Anybody else *always* get things backwards?

[Geonz]

Saw a sign on GITAP that I wanted to swipe (or take a picture of, but the camera was in the bag on the truck): "Parking Allowed South of Here."

Figure anywhere in Southern IL is legal then, eh?

[Kano]

Yikes! if I wasn't confused enough to begin with, now you ladies start talking about thread, and I sew!

Lefty -- and I have problems describing left/right to others, even if it makes all sorts of sense to me!

Karen in Boise

[bikerbarb]

I'm a lefty and I've always had my brakes reversed so that I brake the rear tire with my left hand. More than once when people have told me they've had an over the handlebars accident, I've asked and confirmed they were left handed. I think that's why.

[DebW]

I'm a lefty and I've always had my brakes reversed so that I brake the rear tire with my left hand. More than once when people have told me they've had an over the handlebars accident, I've asked and confirmed they were left handed. I think that's why.

That's interesting, Bikerbarb. Are these experienced left-handed cyclist doing endos? Do you think bike shops should ask about a person's handedness and set up the bike accordingly? I am left handed but somewhat ambi and use only my left/front brake at low speed. I'd rather have the stronger hand on the front brake since it provides the most stopping power.

[bikerchic]

I would ever tell this to any one!

When my sister and I first started riding together everything bike related to us was new and fun. Maybe I should (or shouldn't) mention we were 40 something, d'oh!
First came the spandex, OMG! We couldn't believe we were wearing those shorts with the built in diaper! Soon we found out what a great thing padding was, sigh.
Then we got real snazzy and got jerseys, I ordered mine X-large (boobs) and I hate tight fitting tops, hey the shorts were a stretch but I surely needed a long loose top to cover up my big butt. What are those pockets in the back of the jersey for?? OMG they sure make my butt look huge! No way am I wearing that thing! So I do what anyone who just spent $59.00 on a top she won't wear, sent it back! Scans to long bike ride in the California desert both bottles out of water, no food about to bonk, when it hits me, THAT'S WHAT THOSE POCKETS ARE FOR! Ordered another jersey in a smaller size, sigh.

Oh yeah the back ward stuff.....I got a new areo helmet so my sister ever the competitor fashion queen got one too and we adjusted ourselves, our bikes and took off for a nice long training ride, stopped at our favorite Café about half way on our ride for some java juice and then returned to our cars when she noticed her helmet was fitting funny wouldn't snug down like her old one.....IT WAS ON BACKWARDS! She had worn it the whole ride backward, sigh. Oh and she is a lefty too!

We had so many funny experiences together learning how to ride bikes, LOL way funner at 40ish than ever as little kids. From our cyclecross bikes to road bikes, pedals with straps to clip less pedal, new seats, camel backs and awesome outfits woohoo aren't roadies cool. Who knew riding a bike could be so fun for a couple of old ladies?

[Lise]

...it will be done backwards. Shouldn't the law of averages let me get it right 50% of the time? Sheesh. Sometimes I just accept it and know that I will put it together...see that it's backwards....take it apart...put it together the other way....

I'm a righty. I love words (notice how danged many posts I've made?!@) but pictures really get it through to me. If I can see how it should be done, I can follow that. Then the words make sense.

I always read a magazine starting at the back. Wonder what that has to do with anything?!

[Dogmama]

...it will be done backwards. Shouldn't the law of averages let me get it right 50% of the time? Sheesh. Sometimes I just accept it and know that I will put it together...see that it's backwards....take it apart...put it together the other way....

Lise - I'm with you. That part of my brain never matured. I have problems with "this side up" stickers.

[salsabike]

I am also totally left brained. Great with words, love learning foreign languages (French, Japanese, Spanish), write well, read a lot. No problem remembering which is right and which is left, but positively cannot visualize stuff in my head. I can learn spatial stuff IF I can mediate verbally---i.e., write down the steps, or talk through them mentally. I had to write down the steps for putting my bike rack on the car, but once I had them memorized, no problem anymore.

I flunked high school geometry (passed on second try, possibly because my best friend Susie was no longer sharing my desk and we couldn't spend all our time talking about boys). Also flunked 8th grade home ec, because after putting the armhole facing on backwards for the THIRD time (on that ubiquitous and unwearable sewing project, the "shift" dress)---each time carefully and seriously analyzing how it should go on---I carefully folded up the unfinished shift and left it at the classroom door. Urg. There just aren't any outlets in my brain for visual-spatial plugs, so they knock around against the walls in there aimlessly and after a while retreat, slightly depressed and vaguely insulted, I think.

[Lise]

I have no idea which side of my brain I work out of. I love words, speak Spanish easily, and must have a visual in my head before I can do anything properly. Today, when riding, I caught a glimpse of my shadow, and my back didn't look straight. I thought, "I need to see someone riding with a good straight back, then I could imitate it." I recently read an article on good running form, but what really helped me was the picture of Deeva Kastor's elbows going far back with every stride. And the paragraph that pointed out why that helps. So. There you have it. Both sides of brain engaged!

[DirtDiva]

I'm a righty of the "see it, do it, get it" persuasion. The more pictures the better! I always read my magazines backwards too. I do like words, but I often feel as though the one I want just hasn't been invented yet.

[gringa loca]

I'm a lefty and I switched my brake cables too. I'm MUCH stronger with my left hand. My experienced biker friend told me that in Europe, that's how the bikes are cabled.

[MomOnBike]

I'm a righty but my left hand is stronger than my right. Years of playing string instruments (including bass) will do that to a girl.

I haven't switched my brakes, I just haven't seen the need.

I work with words, but boy, am I visual. I need a mental picture of where things are and what they look like to do anything. Telling me how to do something simply does not work. This can create problems...

[DirtDiva]

Back brakes are on the left and front on the right in countries that drive on the left. If I bought a bike somewhere else I'd have to get 'em changed over - would do my head in having them the opposite way around after all this time.

[DebW]

Back brakes are on the left and front on the right in countries that drive on the left. If I bought a bike somewhere else I'd have to get 'em changed over - would do my head in having them the opposite way around after all this time.

Is there a rational reason why those two things should be correlated? Which side is the rear shifter on? The rear shifter ought to be on the same side as the rear derailleur (or did for downtube shifters). Putting the rear derailleur on the left would require the derailleur hanger on the left dropout, crank on the left side, crank arm pedal threads the opposite way, freewheel freewheeling the opposite way. I'm not sure if the BB fixed cup would have to move to the other side. I can't see manufacturers and framebuilders making those kinds of changes.

[bikerbarb]

I never advocated changing the shifting, just the brakes. I've had it that way for 30 years now, so I'm really used to it.