boldontrials Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 (edited) Hello, I am from holland and i have this question, whats the reason that UK bikes have the rearbrake on the left side and continental bakes the rearbrake on the right? I would say youre best hand ( most feely hand) has to be on the rear brake bacause thats the one how needs to handel with the most feeling. Here in the continental countrys, most people are righthanded and write with the right hand. Lefthand writers are exeptional. So it would be an explanation that uk people are mostly lefthanded. Because whe drive on the otherside of the road, it would not mean that the natural feeling in our hands would be different. I coult not drive a car when i was born, so i didn't know then. I hope you give me an answer to my question ore how you think about it because its going on my mind fore a while. It's difficult fore us to buy a bike in the UK with one HS and one diskbrake bacause we can't chance the levers. Sorry fore my bad englisch. Best regards. Bold on trials Edited April 16, 2011 by boldontrials Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolver Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 It's just the way bikes come in England. Some people say it has to do with being able to signal, that could be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlperkins Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 thats actually a pretty interesting question. maybe english are just generally backwards? i think its because people generally use their front brake more in mountain biking, road biking, motorcycling etc, so all other bikes just followed suit and now its just considered 'the norm'. have motorbikes in Holland got left handed front brakes and right handed clutches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Reynolds Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 He's got a valid point. i guess because we were brought up with the back brake on the left, that's how we've always been used to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 It's clearly the rest of the world that has it wrong. On motorbikes the front brake is on the right- and that doesn't change from country to country... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'owld T'hop Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) The motorbike answer is a good point. I did consider putting the back brake on the right when I built this bike, but then realised I would end up breaking my neck the next time I rode my other bike, so decided against it! Edited April 17, 2011 by T'owld T'hop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldontrials Posted April 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Thanks for thinking about the correct answer. Compere to motocycles: I ride motorcycletrials myself and i think the frontbrake on the right side is just because it can not be on the leftside. Why? Most important action on a motorcycle is the feeling for trottle-response, so that must be in youre right hand. Second most important action is feeling of the clutch, but youre righthand is busy so the clutch is on the second best place, the leftside. The only place left to mount the frontbrake is the right side. When you need feeling in your frontbrakehandle, you don't need the feeling fore the trottle bacause its not important at that moment. Only one part of the original question "do you write whit your right hand ore lefthand" is stil open. Best regards Bold on trials 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Most important action on a motorcycle is the feeling for trottle-response, so that must be in youre right hand. Second most important action is feeling of the clutch, but youre righthand is busy so the clutch is on the second best place, the leftside. The only place left to mount the frontbrake is the right side. That makes some sense for motorcycle trials but doesn't hold for roadbikes and motorcycles in general. In those cases you could quite easily ride with the brake and clutch the other way round (if given time to get used to it). So yeah, it comes from the side of the road we drive on originally I believe but in my mind makes sense when you consider motorcycles as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Gibbs Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 It not only us, the Aussies have their front brake on the right too. Its a good question though one to think about! The motorbike theory seems the most likely for us but the rest of the world is a mystery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Vandart Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) It is so they can eat their pies and chips/drink special brew whilst riding without the risk of going over the bars in an emergency. Edited April 17, 2011 by Matt Vandart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty-james Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 To arrange your tackle whilst being able to brake without going over the bars maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robintrial Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 hello i'm a belgian rider and i had the same question in the new member chat sometime ago . what i learned about it was that it's just how you learn to ride your bike, if you always had the rear brake on the right you're not going to change the position of your brakes. i see the logics in the combination rearbrake + right hand and frontbrake + lefthand. but in the uk everybody rides on the left side of the road so when you are on your bike needing to make a right turn and indicate you still have your rear brake if they have the european style of braking sides they would only have the front brake in a right hand turn and you could fall if you need to brake then.in left hand turns you don't need to indicate so you don't let go of you handlebars. thanks robin (also sorry for the bad english) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Themistoklidis Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 I live in greece where we drive on the right side of the road like the rest of the europe,but i still have my rear brake on my left hand(im right handed).Apart from the motorcyle reason,i think that the front brake has to be more precise and accurate than the rear,as in front wheel moves the finger has to be more "gentle" rather than locking the brakes...Also when you travel/turning in high speed,you need to have the most "feel" you can get on the front wheel rather than the back.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Do people really believe there's a massive difference in the strength/control of your index finger on either hand? I'm pretty sure I've got more than enough of both in each hand to cope with the strenuous task of pulling a brake lever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Themistoklidis Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Do people really believe there's a massive difference in the strength/control of your index finger on either hand? I'm pretty sure I've got more than enough of both in each hand to cope with the strenuous task of pulling a brake lever... Well,not massive,and it may be in my head,but,i think i have a slightly "better feel" over the lever with my right hand.And its not only about "pulling",its aslo about that millisecond reactions you have(sounds a bit wrong) when you do gaps to fronts,braking at top speeds,etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Well,not massive,and it may be in my head,but,i think i have a slightly "better feel" over the lever with my right hand.And its not only about "pulling",its aslo about that millisecond reactions you have(sounds a bit wrong) when you do gaps to fronts,braking at top speeds,etc... I definitely get where you're coming from, but I think if you started thinking about that then you should also be thinking about where your centre of gravity is at any particular millisecond, which arm has more control of the bars, which brake pad is working better (one side of the rim slowing the wheel more than the other, causing a minute twisting effect), which tyre nobbles are 0.00001cm higher than the others, which eye is focussing better on the obstacles etc etc. Basically, don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Themistoklidis Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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