Lefty loosy, Righty tighty. Right? But...

[GetAGrip]

.. surely that all depends which way you are looking at something. Take gear levers or brake handles on the handlebars for example. Is it lefty from the seat looking forward or standing at the front looking towards the bike? Same with the cable adjusters at the rear. Does it not depend where you happen to be standing? I know, another dumb question

 

[chris grace]

Unless it's a left hand thread,when you look at the nut ,bolt or screw end on it is ALWAYS clockwise to tighten and anti-clockwise to loosen

 

[GetAGrip]

Thanks Chris, so, no matter what I am doing, if the nut is between me and the thread it'll be clockwise to tighten.

 

[2Loose]

Pedals are different on each side, I remember by attaching the spanner to the pedal while facing the bike with the spanner vertical and the pedal end at the bottom. The top of the spanner always moves towards the back of the bike...I am sure there is an easier way to remember that though.

 

[ASC1951]

Pedals are different on each side.... The top of the spanner always moves towards the back of the bike...I am sure there is an easier way to remember that though.

That depends on which way up the bike is.

Pedals really don't need to be done up a lot more than finger tight. If I'm having to use a big spanner, I know I'm going in the wrong direction.

 

[Zoiders]

This argument is how surgical teams cut off the wrong limb.

 

[GetAGrip]

My problem is whenever I've needed to just tweak a brake or gear cable, I end up twisting the barrell enough to visibly see which way I am adjusting first. I get there in the end, but it's a bit long winded when I only needed a quarter turn

 

[chris grace]

Thanks Chris, so, no matter what I am doing, if the nut is between me and the thread it'll be clockwise to tighten.

Ignore all the which side of the bike/whether the bike is upside down or right way up statements.Your are undoing a nut or bolt not dancing with a bike.

Look at the nut,bolt or screw as if you were looking at a clock,if you want to tighten move the tool in the same direction as the hands of a clock move.If you want to loosen the move the tool in the opposite direction the hands
move.

Generally if the thread is a left hand thread it will be marked with a dot on bolt head and a little cut out on each corner of a nut about half way down the nut.

 

[twobiker]

Why is the front brake on your right side?

 

[chris grace]

Why is the front brake on your right side?

It depends whether the bike is upside down or not

.

Seriously,I have no idea.I was told once but can't remember.

 

[twobiker]

As i always seem to fall off on the left side I constantly have to ride with just the front brake until I recover,maybe you could work both brakes off one lever with some kind of front/back split.

 

[andrew_s]

the left hand threads on a bike are the left pedal and the right BB cup (and a fixed gear lockring, if relevant).

With the bike upright, and the spanner pointing vertically upwards, for pedals push the end of the spanner towards the back of the bike, and for a BB cup push it towards the front of the bike.

Front brake:
The law says all bikes must be sold with the brake levers fitted front right, so as not to confuse the unwary.
Front right is selected so that if you brake whilst indicating right (i.e only one hand on the bars), you are less likely to lose control and fall off in the middle of the road. In foreign parts they are in the middle of the road indicating a turn with their left hand, so the weaker back brake is on the right.

 

[andrew_s]

maybe you could work both brakes off one lever with some kind of front/back split.

That's a very bad idea. Even if you've only got one hand you are better off with two brake levers.
With front and rear brakes worked off one lever, you will be unable to brake very hard without locking the back wheel unless the back brake is set so loose as to be no use.

 

[subaqua]

This argument is how surgical teams cut off the wrong limb.

could be worse than losing a leg
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/patient-wakes-up-from-circumcision-to-find-penis-removed.html



although one wonders if the surgeon had any of his healthy tissue removed in this one .

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/part-brain-removed-error-135817152.html






sorry for going OT.

 

[chris grace]

That's a very bad idea. Even if you've only got one hand you are better off with two brake levers.
With front and rear brakes worked off one lever, you will be unable to brake very hard without locking the back wheel unless the back brake is set so loose as to be no use.

Not sure if it could be applied to a pedal cycle but I have a scooter that has linked brakes.The front brake when applied sends 10% of the lever pressure to the rear wheel and the rear brake when applied sends 10% of the lever pressure to the front wheel.To be honest I couldn't really feel any difference to a standard brake system,but that may just be me.