Why is the front brake controlled by the left hand on a bicycle?

[LordMorpheus]

I always thought it was because the rear brake is more important and so they use the dominant hand to activate it.

I mean, you don't want to mash your front brake when you are going fast, you'll flip over and kill yourself, but you can lock your rear wheel and keep control . . .

 

[geno]

Also, you apply more force to the rears when braking, at least I always have, so your dominant hand is more suited for this.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus
I always thought it was because the rear brake is more important and so they use the dominant hand to activate it.

I mean, you don't want to mash your front brake when you are going fast, you'll flip over and kill yourself, but you can lock your rear wheel and keep control . . .

...but then you won't stop in time... i think its much more important to learn how to modulate the front properly... people who flip over must have panicked and grabbed a handful.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: bR
Front brake should be enough according to this guy ... since at maximum braking the rear has minimal weight and probably wont slow you down enough. If anything since im right handed i would probably flip over since i'm not used to modulating with my left.

Interesting. My seat is directly over the rear tire, don't know how all of my weight is somehow over the front...

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: geno
Also, you apply more force to the rears when braking, at least I always have, so your dominant hand is more suited for this.

Perhaps you have to apply more because theres not enough grip since most of the weight is now on the front. I guess i just never got used to it having ridden motorcycles lately.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: bR
Front brake should be enough according to this guy ... since at maximum braking the rear has minimal weight and probably wont slow you down enough. If anything since im right handed i would probably flip over since i'm not used to modulating with my left.

Interesting. My seat is directly over the rear tire, don't know how all of my weight is somehow over the front...

During braking... all your weight shifts to the front... just like how it is in cars. Ever noticed that when you brake hard on a car you get pushed against your seatbelt?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: bR
Front brake should be enough according to this guy ... since at maximum braking the rear has minimal weight and probably wont slow you down enough. If anything since im right handed i would probably flip over since i'm not used to modulating with my left.

Interesting. My seat is directly over the rear tire, don't know how all of my weight is somehow over the front...

During braking... all your weight shifts to the front... just like how it is in cars. Ever noticed that when you brake hard on a car you get pushed against your seatbelt?

That's not the reason for "weight shift". You are pushed against the seatbelt because the car is decelerating you. The increased force on the front wheels is because of where they are... lower than the center of gravity. If someone throws a ball at you and you glance the botton of it with your hand, it will rotate because of the same force imbalance. If you had an air brake on a car extending upward, the weight shift would be to the rear.

But on a bike you also have room to move, and that might make a difference.

 

[silverpig]

Stupid bicycles got me all messed up for dirtbikes. I was 12 and started riding them at my friend's place (just moved out into the bush). I hit a patch of mud, skidded off the path and was headed straight for a tree. Riding a bicycle taught me it was okay to slam on the right handlebar brake, so I did that. Flipped the dirt bike, flew into the tree, and had the dirt bike tip over onto my leg (just a glancing type thing). I was fine, it was actually pretty funny, but I sure learned quick how to stop on one of those

 

[Rudee]

Obviously, so the left hand can slow the bike down while you pull up alongside somebody to flip them the bird with your right hand.

 

[Bozz]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: bR
Front brake should be enough according to this guy ... since at maximum braking the rear has minimal weight and probably wont slow you down enough. If anything since im right handed i would probably flip over since i'm not used to modulating with my left.

Interesting. My seat is directly over the rear tire, don't know how all of my weight is somehow over the front...

During braking... all your weight shifts to the front... just like how it is in cars. Ever noticed that when you brake hard on a car you get pushed against your seatbelt?

That's not the reason for "weight shift". You are pushed against the seatbelt because the car is decelerating you. The increased force on the front wheels is because of where they are... lower than the center of gravity. If someone throws a ball at you and you glance the botton of it with your hand, it will rotate because of the same force imbalance. If you had an air brake on a car extending upward, the weight shift would be to the rear.

But on a bike you also have room to move, and that might make a difference.

You're kidding, right? The weight shift is measured at the contact patch of the tyre to the surface it is on. Centre of gravity has very little to do with weight shift other than determining how much is shifted. In the case of a bike, FAR more weight is shifted than a car because the COG is very high. *edit* and the wheelbase is very narrow. *edit*

A skilled rider would only use the front brake in an emergency on bitumen as he/she would have it at the point of just having the rear wheel making contact with the road, to prevent it going up on the front wheel and having the rear spin around. Dirt biking is different because you can lock up the front wheel and do nasty things to yourself as you lose steering control.

It is very similar to cars, try braking with ONLY the handbrake which usually operates on the rear tyres. Then with the footbrake which exerts about 80% of force on the fronts and 20% on the rears. Thats why 80% goes to the front, weight shift.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: bR
Front brake should be enough according to this guy ... since at maximum braking the rear has minimal weight and probably wont slow you down enough. If anything since im right handed i would probably flip over since i'm not used to modulating with my left.

Interesting. My seat is directly over the rear tire, don't know how all of my weight is somehow over the front...

During braking... all your weight shifts to the front... just like how it is in cars. Ever noticed that when you brake hard on a car you get pushed against your seatbelt?

That's not the reason for "weight shift". You are pushed against the seatbelt because the car is decelerating you. The increased force on the front wheels is because of where they are... lower than the center of gravity. If someone throws a ball at you and you glance the botton of it with your hand, it will rotate because of the same force imbalance. If you had an air brake on a car extending upward, the weight shift would be to the rear.

But on a bike you also have room to move, and that might make a difference.

Ok bad example... but i just wanted to show that during hard braking you can definitely lift the rear tire off the ground even if the seat is over the rear tire like DaiShan said... obviously a car wasn't the best way to show that.

Weight shift makes a world of diffference in motorycles.

 

[DrPizza]

"weight shift"?! Except for passengers or the bike rider moving forward with respect to the bike, there's no "weight shift" Horrible misconception!

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
"weight shift"?! Except for passengers or the bike rider moving forward with respect to the bike, there's no "weight shift" Horrible misconception!

So you're saying that weight isnt being shifted during braking or acceleration even on a bicycle? Perhaps not so much in acceleration but definitely during braking.

 

[Bozz]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
"weight shift"?! Except for passengers or the bike rider moving forward with respect to the bike, there's no "weight shift" Horrible misconception!

If you know nothing about a subject, please stay silent.

Ride at a reasonable speed and slam on the front brake as hard as you can and prove to me there is no weight shift.

Its incomprehensible how reality eludes some...

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
That's not the reason for "weight shift". You are pushed against the seatbelt because the car is decelerating you. The increased force on the front wheels is because of where they are... lower than the center of gravity. If someone throws a ball at you and you glance the botton of it with your hand, it will rotate because of the same force imbalance. If you had an air brake on a car extending upward, the weight shift would be to the rear.

But on a bike you also have room to move, and that might make a difference.

What??