Question for Lefties

[Lifelover]

Background

My kids (8 and 12) watch the tour in the morning and then round up the other kids on the street and run a stage of the "Tour of Harton Circle".
Today about 3 k in my 8 y/o loses focus and than forces himself into a panic stop. Being a Lefty his speed and strength go to the front brakes and he endos. No harm other than pride.

Question

Should I consider changing the brake cabling to reverse the brake controls (left-back right-front)?

[gasman]

No. Now he has learned hard lesson that will stick with him forever.

[700 x 23c]

It is tough being a lefty living in a right handed world, but that is life! Keep the brakes as they are. I think lefties actually have a bit of an advantage. Very few of us are truly pure lefties. We have learned how to use or right hand more than righties use their left hand. I use a right-handed scissor, golf right handed, throw right handed, but write and bat left handed. You don't see too many lefties moving the mouse to their left hand. When you live in a right-handed world, you learn to adapt as needed and usually pick up improved right-handed motor skills.

[yeehawfactor]

keep the brakes as they are. it may be good for him in the short term, but what about when he borrows another "normal" kid's bike? endo! lefties are awesome.....

[William]

I agree, leave them as they are. Lefties have to get used to dealing with a right handed world.
I write with my right hand, and do most everything else with my left. My training has made me ambitextrious in many aspects, but my left is still the dominant side. I think my writing with my right hand comes from a time when people thought being lefty was a problem. :rolleyes: I seem to recall my dad making me learn to use my right instead of my left hand.

NE way, most everything is still designed with right handers in mind so adapt but don't discourage.

William :)

[Too Tall]

Life is more than braking a bicycle. Buy the kid juggling bean bags and encourage him to learn to be nimble with either hand esp. good for lefties born into a world they never made.

[Kevan]

I'm an expert. Unfortunately, all the solid advice has already been "handed" out.

There was an article many moons ago, in "Bicycle Guide" about lefties being particularly at risk in swerving their bikes out into the flow of traffic should the rider try to look back behind then (the belief being that lefties look over their left shoulders while you righties do whatever you do). The tendency, according to the author, is lefties will unknowingly pull just a bit harder on the left side of the bar when swinging around for a look-see. My solution for when a hard backward view is required (like when you're thinking, "Where are those guys?) has been to remove my left hand from the bar, perch it on my my hip near the kidney region and then take my hard look. The placement of the arm helps steady me for that viewing. Certainly for glances backwards this isn't necessary, but us lefties have to be aware what's potentially is going on when we aren't paying attention to our steering.

50 years a lefty and sticking with it!

[Lifelover]

Looks as though I will leave it as is.

[CPJS]

...Should I consider changing the brake cabling to reverse the brake controls?
No. They're young, they'll adjust...

[Spinsistah]

I'm a lefty too, leave the brakes alone. We adapt. BTW, I'm happily surprised at all the leftys on the forum. We're good people, in our "right" minds. :)

[crossjunkee]

I'm pretty sure in Europe they are reversed? Can anybody confirm this? Also, motorcycle riders tend to reverse the brake too, left hand operates the rear brake. Another benefit to reversing, the cable routing is much more clean...

[L84dinr]

I have ridden/raced motorcycles in the past. I have, for a long time now, had the front brake on the right handlebar. (What is hard to remember is GP shifting or standard shifting...when switching between motorcycles)

I have also switched both my childrens bikes over to right hand front braking... easier for my girls to keep things straight between the bikes and motorcycles.

Kevan; nice tip about removing ones hand from the bar when looking around. I've repeated this one handed look, but was not familiar with the mechanics behind it, cool.

rtp

[Orin]

I'm right handed and grew up in England where the front brake is on the right I've never endoed because of it... Either hand is quite capable of grabbing the brake enough to cause an endo, so wouldn't you want the _more skilfull_ hand to control the front brake?

There are other bogus arguments out there about signalling - as to which brake you want to use while signalling... Bogus because again, in England, you use left hand to signal left and right hand to signal right - you have to use both depending on which way you are turning. Again, no problems that I know of.

I have big problems however if I ride a bike with the brakes the other way... I'll grab what I think is the front brake, lock up the rear wheel and end up sliding out into intersections.

There is a good argument for right hand, front brake if you also ride a motorcycle to keep things consistent. Otherwise, you should set your brakes up how you are used to them. For me, in the USA, it means switching the brakes on new bikes.

For someone learning, you are probably best off using whatever is the standard in the country that you are in.

Finally, the force at the lever required for a normal stop using the front brake (normal for me anyway) WILL skid the rear wheel! And rear wheel skids aren't benign if you let off the brake and the rear wheel hooks up suddenly... the dreaded high side crash where you are flipped up before going down sideways.

Orin.

[JohnS]

I'm an expert. Unfortunately, all the solid advice has already been "handed" out.

There was an article many moons ago, in "Bicycle Guide" about lefties being particularly at risk in swerving their bikes out into the flow of traffic should the rider try to look back behind then (the belief being that lefties look over their left shoulders while you righties do whatever you do). The tendency, according to the author, is lefties will unknowingly pull just a bit harder on the left side of the bar when swinging around for a look-see. My solution for when a hard backward view is required (like when you're thinking, "Where are those guys?) has been to remove my left hand from the bar, perch it on my my hip near the kidney region and then take my hard look. The placement of the arm helps steady me for that viewing. Certainly for glances backwards this isn't necessary, but us lefties have to be aware what's potentially is going on when we aren't paying attention to our steering.

50 years a lefty and sticking with it!
I'm a righty and I always look over my left shoulder. Isn't that where the cars would be???

[dirtdigger88]

another lefty here- I say dont switch

as you kid hops on other bike in the US (I will assume they wont be riding in Europe for a while) they will always be "off" Lefties have to learn to deal with normal every day things that righties take for advantage- we cant change everything- we just need to adapt

Other leftie problems

ink pen smear- so do pencils
bowling balls are backwards
scissors
try finding an inexpensive guitar
can openers
the entire english form of writing- our letters lean the wrong way
remember your desk in grammer school?
watches- the knob to adjust the time is on the wrong side
guns are made for righties
why do I have to pay $80 bucks for left handed- hand pruners :crap:
the notch on plastic bags (like that shredded cheese comes in)- is not on the correct side
try finding a good baseball glove- hell the whole game is set up for righties

I almost forgot- anyone seen a left handed pitcher break their arm throwing a curve ball- not pretty

Leftey Products (http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/home.html)
I sure others can think of more these were just the one I thought of quickly

Jason