new bike - brake setup

bikeblues

I just got a brand new mtb in town , but nearly crashed getting it home

- the rear brake is on right , and the front on the left - is this normal ?

Lumen

Not normal for Ireland/UK.

Better though, IMO. Means you can front brake whilst indicating right.

blorg

That is the common European setup. It's easy enough to change, doesn't really matter which way you have it as long as all your bikes are the same.

seamus

Brakes are generally setup according to which side of the road you drive on. So if you drive on the left, like we do, your front brake should be on the right. On the continent, the front brake should be on the left.

This is because when you're turning right with your arm out to indicate, you're more likely to need to slow down and/or stop while your arm is out. For most people, using a front brake with one hand on the bars is a hairy experience, so you use the back instead.

As blorg says in practice it doesn't really matter, though you'll have difficulty when it comes to riding other people's bikes.

cosmic

Both my bikes have the European brake set up (ie, back brake on the right) I'm so used to it that I insist on having them like that whenever I buy a new one. I nearly snot myself though any time I have to cycle my boyfriend's bike!

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

I just got a brand new mtb in town , but nearly crashed getting it home

- the rear brake is on right , and the front on the left - is this normal ?

blame the foreigners:pac:

dam cheap polish labour:D:p

bikeblues

what i mean is ,
is the shop negligent for nearly killing me when i pulled the brakes expecting to be rear breaking , but in fact front breaking cos they set it up backwards. ?


ive never cycled a bike in ireland with brakes set up this way , and i nearly got killed.

Lumen

bikeblues wrote: »

what i mean is, is the shop negligent for nearly killing me when i pulled the brakes expecting to be rear breaking , but in fact front breaking cos they set it up backwards. ?

ive never cycled a bike in ireland with brakes set up this way , and i nearly got killed.

Common sense would suggest that the shop would explain the non-standard brake setup before you left the shop.

Common sense would suggest you'd test out the main control functions (steering, brakes) at walking pace before zooming off to your first crash.

Contributory negligence might apply, but there's no harm done so you have no case (IANAL).

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

what i mean is ,
is the shop negligent for nearly killing me when i pulled the brakes expecting to be rear breaking , but in fact front breaking cos they set it up backwards. ?


ive never cycled a bike in ireland with brakes set up this way , and i nearly got killed.

Okay first off,

You were not nearly killed.:mad:

Nearly killed would be getting shot in the head, suffering massive blood loss, going into cardiac arrest 6 times, being pronounced clinically dead, then coming back, being in a coma for 4 months to a year and then surviving, but suffering brain damage.



That is nearly dying.

You have merely had a shock.
You Havnt even been admitted to A&E and probably dont have a scratch.

Now that thats cleared up because I ****ing hate when gob****es have been "nearly killed" on a bike, you cant "nearly die" if a crank or pedal comes off, you can feel it coming off, only a retard continues on.

Right, You do not have any sueing capability, The bike shop has assembled the bike to what seems like a decent standard if the brakes work:rolleyes:,

Now its unfortunate that the bike was assembled by a foreign worker who simply forgot that our brakes are the wrong way round. If your lucky you might get a free set of mudguards or somthing out of it.
Thats all youll get.

Just to satisfy my curiosity and judgement, what bike is it and where was it assembled?

Vélo

kona wrote: »

Okay first off,

You were not nearly killed.:mad:

Nearly killed would be getting shot in the head, suffering massive blood loss, going into cardiac arrest 6 times, being pronounced clinically dead, then coming back, being in a coma for 4 months to a year and then surviving, but suffering brain damage.



That is nearly dying.

You have merely had a shock.
You Havnt even been admitted to A&E and probably dont have a scratch.

Now that thats cleared up because I ****ing hate when gob****es have been "nearly killed" on a bike, you cant "nearly die" if a crank or pedal comes off, you can feel it coming off, only a retard continues on.

Right, You do not have any sueing capability, The bike shop has assembled the bike to what seems like a decent standard if the brakes work:rolleyes:,

Now its unfortunate that the bike was assembled by a foreign worker who simply forgot that our brakes are the wrong way round. If your lucky you might get a free set of mudguards or somthing out of it.
Thats all youll get.

Just to satisfy my curiosity and judgement, what bike is it and where was it assembled?

Jaysus!

Kona is this you by any chance?

Vélo

or maybe this!

Lumen

Vélo wrote: »

Jaysus!

Kona is this you by any chance?

My mental image is more like this (NSFW).

Vélo

kona

Vélo wrote: »

Jaysus!

Kona is this you by any chance?

no that was me when im using caps, caps means shouting:D

The guy is going to go into a bike shop and possibly create a scence, depicting a dramatic incident with his brakes. It happens quite often in bike shops, people are always looking for a quick buck out of a situation..

The guy wasnt nearly killed lets call it as it is.

He got a fright thats all, get on with it.

He thinks he had a near death experience, his life flashed before his eyes, now that he is okay hes coming on here looking to see what he can get from it???

Get the ****ing boat.

Hes entitled to nothing.

Vélo

Fair play to you at least you're consistent!!:D

kona

Lumen wrote: »

My mental image is more like this (NSFW).

Stalker,


I wish I had a 24 pack like him:o

t0mm

How do you know he wasn't nearly killed? He could have pulled what he thought was the back break, gone over the handle bars, landed infront of a truck, bounced due to a well placed trampoline and landed in a pool full of tigers riding on mutant sharks, and was saved only a passing tiger/shark tamer who also happens to be the local resident superhero.

More plausabley, he could have gone over the handle bars, landed infront of a car/truck/van which only didn't kill him because of the quick reactions or the driver. I would put that in the "nearly killed" catagory as there was a very real chance of him being killed.

My point is, you can't say he wasn't nearly killed when you don't actually know what happened.

kona

t0mm wrote: »

How do you know he wasn't nearly killed? He could have pulled what he thought was the back break, gone over the handle bars, landed infront of a truck, bounced due to a well placed trampoline and landed in a pool full of tigers riding on mutant sharks, and was saved only a passing tiger/shark tamer who also happens to be the local resident superhero.

More plausabley, he could have gone over the handle bars, landed infront of a car/truck/van which only didn't kill him because of the quick reactions or the driver. I would put that in the "nearly killed" catagory as there was a very real chance of him being killed.

My point is, you can't say he wasn't nearly killed when you don't actually know what happened.

I was nearly killed when I was on the bike earlier, If my brakes werent set up and adjusted by quite possible the best mechanic the world has ever seen:p:pac::D:D;) the guy that broke the red light could have hit into me.

Was I nearly killed?


The reason I know is because if he had a spill hed be only too quick to list every detail.
Another reason, I hear the "I was nearly killed" line quite alot, funnily enough the complaint is from a person who looks fine, no scratches or injuries.

Im sure acoustic could confirm the "I was nearly killed brigade" is a growing problem.

He wasnt nearly killed. He nearly fell off, and guess why?

The is such thing as a pre-ride check ya know;)

Carry this out and it wouldnt have happened. Pre ride checks are mentioned in the users manual, which are ment to be read before a ride of a new bike to explain possible quirks of the particular bike. Not all bikes have the same equipment for example and so will have to be explained.

Bike companies have their asses covered, so do bike shops.

bikeblues

actually tomm - thats pretty much what happened .


i guess this KOMA chap obviously works in a bike shop and couldnt give a sh1t if you lived or died once he's got your money .

sometimes you dont get time to check things , and assume the supplier has set it up as best practise - you dont see garages putting the car accelarator on the brake pedal and expect the user to read the manual do you ?

and the bike didnt come with a manual - Mr genius

check
and
mate

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

actually tomm - thats pretty much what happened .


i guess this KOMA chap obviously works in a bike shop and couldnt give a sh1t if you lived or died once he's got your money .

Its KONA btw, You must know alot about bikes:rolleyes:

I do care, If you die because of my work, I could be up for manslaughter. I dont wanna be in prison.

So what bike is it come on tell me, I have a idea what type it is.

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

actually tomm - thats pretty much what happened . .

**** sake, make up a original story, Its always a bus or a truck:rolleyes: Use some Imagination For **** sake.


Stop bull****ting, You pulled the brake as you left the shop, probably a few metres away and noticed it. Nobody* is dumb enough to tear off into traffic on a new bike without checking breaks and handlebars.

* If people do then my god your idiots.

bikeblues

wow , you people really are pure assholes arent you ?

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

.

sometimes you dont get time to check things , and assume the supplier has set it up as best practise - you dont see garages putting the car accelarator on the brake pedal and expect the user to read the manual do you ?

Yes I do expect people to read a user manual, It explains how to use stuff, It will mention your problem too.
Ignorance is not a excuse PAL:rolleyes:

Example of a car is putting it into reverse, you can lift the whole stick, push it across hard, lift a lever etc.....all different ways

bikeblues wrote: »

.and the bike didnt come with a manual - Mr genius

bikeblues wrote: »

.
check
and
mate

It did:rolleyes: they all do, they are in the box. What bike was it, sounds like it wasnt bought from a bike shop at all IMO.

bikeblues wrote: »

.
check
and
mate

What?? your the loser mate, your the one who "nearly got killed":rolleyes:

Im the one who reads the ****ing manual, and so follows My brakes work:rolleyes::p

Vélo

kona wrote: »

Its KONA btw, You must know alot about bikes:rolleyes:

I do care, If you die because of my work, I could be up for manslaughter. I dont wanna be in prison.

So what bike is it come on tell me, I have a idea what type it is.

You know there's a Koma bike also.

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

wow , you people really are pure assholes arent you ?

your the arsehole,

Over dramatising a story , then looking to sue a bike shop.

**** off mate, we live in reality not fecking LA LA Land.

Vélo

What would the situation be if you weren't given an owners manual.

I presumke it would be the shops fault.

kona

Vélo wrote: »

You know there's a Koma bike also.

Used by people wearing pikes, and aridas, drinking cota cola.

Vélo

kona wrote: »

your the arsehole,

Over dramatising a story , then looking to sue a bike shop.

**** off mate, we live in reality not fecking LA LA Land.

Where's Lance Armstrong Land?;)

Vélo

kona wrote: »

Used by people wearing pikes, and aridas, drinking cota cola.

Nope

kona

Vélo wrote: »

What would the situation be if you weren't given an owners manual.

I presumke it would be the shops fault.

Probably, You should also get a sheet showing the bike is OK.

Although There is probably a Law or small print saying its up to the owner to ensure the bike is in roadworthy condition. Id expect making sure you get a manual follows.

Im still waiting to find out what type of bike it is....KOMA maybe:D

kona

Vélo wrote: »

Nope

a recumbant....not a REAL bike:p

kona

Vélo wrote: »

Where's Lance Armstrong Land?;)

Dont know,

But I know a few things :

Performance enhancing drugs are in the supermarkets.
Drug tests are banned.
Trek Is everywhere
The flag is yellow and black



:P

seamus

kona wrote: »

It did:rolleyes: they all do, they are in the box. What bike was it, sounds like it wasnt bought from a bike shop at all IMO.

It's in the box, but many shops are very bad at actually supplying one. Often when putting a bike together for floor display, they'll zippie the manual to the bars or wherever. Then as the bike gets moved around, one day the manual rips off , and a lazy worker just picks it up and throws it into a pile of manuals in the workshop. Then when the customer picks up the bike, they get no manual.

Many shops will also build bikes just so they're ready to go for the customer - the manual goes into a drawer, with the intention of handing it to the customer when they buy it. But they often don't.

I have sold bikes without a manual (when I was a kinder) and I have bought a bike without a manual. So I would very much accept the OP's response that he didn't get one, even if it came from the most reputable shop in the country.

kona

seamus wrote: »

It's in the box, but many shops are very bad at actually supplying one. Often when putting a bike together for floor display, they'll zippie the manual to the bars or wherever. Then as the bike gets moved around, one day the manual rips off , and a lazy worker just picks it up and throws it into a pile of manuals in the workshop. Then when the customer picks up the bike, they get no manual.

Many shops will also build bikes just so they're ready to go for the customer - the manual goes into a drawer, with the intention of handing it to the customer when they buy it. But they often don't.

I have sold bikes without a manual (when I was a kinder) and I have bought a bike without a manual. So I would very much accept the OP's response that he didn't get one, even if it came from the most reputable shop in the country.

Just because you were to lazy to give out a manual doesnt justify it.
The Bikes come with manuals. Weather the shop is competant enough to make sure that all bikes get one is another matter. I do accept that not all will be sold with manuals, however, the checks still fall onto the customer/riders responsibility along with maintenance. Manual or not. The manual is a guide. Honestley would you ride a bike into traffic for the first time, without checking a few major parts?

I know all the bikes I build have manuals, and that I give out have all the proper manuals and the brakes and gear slips and fork manuals, and all customers are told to read it.
Most think its stupid and say it is to me.:rolleyes: wait till they have a problem:rolleyes:

Thats why in all my posts ive asked the OP to disclose the make of bike. I have a feeling it wasnt bough from a reputable shop, or even a bike shop for that matter.

Vélo

I never got one with one of mine.

seamus

On the liability issue, I don't think the shop would have any part to play here. Road laws only require that a bike is fitted with two brakes - one acting on each wheel. The configuration of these brakes is not specified. Competence to operate the vehicle is the onus of the rider - this includes performing whatever checks are needed to ensure that yu are familiar with the vehicle.

The analogy of swapping a car's brake and accelerator isn't valid. The brake still does what you expect it to do (i.e. brake), then the vehicle is operating as it should. In many cars, the braking systems are configured differently and they will operate differently in different conditions (some cars may be more susceptible to drifting under braking), but the manufacturer nor the dealer is required to warn you of this or "correct" it.

If they cross-cabled the brakes and the gears, you might have a point. I.e. if the front brake engaged when you pressed the thumbshifter, while hilarious, it would of course be negligent on their part.

The onus is on the driver/rider to ensure that they have familiarised themselves with their vehicle before they take to the public road, simple as. Many cars have their indicator stalks on the right instead of the left. If I didn't know this when I went to do my test, I would fail. Yes, it would have been nice if the shop had stuck to Irish convention, but you should have been aware of how the vehicle operated before taking to a public road.

kona

Vélo wrote: »

I never got one with one of mine.

Tut Tut Tut,

Alot of lazy bike shops in the Dublin region I presume.

Your all ment to get a owners manual with the bikes.

seamus

kona wrote: »

Just because you were to lazy to give out a manual doesnt justify it.

Not justifying it, simply pointing out that the OP is more than likely telling the truth and he didn't get a manual.

Thats why in all my posts ive asked the OP to disclose the make of bike. I have a feeling it wasnt bough from a reputable shop, or even a bike shop for that matter.

I've bought three stock bikes in my lifetime. Once when I was 12, once when I was 17 and when I was 25. None of these times did I get a manual. Therefore, in my experience, bike shops rarely, if ever, supply manuals with bikes. You might, but most others don't seem to.

alfalad

bikeblues wrote: »

I just got a brand new mtb in town , but nearly crashed getting it home

- the rear brake is on right , and the front on the left - is this normal ?

Bit of common sense would be to before you get on the bike at all make sure you pull both brakes to see they are working and which one is which. Not hard to do and i care enough about my own safety to check this!

kona

seamus wrote: »

Not justifying it, simply pointing out that the OP is more than likely telling the truth and he didn't get a manual.
I've bought three stock bikes in my lifetime. Once when I was 12, once when I was 17 and when I was 25. None of these times did I get a manual. Therefore, in my experience, bike shops rarely, if ever, supply manuals with bikes. You might, but most others don't seem to.

I Always got one, from my raleighs when i was a kid which i still have, manual and all.

The only time i dont is when i buy display models, but these are sold as seen.

Fact of the matter is your ment to get a manual.

But its not the main point of the thread.

blorg

@OP- it seems you are fine and no harm was done so I wouldn't sweat too much about it. The bike shop might swap the brakes around for you if you asked them but I wouldn't go in with an attitude about it.

Kona is a bit belligerent at times, that is just the way he is, don't take it personally.

@Kona- I don't think the OP said anything about suing anybody, he just asked a question about whether it should be that way and whether it was negligent of the shop.

Depending on the bike the brakes may have been set up that way by the shop or they may have been done that way by the bike manufacturer. I have bought boxed bikes with brakes both connected and not connected; which way they go it is down to whoever wires up the brake cables.

I believe the OP that he didn't get a manual and while a manual will suggest that you check your brakes before riding this is really common sense...

For what it's worth I have had a similar experience renting a bike in Europe, I actually knew they were the other way around but muscle memory and all that. No serious problems mind but I did skid the back wheel out when I intended to stop using the front, just took a bit of getting used to.

@OP- Welcome to the forum, hope you were not scared away, and hope you enjoy your new bike.

Now, did someone mention Lance Armstrong :pac:

bikeblues

yes, didnt mention suing , didnt mention going back to the shop .
its hypothetical , i was shook up .

and it ws bought in a top bike shop, with no manual, tools , or check sheet supplied.

now , lets say since ive been cycling for 20 years , had 5 bikes , cycled many others , and not one of them has had the brakes set up in reverse,

and say instead of having a fright , i had braked and went over / off into a car / dog / pole whatever , cos the brakes were reversed - and get badly injured.

are we saying its my fault ?

I doubt this legally ,
any thing sold must be fit for purpose , and match local standards.
if you have years of experience doing it one way , you are not going to switch to the reverse without a struggle - i think its a serious danger.

blorg

For what it's worth I doubt the shop would be found liable, it is not as if brakes are never wired the other way around. In Britain they actually have quite detailed safety regulations on how a bicycle must be sold (e.g. with bell, etc.) and while it is required that the brakes are properly adjusted it makes no mention of what way around they need be.

I am pretty sure I have read of certain European and maybe American brands being sold here with the brakes the other way around, Orbea is one and I have heard Trek mentioned although I never got one set up that way.

Anyway this is all hypothetical and thankfully you did not injure yourself.

kona

bikeblues wrote: »

yes, didnt mention suing , didnt mention going back to the shop ..

so, If we all agreed with your negligence comment as you expected, you wouldnt have gone back to the shop?

bikeblues wrote: »

and it ws bought in a top bike shop, with no manual, tools , or check sheet supplied...

Please for the 5th or 6th time, give us the name of the bike brand, or shop.

bikeblues wrote: »

now , lets say since ive been cycling for 20 years , had 5 bikes , cycled many others , and not one of them has had the brakes set up in reverse,..

With that much experience Id expect you to have the cop on to check a bike before riding it.

bikeblues wrote: »

and say instead of having a fright , i had braked and went over / off into a car / dog / pole whatever , cos the brakes were reversed - and get badly injured.

I though you said that you nearly died in dramatic fashion when you nearly collided with a articulated lorry of which had unknown contents, possibly nitro glyserine.
Big difference between a fright and nearly dieing now isnt there:rolleyes:

bikeblues wrote: »

are we saying its my fault ? ..

Well, I am, and anybody else with experience. Doubt you are, or have ya not decided yet?

bikeblues wrote: »

any thing sold must be fit for purpose , and match local standards..

There we go again, making up laws to suit your situation. No where does anything about goods and services refer to "local standards":rolleyes:
The bike is fit for its purpose, clearly the brakes work at least.

bikeblues wrote: »

I doubt this legally .

Considering the LALA Land statement above,The area of consumer law in ireland isnt one of your fortés is it?

bikeblues wrote: »

if you have years of experience doing it one way , you are not going to switch to the reverse without a struggle - i think its a serious danger.

Nothing stopping you speaking to the manager of the shop, calmly and politely stating your problem, Id encourage you to do this, will make the mechanic cop on.
Just dont approach it like you did at the start of the thread, The bike shop wont take you serious.


So , What bike is it?

thecornflake

bikeblues wrote: »

what i mean is ,
is the shop negligent for nearly killing me when i pulled the brakes expecting to be rear breaking , but in fact front breaking cos they set it up backwards. ?


ive never cycled a bike in ireland with brakes set up this way , and i nearly got killed.

cop on , you have 20 years experience and you couldn't see that the brakes were different to your usuall set up ,

ask yourself , would a shop be liable if you burned your hand on a cooker if they didnt have a sign on it saying " warning , you could burn your hand if you put it here when the cooker is on "

stop trying to blame others and come up with stupid laws to suit yourself

DirkVoodoo

thecornflake wrote: »

cop on , you have 20 years experience and you couldn't see that the brakes were different to your usuall set up ,

ask yourself , would a shop be liable if you burned your hand on a cooker if they didnt have a sign on it saying " warning , you could burn your hand if you put it here when the cooker is on "

stop trying to blame others and come up with stupid laws to suit yourself

You obviously never heard of the mcdonalds lawsuit, or the microwave one, I'm pretty sure there was a good one about cruise control in there too. Excuse me while I go googling!

Defective Coffee

Turns out the cruise control one is from the so called "stella awards" - a list of fictitious and exaggerated lawsuits compiled yearly. It refered to a man who, upon engaging the cruise control of his winnabego (Spelling?), left the drivers seat to wander round the cabin. When the thing crashed, he sued.

thecornflake

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

You obviously never heard of the mcdonalds lawsuit, or the microwave one, I'm pretty sure there was a good one about cruise control in there too. Excuse me while I go googling!

Defective Coffee

Turns out the cruise control one is from the so called "stella awards" - a list of fictitious and exaggerated lawsuits compiled yearly. It refered to a woman who, upon engaging the cruise control of her winnabego (Spelling?), left the drivers seat to wander round the cabin. When the thing crashed, she sued.

holy god , then i must have nearly died also . . . . . . .i swear, the path i was walking along was slightly bumpy and i tripped a tiny bit , oh god , i could have fallen over , rolled out onto the road and gotten run over

where do i file my lawsuit ?

besides , the bike had two independant brakes which obviously worked , so he was in no danger , he just put himself in danger

kona

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

You obviously never heard of the mcdonalds lawsuit, or the microwave one, I'm pretty sure there was a good one about cruise control in there too. Excuse me while I go googling!

Defective Coffee

Turns out the cruise control one is from the so called "stella awards" - a list of fictitious and exaggerated lawsuits compiled yearly. It refered to a man who, upon engaging the cruise control of his winnabego (Spelling?), left the drivers seat to wander round the cabin. When the thing crashed, he sued.

Ah but thats America,

You can sue food companies if the consistancy of your ****e is wrong.

Or mc donalds if your a fat bastard.

-Chris-

@Kona - Your ideas intrigue me. I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter.

@OP - It can't have taken long to realise your brakes were backwards. Did you not bring it back to the shop to get them changed (hardly a complicated job).
Did you realise, but thought you'd remember that they were switched (but then muscle memory kicked in)?

quietobserver

http://www.cyclingnews.com/reviews/photos/tour-tech-custom-bikes-for-almost-everyone/78777


cadel evans set up for brakes

bikeblues

didnt realise at all ,
put it in car , took it home

took it out the next day , thought the brakes felt a bit strange and nearly ended up under cars in clanbrassil street having to stop due to a car going turning left over my straight ahead lane .

automaticlly braked as i normally would , mainly the back brake
but this was actually the front on this bike.

sorry im not a super cyclist like all you special holier than thous
you are obviously far superiour cyclists than mortal men / women .