Cable routing debate: To go moto or no moto
So my homies and I are discussing this in a fairly heated way. That is, the brake routing debate. Moto style is left brake managing the rear cantis and the right brake managing the front. I suspect anyone reading this site is a cross geek and knows why your do this but or those who don't, I'll explain:
If you dismount on the non drive side and coast into barriers to run through (or run up as it were), having your left hand on the left hood will activate the REAR brakes and theoretically give you superior control of the bike to take the edge off speed you may need to do. You and I know you should not be touching them at all coming into barriers, but there's always that 'sometimes' to correct speed like in the event there is an apex into the first barrier. So if you're Sven Vantourenhout, this all doesn't apply because you dismount drive side and the brakes are logically in the right place.
So what';s the point of the post? Who does this? Maybe purists and traditionalists (and Joe Ball) but all the Belgian heavies I see from Bart-man to Sven (please say NICE) Nijs to others run normal MTB/road style. I've never run it moto style and never had a problem in a decade. Maybe I'm missing something?
Nah.
Evidence:
What did YOU do to get ready for 'cross today?
Sunday, August 5, 2007 at 5:38PM
Reader Comments (8)
I roll moto style. My 1st cross bike I set up that way and have never wanted to go back. If you don't run moto I don't know how your back wheel doesn't want to kick in the air when you are pulling the front brake, plus it would sketch me out coming in HOT and pulling the front brake
Moto-heads, Brits and a few anal types, maybe we should start driving on the opposite side of the road! Sorry, my ugly-American raising its ugly head.
Seriously, I'd kill myself trying to switch now.
What did I do today: 2hr tempo and finished off riding my 'cross bike through Hartmans.
Good-Day
i did the same "look at all the photos" thing you did a few years ago when i was building up my first CX bike - and found the same thing. none of the big boys run switch.
our teammate jon mcclurg rides switch, but he also flips his roadies and MTB so he doesn't get confused. and he's been racing 'cross around here for 20+ years. literally.
i've only got 3-4 seasons of 'cross under my bibs, but i have never had my back wheel try to kick up in the air. and i tend to come into barriers/dismounts at a pretty good clip (when you've got lame power output, you have to try to make it for it elsewhere!).
it's probably sort of like dressing right vs. dressing left (if you've ever been fitted for a suit). if you like it hanging left, put it there. if you like it the other way, put it there instead.
what did i do to get ready? rode with my kids and drank beer today, but yesterday i did a 4+ hour climb-fest up to P2P and brainard lake and such. it was cool and cloudy up there...nice.
holy moly - that's the longest "type the word for verification that you're a person" i've ever seen. it's like 14 characters for goodness sake.
Longman here...been riding moto all my life cos that's the way it's done in GB, there's a couple of theories...suicide shifters for the front derailer were operated by the right hand so the left hand operated the rear brake, another is that the Penny Farthing or high wheeler? had a spoon brake on the front wheel operated by the right hand so it stayed that way when the safety bicycle came along, or bikes with roller brakes had the rod to the rear brake GO down the nondrive side to avoid the chain and chainrings or maybe it's just cos we drive on the correct side of the road!
It's also a BS law(that's 'British Standard' to you uncouth types)now that the front brake must be on the right and the rear on the left to be sold in GB...I bought a Cannondale mtb, one of the first imported to GB and the brakes were the other way round (pre BS)...I took a couple of serious trips over the bars before switching them moto
It kinda makes sense to ride moto...'most' folks are right handed...the front brake does most of the braking so you should use your strongest hand, taking a drink with the right hand leaves the left hand on the rear brake, hand signals(including the Vs) in GB are done with the right hand to leave the left hand on the rear brake.
Bottom line is...stick to what you are used to, if you switch after 30 years even with lots of training and practice, there's gonna be a time in a race when you go to grab a handful of rear brake, instinct is gonna take over and you'll end up arse over tit...think about it, when you are riding do you ever REALLY think about braking or is it just natural? now imagine having to think about braking EVERY time... never gonna happen.
Got to say that moto is the way to roll. Last season was my first season of cross and the bike I was riding was set up moto style. after a little getting used to you never want to go back seeing as it was my first season I going to stick with tradition.
What did I do today for cross? Let’s see I rode the Bannock Crit this morning at 7am. Woke up at the butt crack of dawn 5:30am so I could ride to course. Rode a smart race keeping the tempo high in the top 10 all race then killing it at the end with a 2nd place finish. If only I could sprit a little better. Can’t wait to build the new Cross rig. Thanks again Greg!
Steve H
I'm suprised peanut hasn't chimed in on this...
THE ONLY BOTTOM LINE:
Route ALL your bikes the SAME
Road bike? Rear Right?
Mt Bike? Rear Right?
Cross bike should be Rear right...
Top mount levers are retarded...
and i have to agree with a PRO's PRO like Peanut (with years of Belgium racing under her belt) that ya don't do it backwards.
Me? Yeah i ran the brakes "moto" but i've switched my Mt bikes back and forth and don't really care which brake is where...
Where will the brakes be routed this year?
The same way my brakes are routed on every other bike... front brake on the left rear brake on the right...
Would you think about running your bar con shifters backwards too?
And if you need to hit the brakes going into a barrier, well... I'll be nice ;) and not say anything other than chuckle...
brakes = slow
if all ya bikes is moto - run moto... if not don't...
Awesome feedback. Less for me, more for other folks who visit who need some guidance. I'm sticking US style.
No moto. If you can't roll into the barriers hot non-moto, then spend some time working on your finesse and bike handling.
A little finesse will get you way farther than backwards brakes ever will.