noglider 

I've read with and concur with Sheldon's writings on how to wire brakes. It would make more sense to have the right lever control the front brake, but it's not traditional here in the US, and it would be a bad idea to change it on someone else's bike because it would produce unexpected results. I've always had it the traditional way. I believe I will be able to adapt quickly enough. I'm good at adapting to changes like this. For example, when I sit at a keyboard with an unusual keyboard, I can get to work quickly and can switch to and from it easily. Similarly with cars.

I'd like to have my signaling hand free from the primary brake. If my right lever controlled the front, I can achieve this. I'm right handed but I'm perfectly adept at modulating my front brake with my left hand as it is, so that's not my motivation.

Thoughts?

rhm

It makes a lot of sense to be able to control the more effective brake and the shifter with the same hand; but this kinda presumes your shifter and brake are accessible from the same spot on the handlebar. With downtube shifters, or even bar end shifters, there is less benefit.

Anyway, I prefer to have the front brake on the right side, but do not do not consistently set my bikes up that way; too lazy. And this inconsistency is a bad thing.

Related question: do you actually use your rear brake much? Why? I do, but only because I habitually squeeze both brakes at the same time. This habit is a result from the aforementioned inconsistency. I don't believe the rear brake does me any good, and it costs me brake shoes and rims.

ColonelJLloyd 

I agree with Sheldon's reasoning and have routed my cables this way on two bikes. My current bikes use left/front right/rear routing, however. I didn't find the transition difficult either way. Other than when signaling, I use both brakes.

Edit: RHM, my braking habits are much like yours. However, I actually feel like my rear brake is helping a good deal. Locked up the rear wheel the other day in traffic as a driver a few cars ahead found the perfect parking space.

bradtx

noglider, Why not? Certainly worth a try. At least it reads like you actually use your front brake, I've seen many just skid the rear into a near crash or actually crash when a moderate application of the front brake would've prevented it.

Brad

himespau 

I'm putting new bars/levers on my bike, so I'm going to try sheldon's method. My first time with new cables (and my first time with aero levers) so it should be an adventure.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

When I commuted on my single speed I had it set up with the front brake on the right. Its great when you're constantly signaling...you can actually keep your hand on a useful brake.

I use my rear brake to make minor adjustments to my speed like when riding with friends and I want to pace behind them or next to them I'll just pedal at about the right speed and use my rear brake to scrub a little extra speed if I need to.

due ruote 

I guess I can see the point of it, but at least in IL, I'm pretty sure it's acceptable now to signal a right turn with the right hand. Anyway, I believe the average driver will understand the motion. That still leaves braking, which is far easier to see when indicated with the left arm, but personally I rarely signal my intent to brake, except on occasion to other cyclists.

Aesthetically, if you're dealing with non-aero levers and side-pull brakes, I think it looks far better to run the left lever to the front brake so that the housings cross.

WNG

I've tried the switch on a recent mtb. Since motorcycles use the right hand lever for front braking, it should be more intuitive for me. The bar layouts are close. For now, I will keep my road bikes the USA conventional routing. With aero levers, the housing must bend radically to connect to the front caliper.

Grand Bois

I don't think I'd want to try to signal and brake simultaneously.

jtgotsjets

I run a reversed set up, primarily for ease of signaling. My Ironman is still set up traditional because I didn't figure this out until after I had changed my bar tape the last time. I haven't ridden it in a few months but I recall that switching between it and my bikes set up the other way was never a problem.

jtgotsjets

Uh, what? You just roll out into the intersection? Or come to a full stop at green lights? Or just don't signal?

I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm genuinely curious. As someone who rides almost exclusively in traffic, I have trouble coming up with situations where you're not required to brake and signal simultaneously.

Ex Pres 

I run my single speed right front, but solely because it made the cabling look better. I don't notice any issues going back and forth.

I have more problems going from Ergo to STI to DT, then throwing in my [rigged] Nexus7/ Sora STI where the lever/button shift pattern is "backwards." It all works out after the first missed shift.

Grand Bois

I rarely signal, but I always brake with both hands on the bars.

CV-6 

As long as your remember when you really need to do so.

SJX426 

With center pull brakes, I don't see a problem with cable routing. Side pulls with aero levers would be a bit of a challenge. I would prefer front/right as well from all my years on a motorcycle. Anybody have good pictures of side pull with rightfront configuration? I think Dave Moulton always does right/front as well. Looked for the article but didn't find it.

Here is a pic.
https://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com...ry/bike-riding

Found the article. https://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com...bicycle-design

Lapdanceinlyrca

I have mine set up backwards. right side controls front.

i rather like it. If I ride single handed (water bottle signaling etc), I do so with my right hand usually, so it makes a little bit of sense.

honestly, either way is fine, as long as you are comfortable with it and wont die because of a mix-up of levers...

wrk101

Many of my motorcycle friends reverse the brakes, as on a motorcycle, the front brake is the right side lever (left side lever is the clutch). Although I have ridden quite a few miles on a motorcycle (500,000 plus), I have not gone to the trouble of reversing cables.

noglider 

Signaling isn't all it's cracked up to be. I recently saw a video by the League of American Bicyclists which recommends signaling but also says that if you can't do it easily, don't. And you can signal with your head. It made me realize that I do signal with my head a lot. Still, I do often signal with my left hand while braking. I do signal right turns with my right hand but I signal left turns with my left hand. I signal stops only to cyclists I'm riding with. Motorists don't need me to signal my braking to them.

OK, I'll switching and see how it goes. It probably won't be any worse, and it could be better for me. I've been riding the current way since 1975. We'll see if this old dog can learn this new trick.

John E

I cannot brake and signal simultaneously on a steep descent. I signal for right turns in the most logical fashion -- a horizontally outstretched right arm, since that arm is not hidden inside a car. On clean, dry pavement I use just the front brake, but if the pavement is wet or gravelly, or on a descent, I use both brakes. (I have gone down in one low-speed front wheel skid and vowed never again.) On long descents I check speed with the rear brake, to keep the front rim from overheating. On a really long descent, I'll alternate brakes to control heating of both rims.

bigbossman 

^^ I'm with John - two brakes for me, please. If you make a slight mistake and enter a downhill corner a little hot, and then change the force vector too much on a heeled-over front wheel at speed..... well, you'll have a lot of exciting activity on your hands, PDQ.

Two brakes good, one brake bad.

jtgotsjets

This is true—I feel like I'm probably the only person who actually remembers the hand signals from driver's ed—but I still try to do it whenever practical. I also tend not to skip to the front of the line at stop lights. I figure anything that increases my legitimacy as a road vehicle is a good thing.

mazdaspeed

I bought a bike from a European former racer that used that setup. I got used to it pretty quickly when it was my only bike, but when you ride more than one bike with different setups it can get weird IMO.

illwafer

noglider,

while you're at it, you might as well install a rapid rise RD.

Sixty Fiver

All of my bikes and my daughter's bikes are set up with right hand front brakes... have been riding like this for over 5 years and probably should have done it sooner as it just feels right.

Rode fg with a right hand front and quite a few of the old British bikes I am so fond of also came with right hand front brakes.

Can switch over to a conventional set up really easily as I have to test drive a lot of bikes and very few of them have reversed set ups although a few friends have also made this switch.

Widsith

I rarely signal when stopping (because I usually forget and because I doubt most people recognize that signal anyway), but I always try to signal turns. My usual practice is to do "two-stage" signals: I signal the turn for a few seconds before braking, then put both hands on the brakes until I've slowed considerably, then signal again and hold it through the turn. If needed, I'll continue to brake one-handed in the turn, but that's not often necessary. If I'm stopping before turning, I signal before braking, then use both brakes to come to a full stop, and signal again before I start making the turn.

I've always kept my brakes set up the standard way, with the front brake on the left cable. After a lifetime of riding that way (I'm 55) I'd rather not try to re-train my reflexes now.