Conference noted::bicycle

    The only thing that I can think of that makes sense is either it's
    just tradition and always been that way, but what I really believe
    is that the last thing you want to do is crank down on the front
    brake with the most powerful hand. We know what happens when THAT
    happens. 
    
    Chip

re .0	I've always had the right hand control the front brake.  Its the
way bikes always were when and where (England) I was growing up.  Its also
the way (most) motorcycles are, though I don't claim that the skill/habit
sets are easily portable.  I believe that my right hand is not only stronger
but I have finer force control, probably to be expected if its working
comfortably within its range vs near the limit.  Yes, I  *_DO_*  want to
have lock up force available on the front when I need it, but I make a
point of using it ONLY when vertical.

	Reg

{Converted the 3 bikes I've bought in the US.}

I think most folk can exert enough force with either hand on either 
brake to go to wheel-lock, so I don't really feel that's much of an 
issue. I've gotten real comfortable with using my left hand for the 
front brake, and I rarely use my rear brake at all, maybe brain-damage 
from too much time on my track-road bike with the front brake only.
Basically, you can do whatever floats yer boat.... :-)

                                                  ken

> and I rarely use my rear brake at all, maybe brain-damage 
>from too much time on my track-road bike with the front brake only.
>Basically, you can do whatever floats yer boat.... :-)
>                                                  ken

Actually....

It's useful to have two hands on the  brakes in a panic stop; it lets
you get the maximum braking without doing an ender.

When you do a panic stop, squeeze the front brake as hard as you can and the
back brake just a little.  The back wheel will start to skid just before it
lifts.  At this point, let up on the front brake until the back wheel catches
again.  Repeat until stopped.

This is why I wouldn't want to switch brake levers on my bike; I learned it
one way and would wreck if they were reversed.

It also is good because the rider learns to reflexively let out the brakes
upon hearing a skid. (In case it was the front tire and not the back that let
loose first.)

Does it work this way for ATB's ?

-Jeff

    
    I was told many years ago that putting the front brake on the right
    was "Italian style".    Sure enough, my old campy brakes are designed
    so that the cable runs are a small amount shorter if the front brake
    is on the right and the rear on the left.
    
    	I got used to having the front on the right, many years ago
    when I bought an Italian racing bike (Masi), and I have since
    been wiring up all my brake cables that way.   I don't think
    it makes any difference, once you get used to it,   But I do
    like having all my bikes the same.
    
    							Alan.

    My Fiorelli, De Rosa, Motobecanes, etc. all had front/left brake
    levers.  The Baldi (Italian like the Fiorelli and De Rosa) had
    front/right, but it was a non-brand bike, more "authentically" Italian?
    
    Personally, it doesn't matter to me.  As you may have gathered
    from another note, I now have an aero saddle-post, which gets me 
    into the 60mph range, so nothing short of the drogue chute and 
    grappling hooks seem to do any good.  And those are push-button 
    actuated.  My only problem is confusing those buttons with the button 
    for the emergency eject.  It can be embarassing to push the wrong one.

    -john

    John, are you sure you didn't hurt your head in England?
    
    ed

    	Awesome, totally...
    
    	Another log for the fire...
    
    	What about shifting?  I've noticed that, many individuals
    	using down-tube shifters have a "dominant" hand. That is, one
    	hand is utilized more than the other for either shifting, or
    	braking. In my case, I use my dominant hand for shifting.
    	For no real reason I always use my other hand for braking.
    	So, I cabled the front brake to the lever used by my "other"
    	hand. If I'm shifting, I can still brake fairly well without
    	sweating too many bullets.
    
    	I guess it doesn't really matter which hand is dominant. At
    	least not to me anyway...
    							Face.

    Thanks for all the replies, on what I regard as perfectly valid topic
    for discussion! 
    
    Braking is a reflex action, so when I'm on a wrong-way-round bike, I
    get confused about which lever to squeeze; I have to think about it. 
    .2 summed up why I think front-brake/right-hand is better. 
    
    As to .8, I used to shift with the appropriate hand, ie left-hand front
    shift, right-hand rear shift. Then I found it was just as easy to use
    the right-hand to operate both levers. 
    
    I never thought right-leggedness was a problem, though... that's a
    whole new area of worry. 
    
    
    Rod