Wait, does everyone mount a bike from the left?

nomdeboardie

Mount, dismount (reverse "old man thing", sometimes), and put foot down when stopping at lights,on right. (I'm right-handed)

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Avoiding standing on the chain side?

Can't believe this didn't occur to me before - no wonder my trousers are destroyed with oil marks!

triggermortis wrote: »

...
I did have to learn to shoot right handed years ago, but that was because the bolt on the rifle was on the right, so it was easier to work the action ( showing my age a bit here). Also, semi automatics eject to the right and it’s nicer if they do this away from your face as the cartridges are hot (I was in the military)

Thinks about poster's username for first time :eek::pac:

triggermortis

nomdeboardie wrote: »

Thinks about poster's username for first time :eek::pac:

This thread seems to be making a lot of people do a lot of thinking... . . I’ve honestly never thought of that myself

woody33

I'm visualising a lot of people around the country getting seriously tangled up in their bikes due to too much thought and insufficient muscle memory.

swarlb

I wonder would there be an opportunity here, business wise.
Lesson 1 How to get on a bike
Lesson 2 How to ride the bike
Lesson 3 How to dismount


Here's another question.... which is the 'correct' way to fit your brakes. Is it right land lever for front wheel, and left hand lever for rear.
In the 'olden days' generally speaking the right hand was for front brakes, you'd see this on 'high nellies' with lever brakes.
Then those pesky 'continental' racers started doing the reverse, usually because Campag brake calipers pulled 'on the right' so the cable route was not as 'bendy' to the left lever as it would be to the right lever.
Cheaper brakes, Weinmann etc tended to 'pull on the left' so the cable route was favoured to the right lever.
Front on the right was even more accentuated when used with cables routed through handlebar tape to the rear of the lever.
Then of course there was center pull brakes which made little difference.

Personally I'm a 'right hand lever for front' man... but then again I also favour an 'old man' approach to mounting a bike.... I've even been known to use 'toe clips and straps'...... arrrgh... try getting into them with a few pints on board...

CramCycle

swarlb wrote: »

Personally I'm a 'right hand lever for front' man... but then again I also favour an 'old man' approach to mounting a bike.... I've even been known to use 'toe clips and straps'...... arrrgh... try getting into them with a few pints on board...

Left hand lever for front brake. Its the most effective brake, and the only time I might not be able to have both hands on the brakes is when indicating right. It might buy me a split second in an emergency. It might not but that is my reasoning.

Also the racers have it that way

dahat

Right front left rear for me also.

Mount from the left always.

Type 17

swarlb wrote: »

Here's another question.... which is the 'correct' way to fit your brakes. Is it right land lever for front wheel, and left hand lever for rear.
In the 'olden days' generally speaking the right hand was for front brakes, you'd see this on 'high nellies' with lever brakes.
Then those pesky 'continental' racers started doing the reverse, usually because Campag brake calipers pulled 'on the right' so the cable route was not as 'bendy' to the left lever as it would be to the right lever.
Cheaper brakes, Weinmann etc tended to 'pull on the left' so the cable route was favoured to the right lever.
Front on the right was even more accentuated when used with cables routed through handlebar tape to the rear of the lever.
Then of course there was center pull brakes which made little difference.

On bikes for Left-hand traffic countries (Irl, UK, Aus, etc), the brakes are set up left-rear, right-front.
In fact, in the UK, it's illegal to sell new bikes with the brakes set up the other way (THE PEDAL BICYCLES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS 2010 2010 No. 198). It's not illegal to operate a bike with the brakes set up the other way (just for shops to sell them new that way).
On bikes for right-hand traffic (US, continental Europe, etc) the brakes are set up right-rear, left-front.

I'm not 100% sure why things are done this way, but the most obvious reason is that when turning across traffic from the centre of the road, a rider will likely be signalling with one hand and may be stopping to wait for oncoming traffic with the other, eg: in Irl, you'd be turning right, so signalling with your right arm, and likely braking to a stop with your left hand - if you've ever tried braking with the front brakes and only one hand on the bars, you'll know that this is an undesirable scenario(!).
Likewise, you wouldn't want to be turning left in eg, Italy, and signalling with your left arm but grabbing the front brakes with your right hand...

I grew up on Raleighs, so I'm used to left-rear, front-right, but many bikes that are shipped to Ireland these days are generic "Euro, non-UK" bikes (notice the twin orange reflectors per wheel, rather than single white one, for UK regs), and a lot of bike shops don't bother changing the brakes around, especially where hydraulic brakes and/or bar-tape is involved.

DelBoy Trotter

Type 17 wrote: »

I grew up on Raleighs, so I'm used to left-rear, front-right, but many bikes that are shipped to Ireland these days are generic "Euro, non-UK" bikes (notice the twin orange reflectors per wheel, rather than single white one, for UK regs), and a lot of bike shops don't bother changing the brakes around, especially where hydraulic brakes and/or bar-tape is involved.

I picked up a new Scott road bike a couple of weeks ago and it's left-front, right-rear and I'm not mad about it. The shop mentioned that they would change it around for me if I wasn't happy with it, so when I drop it in for the first service, I'll ask them to change it around

Wishbone Ash

Type 17 wrote: »

... but the most obvious reason is that when turning across traffic from the centre of the road, a rider will likely be signalling with one hand and may be stopping to wait for oncoming traffic with the other, eg: in Irl, you'd be turning right, so signalling with your right arm, and likely braking to a stop with your left hand - if you've ever tried braking with the front brakes and only one hand on the bars, you'll know that this is an undesirable scenario(!)....

That was always my understanding of it (particularly if on a steep descent and have to make a right turn). Left/front just doesn't make any sense for countries who drive on left.

The gearing is the same the world over no? I recall a squeaky bum moment at the bottom of our road years ago when I borrowed a French housemates bike while mine was in for service but can't recall if the shifters were the same way around as ours.

cletus

Yep, left back, right front for me.

Personally I mount the bike by pushing it ahead of me by the saddle, then jumping on from the back. I clip in both feet at the same time*






*note, this may not be how I actually mount my bike

Type 17

Deleted User wrote: »

The gearing is the same the world over no? I recall a squeaky bum moment at the bottom of our road years ago when I borrowed a French housemates bike while mine was in for service but can't recall if the shifters were the same way around as ours.

Yep, always left=front derailleur, right=rear, unless you have swapped them yourself (was only really possible on friction shifters, before the era of indexed gears), but why would you bother...

PS: With electronic shifting, you can assign any derailleur/shifting direction to any of the buttons (with a laptop), so you can swap sides, but once you were used to that, riding any other bike (or loaning someone yours) would drive everyone concerned crazy.

Mercian Pro

While on matters lateral, anyone know why bikes always have the drive (chainring/cassette/gears) on the right hand side?

Type 17

Mercian Pro wrote: »

While on matters lateral, anyone know why bikes always have the drive (chainring/cassette/gears) on the right hand side?

I'm presuming that, in the early days of cycling, the sprocket on the rear hub would be a right-hand thread if the drivetrain was on the right, and most people making bikes would have had tools/lathes for cutting right-hand threads on sprockets & hub-shells, so that became the norm.

tomasrojo

Interestingly, the chain is mostly on the left on motorbikes. This was explained here once, but I've never used a motorbike, so I didn't understand it enough to remember it. Something to do with the clutch?

tomasrojo

Type 17 wrote: »

I'm presuming that, in the early days of cycling, the sprocket on the rear hub would be a right-hand thread if the drivetrain was on the right, and most people making bikes would have had tools/lathes for cutting right-hand threads on sprockets & hub-shells, so that became the norm.

Yeah, makes sense, I think. Old-style freewheels screw on like a bottle cap.

Hurrache

Just checked out the family bikes here for braking while on the topic of lefty/righty. 4 in total. 3 are left rear, 1 is left front.

The left front is from those damn continentals, the other 3 are American and English. There's a 5th out of reach and I think that's left rear too.

CramCycle

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That was always my understanding of it (particularly if on a steep descent and have to make a right turn). Left/front just doesn't make any sense for countries who drive on left.

On a steep descent, I'd rather my road position dictate my indication to turn rather than letting go of either of the brakes

tomasrojo

My house:

10 yo's bike: left-front, right-rear (Pukey 3-speed)
8yo's bike: right-front, backpedal-rear (Pukey single-speed)

Touring bike: right-front, left-rear
Brompton: right-front, left-rear
Bakfiets: right-front, left -rear

I don't really have a preference myself, though I suppose I'm more used to right-front. All were bought here. I picked up the kids bikes from the bike shop before they were unboxed and assembled, so they came from the factory like that. Not sure why one has a left-front and the other a right-front.

Wishbone Ash

tomasrojo wrote: »

Interestingly, the chain is mostly on the left on motorbikes. This was explained here once, but I've never used a motorbike, so I didn't understand it enough to remember it. Something to do with the clutch?

Gear change is operated by the left foot on a motorbike so that's probably why alright. (Left hand for clutch, right hand for front brake and throttle, and right foot for rear brake).

rubadub

Right side drivetrains are rooted in the fact that rotating clockwise causes bolts, etc. to tighten—this dates back to the first "safety bicycles" introduced in the 19th century. With the drivetrain on the right, more (standard threaded) parts will be rotating clockwise and thus tightening themselves as the rider pedals.

Drivetrains are on the right today because that's what bicycle builders decided to do in the late 1800s. As to why they originally decided to put drivetrains on the right, it's probably because rear cogs used to be screwed on (some still are). Standard threads dictate rear cogs be on the right, so that pedaling force tightens the cogs. (If they were on the left, pedaling force would likely loosen cogs.)

Today, left-hand drivetrains are possible, but more difficult to create because more reverse-threaded parts are needed. Generally, things like pedals and bottom brackets have threads that are reversed/asymmetric on one side. They're made specifically to work when the drivetrain is on the right—tightening themselves as the rider pedals. If these standard parts are placed on a bicycle with a drivetrain on the left, then those same parts will be loosening themselves as the rider rides.

https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/5164/why-do-bikes-have-their-drivetrains-on-the-right#:~:text=Drivetrains%20are%20on%20the%20right,on%20(some%20still%20are).&text=(If%20they%20were%20on%20the,force%20would%20likely%20loosen%20cogs.)

swarlb

Seems to have opened up peoples minds as to how they use their bikes... I noticed one post where the cyclist favoured brake positions according to how he signalled a turn.
It got me thinking...
When I was growing up I never, ever owned a 'new' bicycle, no one ever bought me a bicycle, and I never bought myself a new bicycle.
Any bike I ever had was a 'hand me down' and even then they were well worn.
Any racing bike I had I built myself, either from a second hand frame, and other second hand bits sourced from fellow racers. Tyres were usually new, but even then, we'd leave them pumped and stored in attics or sheds over the winter to 'cure'.
As far as I remember the only brand new components I ever bought was a set of Campag brakes and a rear mech, bought sometime in the late 70's, and chains and sprockets, possibly a few different sized chainrings as well.
I've often looked at 'modern' bikes in shops and pondered over some of the components, I was never a fan of Shimano bits.... SunTour looked better 'engineered'.
Always Campag for brakes and gears, Fiamme or Mavic for rims, spokes always stainless steel tapered, Cinelli bars and stems, Regina spockets and chains, 531 over 753 etc...

CramCycle

swarlb wrote: »

Seems to have opened up peoples minds as to how they use their bikes... I noticed one post where the cyclist favoured brake positions according to how he signalled a turn..

I won't lie, I may have just justified it to myself after the fact but I will stand over it.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I'm right handed and mount from the left. I cant remember exactly which side I predominantly unclip on but I'm nearly sure its the right side first.

secman

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I'm right handed and mount from the left. I cant remember exactly which side I predominantly unclip on but I'm nearly sure its the right side first.

I always unclipp left shoe as im right handed too and use right pedal to push off on. Left cleat always wears qicker than right cleat (Look)

Type 17

secman wrote: »

... Left cleat always wears qicker than right cleat (Look)

How? - you didn't post a picture

woody33

Ok, I've just cycled down a steep hill, while I signaled a right turn it was good to have my left hand controlling the front brake.

swarlb

secman wrote: »

I always unclipp left shoe as im right handed too and use right pedal to push off on. Left cleat always wears qicker than right cleat (Look)

Does everyone wear 'cleats' these days ?

swarlb

woody33 wrote: »

Ok, I've just cycled down a steep hill, while I signaled a right turn it was good to have my left hand controlling the front brake.

How would you manage if you were cycling down a steep hill and turning left ?

velo.2010

swarlb wrote: »

How would you manage if you were cycling down a steep hill and turning left ?

Just keep to the left, whether turning while moving or coming to a stop at a junction, where you can then signal to a driver behind that you are turning left. My left lever is the front brake.

FWIW, I generally throw my left leg over when setting off - I'm left footed, right handed. Unclip my right foot when stopping.