When I was a kid I had a friend borrow my bike and watched him do this (slamming on the front brakes and being flipped over the handlebars), fortunately he wasn’t injured, but I was mad because the front reflector broke off. In retrospect, it was worth it because I learned the easy way that you definitely should not do that.
Also that the default design of bike brakes is probably less safe for left handed people, since the front brakes are commonly on the left, but it’s important to put more pressure sooner on the back brakes.
Pretty sure you’re right. Except somehow the bike I learned on only had the one brake. Right hand, but back wheel, contrary to the default. Fairly sure it wasn’t from outside the UK, but it had belonged to a relative so maybe they moved it?
When I got a bike with brakes for both wheels, my instincts nearly catapulted me over the handlebars more than once.
In some countries bicycles and motorcycles have the front brake on the same side (right side). In Germany and USA I think it is not that way, but I change my bicycles to match my motorbikes - any other system may lead to unintended results.
BTW - you should mostly be braking with your front brakes, I think you have have seen trouble from weight distribution shifting forwards.
When I was a kid I had a friend borrow my bike and watched him do this (slamming on the front brakes and being flipped over the handlebars), fortunately he wasn’t injured, but I was mad because the front reflector broke off. In retrospect, it was worth it because I learned the easy way that you definitely should not do that.
Also that the default design of bike brakes is probably less safe for left handed people, since the front brakes are commonly on the left, but it’s important to put more pressure sooner on the back brakes.
In UK it’s opposite I think
Pretty sure you’re right. Except somehow the bike I learned on only had the one brake. Right hand, but back wheel, contrary to the default. Fairly sure it wasn’t from outside the UK, but it had belonged to a relative so maybe they moved it?
When I got a bike with brakes for both wheels, my instincts nearly catapulted me over the handlebars more than once.
Common for BMX to only have the one, typically on the back for skids (and possibly for stopping kids firing themselves over the bars)
This wasn’t a BMX. It was a child-sized Raleigh that was built like a tank and had solid rubber tyres.
A BMX would have been a lot cooler.
In some countries bicycles and motorcycles have the front brake on the same side (right side). In Germany and USA I think it is not that way, but I change my bicycles to match my motorbikes - any other system may lead to unintended results. BTW - you should mostly be braking with your front brakes, I think you have have seen trouble from weight distribution shifting forwards.
The civilized world has the front brake on the right, front brake on the left is a north America thing.