Going 'continental' with brake setup.
Discussion
I'm thinking of swapping my brake setup to the 'continental' style, so front brake on left lever, has anyone done this swap before and if so hwo did you get on?
I'm finding that signalling, braking and changing gear on the one lever is sometimes just a bit too much plus the aesthetics are... pro.
I'm finding that signalling, braking and changing gear on the one lever is sometimes just a bit too much plus the aesthetics are... pro.
My advice is to not do it.
You have spent your whole riding life with the brakes one way around - learning to use them the other way around is enormously difficult.
I bought a bike from the continent were front brake was on the left. I crashed a lot as I would inadvertently pull the front brake full on when I was going for a handful of rear brake to adjust the attitude of the bike into a corner.
Admittedly this was on a MTB rather than a roadie.
I ended up having to concentrate on remembering which brake was which to the detriment of my line choice or reading the trail.
In the end I paid the LBS to change the cables round and my ride improved dramatically.
You have spent your whole riding life with the brakes one way around - learning to use them the other way around is enormously difficult.
I bought a bike from the continent were front brake was on the left. I crashed a lot as I would inadvertently pull the front brake full on when I was going for a handful of rear brake to adjust the attitude of the bike into a corner.
Admittedly this was on a MTB rather than a roadie.
I ended up having to concentrate on remembering which brake was which to the detriment of my line choice or reading the trail.
In the end I paid the LBS to change the cables round and my ride improved dramatically.
It's horrible!
I hired a bike in Cape Town last year and it had the brakes the 'wrong' way round. It was terrifying coming down some descents and having to look down at the caliper while braking to see if it was moving or not! I had the bike for four days and never got used to it, I thought it would be a bit easier after a few miles but it wasn't.
Thankfully the MTB I hired had Avid brakes which were easily swapped over otherwise I'd probably have killed myself
I hired a bike in Cape Town last year and it had the brakes the 'wrong' way round. It was terrifying coming down some descents and having to look down at the caliper while braking to see if it was moving or not! I had the bike for four days and never got used to it, I thought it would be a bit easier after a few miles but it wasn't.
Thankfully the MTB I hired had Avid brakes which were easily swapped over otherwise I'd probably have killed myself
gazza285 said:
Get used to it, no different from driving on the left, second nature once you get used to it,
You shouldn't need to change gear and brake together though, that's down to poor planning
I disagree. In emergency situations your brain instinctively defaults to the UK brake setup....I speak from experience. If you use the driving analogy, it's like swapping the brake pedal with the clutch pedal. Yes, you'll get used to it, but in an emergency stop situation I bet both feet would go for what is now the clutch.You shouldn't need to change gear and brake together though, that's down to poor planning
Be careful with that.
Back in my Army days I re-cabled my boss's MTB as a favour, and he was mighty angry with me when he came back from his first ride.
Turned out he'd won the bike in a raffle in Germany, and it'd been his first bike since he was a kid, so 'continental' braking was all he really knew. I'd not paid any attention to the existing set up and just stripped the existing cables off and replaced them the 'normal' British way, as it was all I was used to.
He nearly wiped himself out in local woodland, but fortunately he got a soft landing, so I managed to keep my teeth, after he'd calmed down a bit. I offered to put it back to how it originally was, but a couple of his mates persuaded him to persevere with it, and he learned to ride the British way in the end, which stood him in good stead when we ended up riding hired bikes in Cornwall for a few days.
Back in my Army days I re-cabled my boss's MTB as a favour, and he was mighty angry with me when he came back from his first ride.
Turned out he'd won the bike in a raffle in Germany, and it'd been his first bike since he was a kid, so 'continental' braking was all he really knew. I'd not paid any attention to the existing set up and just stripped the existing cables off and replaced them the 'normal' British way, as it was all I was used to.
He nearly wiped himself out in local woodland, but fortunately he got a soft landing, so I managed to keep my teeth, after he'd calmed down a bit. I offered to put it back to how it originally was, but a couple of his mates persuaded him to persevere with it, and he learned to ride the British way in the end, which stood him in good stead when we ended up riding hired bikes in Cornwall for a few days.
Pablo16v said:
gazza285 said:
Get used to it, no different from driving on the left, second nature once you get used to it,
You shouldn't need to change gear and brake together though, that's down to poor planning
I disagree. In emergency situations your brain instinctively defaults to the UK brake setup....I speak from experience. If you use the driving analogy, it's like swapping the brake pedal with the clutch pedal. Yes, you'll get used to it, but in an emergency stop situation I bet both feet would go for what is now the clutch.You shouldn't need to change gear and brake together though, that's down to poor planning
Pablo16v said:
I disagree. In emergency situations your brain instinctively defaults to the UK brake setup..
If I have to emergency brake I tend to pull them both together, it's very rare (that I notice) that I grab only one brake in an emergency stop - I may just bite the bullit and do it this weekend, what's the worst that can happen? 
I believe the reason for the UK set up is so that when you are in the middle of the road signalling to cross oncoming traffic you still have your hand on the rear brake lever.
On the continent they are on the opposite side of the road, so the levers are on the opposite side for the same reason.
I had an incident on a very expensive carbon road bike intended for use by the press whilst descending in Majorca, grabbing a handful of front brake by accident into a hairpin bend. Thankfully, I crossed the opposite side of the road in a 2 wheel slide without meeting any traffic before coming to rest over the Armco looking down a big drop!
On the continent they are on the opposite side of the road, so the levers are on the opposite side for the same reason.
I had an incident on a very expensive carbon road bike intended for use by the press whilst descending in Majorca, grabbing a handful of front brake by accident into a hairpin bend. Thankfully, I crossed the opposite side of the road in a 2 wheel slide without meeting any traffic before coming to rest over the Armco looking down a big drop!
I ride euro setup & always have, tis good :-) i'm mainly a DH MTBer so rarely use front brake, I also ride road motorbikes and it goes with that as your right hand is brake hand. Left is only for full stops, I.e. where the clutch would also go in on the motorbike, but adding front brake on the mtb.
Edited by Herman Toothrot on Thursday 20th February 21:24
A little belated update
I've been running the 'wrong way' on my winter bike for several months now with no major dramas, initially I would pull too strongly when coming up to a junction if I was a little on the quick side arriving at it but I feel I've trained myself out of it. The longest thing that it took me to get the hang of it was taking the strain when clipping in, my brain appears to have adapted to that though so all is well
Overall I'm happy that I've gone down this route with the bonus of the bike looking cleaner at the front.
When it comes to serving the best bike I'm more than happy to convert it as well.
I've been running the 'wrong way' on my winter bike for several months now with no major dramas, initially I would pull too strongly when coming up to a junction if I was a little on the quick side arriving at it but I feel I've trained myself out of it. The longest thing that it took me to get the hang of it was taking the strain when clipping in, my brain appears to have adapted to that though so all is well
Overall I'm happy that I've gone down this route with the bonus of the bike looking cleaner at the front.
When it comes to serving the best bike I'm more than happy to convert it as well.
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