right = front brakes or left = front brakes ???

Your choice.

Just remember if you ever borrow or rent a bike, left=front. If you get used to right being the front brake you may be in for a surprise when you ride a different bike.

GuruAtma said:

Just remember if you ever borrow or rent a bike, left=front. If you get used to right being the front brake you may be in for a surprise when you ride a different bike.

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With cable brakes and mtb levers swapping the cables side-for-side takes 2 minutes.

shiggy said:

With cable brakes and mtb levers swapping the cables side-for-side takes 2 minutes.

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I can do it in a minute and 59 seconds.....

I have my front as the right hand brake because I like to ride motorcycles and thats how it is on motorcycles.

Since I dont really ever use my rear brake, if I got on a friends bike or a rental and grabed a handfull of brake id just lock out the rear wich is no big deal. However if it was the other way around and I went to go lock out the rear and did so on the front... that could suck.

MoBBRules said:

I write right handed but throw a ball left handed, eat with a fork left handed. :

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So I am not the only person in the world like that...
It is really a matter of preference but I think most have the rear brake on the right. I do. Every bike I have ever ridden came from the shop that way.

The British might be different. They drive on the wrong side of the street too

I bought a set of hydraulics recently that were set up moto-style, and I'm too lazy to switch it back, and bleed the brakes.

So, I switched the rest of my bikes to "moto" style.

I ride dirtbikes too, so it isn't a big deal. However, it is weird how beforehand, I had no trouble going between bike, and dirtbike, and not thinking twice about the brake orientation.

GuruAtma said:

Just remember if you ever borrow or rent a bike, left=front. If you get used to right being the front brake you may be in for a surprise when you ride a different bike.

Click to expand...

Is a left hand front brake standard for a rental bike?! Guess it would be prudent to check all this out with any unfamiliar bike.

Anyway, the LBS set up my bike as right hand for front brake and rear derailluer, left hand for rear brake front deralluer. I guess it all comes down to what you are used to in the end.

In Australia you should anticipate that most bikes are right hand brake. Just what's common down here.

There are heaps of thoughts and comments regarding braking and preferences here.

Dave.

And remember that the door knob is on the left - half the time.

Jet-Mech said:

Is a left hand front brake standard for a rental bike?! Guess it would be prudent to check all this out with any unfamiliar bike.

Anyway, the LBS set up my bike as right hand for front brake and rear derailluer, left hand for rear brake front deralluer. I guess it all comes down to what you are used to in the end.

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...and you are in the land of OZ

MoBBRules said:

I write right handed but throw a ball left handed...

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Cool, I'm the opposite: hand-lefty, body right. I'm in the personal preference camp, try em both, pick which you like and don't look back. I like front-left because my brain seems to have a better connection with my left hand, even though my right is stronger.

So, do all you right-front moto dudes work your rear brakes with you right toes and shift with your left toes? I mean, it only makes sense, right?

I play hockey left handed and bat left handed. I ride with my front brake and shifter on my left hand. There are a couple reasons...

1. I grew up riding motorcycles, and that's how they are laid out, so it's what I was already used to.
2. I work on friends' bikes all the time, and that usually includes test rides. Don't want to get hurt on the test ride.

But, if you aren't worried about other bikes, just do whatever feels right (or left) to you. Sorry. Bad pun...

MoBBRules said:

I write right handed but throw a ball left handed, eat with a fork left handed.
What should I do? Is there a preference for right handers? Or left handers?

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wanna be good at dirtbikes too? move the front brake to the right hand...and rear brake to left hand....

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous

but...

right hand = front brake.

its the international standard as set by me, if you use otherwise you are retard.

If you have Avid Hyrdo brakes, you can switch them from left to right or right to left in under a minute. Just set it to whatever you are comfortable with. Once you set it and ride it for a while, that is how you will set all your bikes in the future.

shiggy said:

...and you are in the land of OZ

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???!!!. So... I guess GuruAtma was not trying to be literal with his comments on rental bikes? I thought I may have been taking his comments hook line and sinker .