very few countries for bicycles, and in none at all for motorcycles.



Switch your brake cables to the correct sides, get used to it now, and

stop using dangerous brake setups.

That way you'll never need to re-learn again.





This is as asking the UK to drive on the right side of the road.

We/I are used to left/front. No need to change that.



Good luck learning to ride a motorcycle.

Putting the front brake on the wrong side just made that far more

difficult.

And in emergency braking, old reflexes are liable to kick in, making a

bad situation worse.

That wasn't the case for me.

FWIW, I learned to ride a motorcycle before I had much time on hand-brake
bicycles. But I've never had any trouble applying the proper brake in
the (very few) emergency situations I've encountered on either machine.
The machines are so very different that I don't confuse them.

I've done more emergency stops on motorcycles than bicycles. On the
bicycle, my hard braking has been almost entirely confined to doing it
for practice, to showing others how to do it, and to some mountain biking.
That's a benefit of paying attention to traffic situations as they develop,
and anticipating - playing traffic like playing chess.

- Frank Krygowski