Close call yesterday! Why are brakes not on the same place on all handlebars!

[Flowrider]

Rode a local tough track yesterday, ironically called Boneyards. We actually started from the cemetery carpark.

I was trying out my mates Giant Fathom,

It was a downhill start, going a bit too quick for the terrain. I eased into my back brake, but it was the front brake!, and I nearly did a handstand on the handlebars!

The bike was bought in from America where front and back brakes are opposite to here in Australia.

Now I don't care which side the front or back brakes are. I can't think of an advantage for either side, so why isn't it a worldwide standard to have brakes uniform setup?

For one thing it's a huge safety factor.

For the rest on the ride my thoughts were, "Right side rear, Right side rear, Right side rear, Right side rear..."

[enkei]

We should get that global cycling body to force all nations to adopt the same standard. Oh, wait....

You can find various alleged "reasons" for why different countries take different approaches, but the reality is that nobody really knows the answer.

In the USA, consumer safety rules mandate the right-rear/left-front layout, and getting this 'wrong' has resulted in safety recalls (and probably some lawsuits...):

Hand lever location. The rear brake shall be actuated by a control located on the right handlebar and the front brake shall be actuated by a control located on the left handlebar. The left-hand/right-hand locations may be reversed in accordance with an individual customer order.

I'm just happy to live in a country sensible enough to put the front-brake lever in the same place on both bicycles and motorcycles...