Whats the US set up for levers ?

[velomaniac]

Pretty much only the UK have front brake right, rear brake left. The signalling right answer is the best reason I have ever heard but we are not the only nation to travel along the left of the road. Japan drives on the left but Shimano are Japanese and they make the kit to operate the other way around to us so who knows ?

 

[Woz]

Re:

I read that Napoleon B. had a lot to do with changing the "driving" to the right hand side of the road
for a horse back duel advantage.

Parts of Scandinavia changed around the sixties. In central Stockholm there is a main traffic system called Slussen built for left hand drive originally and the conversion
to right made it the biggest traffic control / flow abortion known to civilised man.

Why USA is how it is I don't know but St. Sheldon had the front brake on the right - the most skillfull hand to control the stop.

 

[t wild]

The front brake as we know does more stopping and we are predominantly right handed. Therefore with our system you have more control with one hand leaving the other free for beer and sandwiches.

 

[Woz]

Re:

^

Interesting point....would beer and sandwiches warrant more control than a potential emergancey stop?

I ask that because the other day I was sitting down at the table and still managed to dtop half of a kebab down my front. Didn't dribble anything though with the
glass in my right hand.

 

[t wild]

Yes of course beer and sandwiches require more control. If you brake too harshly you could find yourself in a catastrophic spillage situation or a loss of tomato/cheese destroying the sandwich ratio.

 

[captainchrisstc]

Its to do with the side of the road your on. So you can signal That your turning across it with your hand. And be able to operate your back brake with your other hand. So any country that drives on the left, will have the front brake on the right. And any that drive on the right will have the front brake on the left.

 

[Timoth27]

Its to do with the side of the road your on. So you can signal That your turning across it with your hand. And be able to operate your back brake with your other hand. So any country that drives on the left, will have the front brake on the right. And any that drive on the right will have the front brake on the left.

Got to be the simplest description yet and makes total sense to me.

 

[LeeDevelopment]

Being a renegade(!) I have the rear brakes mated to the right levers on all my bikes. My very first bike was set up that way so I'm quite used to it now.

 

[Southcoast]

I always assumed that the front brake was on the right hand side in the uk, so it's easier to do the life safer glance over the shoulder, whilst being able to use to front brake. While doing a right turn. Of course the opposite would apply to countries that drive on the other side of the road.