Curiosity- why chain on right?

Mark Vieselmeyer wrote:

Tom Weaver wrote:

: Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located on
: the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
: always done it"?

It's because of the way the wheels are dished. If you put the chain on the
left, you'll just end up breaking spokes.

- Mark


gotta' call "chicken and egg" on that one....

Mark Vieselmeyer wrote:

Tom Weaver wrote:

: Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located on
: the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
: always done it"?

It's because of the way the wheels are dished. If you put the chain on the
left, you'll just end up breaking spokes.

- Mark


Some early bike designs had the drivetrain on the left, but the
freewheel kept coming unscrewed.

--
My bike blog:
http://diabloscott.blogspot.com/

Diablo Scott wrote:

Some early bike designs had the drivetrain on the left, but the
freewheel kept coming unscrewed.



They needed this:
http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp...cat=50&brand=6

Jeff

"Mark Vieselmeyer" wrote: (clip) It's because of the way the wheels are
dished. If you put the chain on the left, you'll just end up breaking
spokes.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It's worse than that! If you put the chain on the left you will not will
not have chainrings and cogs to thread it on.

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Mark Vieselmeyer" wrote: (clip) It's because of the way the wheels are
dished. If you put the chain on the left, you'll just end up breaking
spokes.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It's worse than that! If you put the chain on the left you will not will
not have chainrings and cogs to thread it on.



And with a drivetrain on the left how could pedestrians on the sidewalk
notice the new shiny carbon cranks?
(ok, this doesn't hold for the entire world)

On Tue, 17 May 2005 22:27:29 -0400, Tom Weaver
wrote:


Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located on
the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
always done it"?

I suspect that the original reason is very simple; putting it on the
left would have required that the freewheel either have a splined
attachment (not cheap to do) or a left-hand thread (not as easy to do
as a right-hand thread). Putting it on the right was most likely just
the cheapest solution.

In the intervening century, inertia has probably been a strong force
keeping it on the right as well.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
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Werehatrack wrote:
In the intervening century, inertia has probably been a strong force
keeping it on the right as well.

The inertia doesn't have to be great if the overcoming force is small. I
can't think of any strong reason to switch to left side drive.

Most people perform cyclocross dismounts to the left side. If you
switched the drivetrain, I suppose we'd all learn to dismount on the
other side. Although I haven't tried to dismount on the right, I think
it would still be easier for a right-handed person to dismount on the
left. So that's one reason to keep the drivetrain on the right for the
righty 'crossers.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

Tom Weaver wrote:
Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located
on
the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
always done it"?

TIA

Tom Weaver

Theory #9:

If you swapped it over to the left side, you'd have to pedal backwards
and sit on the handlebars. Which, though done, looks silly.

/s
By backwards I mean, of course, forwards.

Tom Weaver wrote:
Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located
on
the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
always done it"?

TIA

Tom Weaver

Theory #237:

Frikkin' Shimano and their integrated systems!

/s

Tom Weaver wrote:
Is there any technical reason that the chain on bicycles is located
on
the right and not the left? Or is it "because that's the way we've
always done it"?

Why does everyone have to put labels on everything we do? Left? Right?
Can't we all just get along?

Cam