American Road Bike (Cycle) Question
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On an American road bike, with either DuraAce or Ultegra shifters, which hand operates the rear brake, and which hand operates the rear derailleur? I have a suspsicion that American bikes are configured differently to British ones. Can anyone confirm?
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On an American road bike, with either DuraAce or Ultegra shifters, which hand operates the rear brake, and which hand operates the rear derailleur? I have a suspsicion that American bikes are configured differently to British ones. Can anyone confirm?
I've a Japanese bike, a Fuji Ace. Since it was purchased here in Canada, I'd think it would be the same configuration as bikes sold in the good 'ol USA. On mine, the right handle operates the rear break and also operates the rear derailleur. And the left handle operates the front brake and the derailleur on the pedal crank. I'm also pretty sure that the wire cables can all be removed and joined back up to any handle to put it into any configuration you'd like to try. How are British bikes configured? :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra]
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I've a Japanese bike, a Fuji Ace. Since it was purchased here in Canada, I'd think it would be the same configuration as bikes sold in the good 'ol USA. On mine, the right handle operates the rear break and also operates the rear derailleur. And the left handle operates the front brake and the derailleur on the pedal crank. I'm also pretty sure that the wire cables can all be removed and joined back up to any handle to put it into any configuration you'd like to try. How are British bikes configured? :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra]
In the UK it right hand = front brake and read derailleur. I'm guessing that they always keep left hand = front derailleur to reduce the manufacturing costs, since front/rear gear controls can't be swapped, whereas front/rear brake controls can.
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On an American road bike, with either DuraAce or Ultegra shifters, which hand operates the rear brake, and which hand operates the rear derailleur? I have a suspsicion that American bikes are configured differently to British ones. Can anyone confirm?
FWIW, on an American Trek 1220 with Shimano shifters, left = front brake and derailleur, right = rear brake and derailleur. I believe that's pretty standard.
Software Zen:
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On an American road bike, with either DuraAce or Ultegra shifters, which hand operates the rear brake, and which hand operates the rear derailleur? I have a suspsicion that American bikes are configured differently to British ones. Can anyone confirm?
They are. When I buy here in Canada I always have to ask them to switch the brake cables back to the 'sensible' setting. Having your road bike and motorbike brakes on different hands is a recipe for disaster!
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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On an American road bike, with either DuraAce or Ultegra shifters, which hand operates the rear brake, and which hand operates the rear derailleur? I have a suspsicion that American bikes are configured differently to British ones. Can anyone confirm?
Interesting, I never thought there would be a difference. Here in Canada all my bicycles be they mountain bikes or road bikes or just 10 speeds as a kid all have the right hand control rear brake and derailleur. I've mountain biked for *many* years and have an ingrained habit to ride with two fingers of my right hand on the rear (right) brake lever and one finger of my left hand on the front brake lever to prevent endo's going down steep hills. As I'm riding if I come to a tricky bit or a narrow bit or a steep bit of a mountain bike trail I unconsciously always flick out my fingers in this way ready for whatever. I was thinking it's easy enough to switch them around but now that I think about it, it probably isn't unless you buy the correct right or left brake and shift assembly for the handlebars. If the British have it the other way around I think that's backwards from a logical point of view because the majority of people are right handed and that's their strongest and most dextrous hand which is more appropriate to the rear derailleur and brake as you use them far more often mountain or road biking.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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In the UK it right hand = front brake and read derailleur. I'm guessing that they always keep left hand = front derailleur to reduce the manufacturing costs, since front/rear gear controls can't be swapped, whereas front/rear brake controls can.
Eew! How strange and bizarre, I'd very quickly wipe out if I tried to ride one of those down a mountain! That makes no intuitive sense at all to blend front and rear elements on the same control side like that, course once you're used to it then Bob's your Lobster.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
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They are. When I buy here in Canada I always have to ask them to switch the brake cables back to the 'sensible' setting. Having your road bike and motorbike brakes on different hands is a recipe for disaster!
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Plus as a bonus I guess you don't have to worry about pesky Canadians asking to borrow your bike since it's so obviously wrong! ;)
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
I just tell them that they wouldn't want to ride my bike because the wheels go around the opposite direction.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Eew! How strange and bizarre, I'd very quickly wipe out if I tried to ride one of those down a mountain! That makes no intuitive sense at all to blend front and rear elements on the same control side like that, course once you're used to it then Bob's your Lobster.
"It's so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say it." -Sam Levenson
I think the rationale is that because we ride on the other side of the road, you need to keep the left hand free to operate the rear brake (thus keeping the bike stable when braking one-handed) while indicating right. The opposite would be true for Americans. The reason I asked the original question was that I looked at a Trek Madone 5.2 the other day, and the two gear cables cross as they go down the down tube to the bottom bracket (ie they rub against each other). That seemed really odd to me.