hey guys,

if you only run a front brake, which side do you run the lever on, and why? for me, im thinking of taking the rear brake off, and for convinience, i was planning on leaving the front brake lever on the left side, because thats where it is right now. but ive been seeing pictures of fixies with a single lever on the right side. any reasons to preferences on either side? if im a righty, would i be more sensitive to the brake if i put it on the right? or would it just bite me in the ass when i ride a normal roadie?

hey guys,

if you only run a front brake, which side do you run the lever on, and why? for me, im thinking of taking the rear brake off, and for convinience, i was planning on leaving the front brake lever on the left side, because thats where it is right now. but ive been seeing pictures of fixies with a single lever on the right side. any reasons to preferences on either side? if im a righty, would i be more sensitive to the brake if i put it on the right? or would it just bite me in the ass when i ride a normal roadie?

I run mine on the left, out of habit more than anything.

I don't have any problems transitioning between a bicycle and a motorcycle so I suppose it wouldn't be much of an issue either way.

Not a whole lotta help huh? ;).

Just run it wherever it feels natural/comfortable.

-Trevor

I feel that I have more power in my dominant (right) hand. Just use what you are used to - I have the brakes reversed on most of my bikes.

-Pete

As a general rule, if you run only one brake lever then it should be mounted on the left side. The logic, behind doing so, is that most riders are right-handed and during panic situations you can't pull the brake lever with your right hand when its busy retreiving a water bottle, opening a Powerbar, or flipping off a discourteous motorist. Traditionally, all bicycles have the front brake mounted on the left and the rear on the right. Because the front brake provides most of a bike's stopping power, most manufacturers feel that it's safer to have it on the left side since a rider is required by law to use the right hand for directional signals when turning.

-velosavant

As a general rule, if you run only one brake lever then it should be mounted on the left side. The logic, behind doing so, is that most riders are right-handed and during panic situations you can't pull the brake lever with your right hand when its busy retreiving a water bottle, opening a Powerbar, or flipping off a discourteous motorist. Traditionally, all bicycles have the front brake mounted on the left and the rear on the right. Because the front brake provides most of a bike's stopping power, most manufacturers feel that it's safer to have it on the left side since a rider is required by law to use the right hand for directional signals when turning.

-velosavant

In what state is a rider required to signal witht their right hand? I've never hear of that here in California, but then again I haven't actually looked to see what the law is (if there is one). I specifically mounted my lever on the right side to make signalling with my left hand easier. Also, being right handed, my right hand naturally does most things better. I have realized however that I am essentially brakeless when reaching for/drinking from my water bottle, and have considered moving it to the left side for that reason (darn new Paul's cross levers are side-specific though).

I run my front brake lever on the right on all my bikes, including the fixed.

Not only because I used to ride motorcycles (which have the front brake lever on the right hand position, of course), but sometimes I've done some ultra racing with a climbing bike set up with no front derailleur, shifter, or rear brake. Because the right Ergo shifter is still necessary (still running a rear derailleur), I always ran that lever for the front brake.

Plus, I'm right handed, and it seems more natural for the more powerful and dominant hand to control the front brake, which requires more force at the lever than the rear.

Also, with the brake lever on the right, I can simultaneously signal for a left turn and brake. Signaling for a right turn isn't nearly as important (at least here where we drive on the right), and I still can do the right turn hand signal with the left hand.

Finally, I want all my bikes to be the same, so there is never confusion in a panic stop or if a tire blows out.

As a general rule, if you run only one brake lever then it should be mounted on the left side. The logic, behind doing so, is that most riders are right-handed and during panic situations you can't pull the brake lever with your right hand when its busy retreiving a water bottle, opening a Powerbar, or flipping off a discourteous motorist.
Yeah, that's the reason I run mine on the left. I'll often fiddle with things with my right hand, but my left hand rarely leaves the handlebars.

In what state is a rider required to signal witht their right hand? I've never hear of that here in California, but then again I haven't actually looked to see what the law is (if there is one). I specifically mounted my lever on the right side to make signalling with my left hand easier. Also, being right handed, my right hand naturally does most things better. I have realized however that I am essentially brakeless when reaching for/drinking from my water bottle, and have considered moving it to the left side for that reason (darn new Paul's cross levers are side-specific though).

California law permits a right turn signal with the right hand:

Vehicle Code 22111. All required signals given by hand and arm shall be given
from the left side of a vehicle in the following manner:
(a) Left turn--hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side
of the vehicle.
(b) Right turn--hand and arm extended upward beyond the side of
the vehicle, except that a bicyclist may extend the right hand and
arm horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.
(c) Stop or sudden decrease of speed signal--hand and arm extended
downward beyond the side of the vehicle.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=22001-23000&file=22100-22113

Other Cal. bicycle laws:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=21001-22000&file=21200-21212

I run my front brake on the right, rear on the left. I do 90% of my braking on the front only, so that leaves my left hand free for signalling and gesticulating.

Both because of my motorbike background and also because here in Australia all (well, all that I have seen) bikes ship with the front brake on the right and rear on the left. I am right-handed.

If I have 2 brakes (SS Mountain bike) I have right front and left rear. If I have just 1 brake (Fixie, front. BMX, rear) it is on the right.

I thought about the panic stop while drinking situation for a while but I think (never really taken much notice before) that I just take care to only take a drink (or other fiddle) when there is plenty of clear road. I think I would be in trouble doing a one-handed panic stop regardless of the hand.

Brian.

I thought about the panic stop while drinking situation for a while but I think ... that I just take care to only take a drink (or other fiddle) when there is plenty of clear road. I think I would be in trouble doing a one-handed panic stop regardless of the hand.
I have had a number of "panic stop[s] while drinking." This is why (as I've already said) I run my front brake on the left. They definitely aren't fun, but they're better than having to make a panic stop when your brake hand is fiddling with something (which has also happened to me). That's a *real* panic stop.

I run all my front brakes on the right.

I ride motorbikes also, and find in a panic situation I prefer to not think about which hand is modulating the more powerful front brake.

Strange- I find little problem with using my left hand for grabbing or drinking water bottle. Tho I probably grab with right and drink with left more often.

so I only really need to signal RIGHT hand turns.
For this reason my fixie has the front brake on the left to free up my right hand for signalling.

hippy

....for me, 'RIGHT lever' means 'REAR brakes' (just like how my Ultegra's and XTR's big/little levers mean big/little sprockets)...touch 'those' and it moves 'those'...so, when I build/buy a fixed/ss roadbike, the brakes levers will be be arranged as such...I'll probably start with an ss with front and rear brakes...flip-flop to a fixed, but keep the f/r brakes for road-only use (just in case) as my confidence/skill with this style of bike improves...what can I say?...I'm older and I don't want to get hurt, but I also want to try and master the simplicity of a fixie on the road...there also are no 'lever transitions' to go from my bicycles to my motorcycles...