As some of you that follow me on Strava know- I did my first post-crash commute yesterday. (2/3 commute- to my buddy's house.) However, upon riding and reflecting I noticed an inherent flaw in my bike setup- one that if corrected would have prevented my crash. At the risk of being branded Captain Obvious- I'd like to share that with you all in the hopes that I might save somebody else some of my pain.
As I passed people; especially people with dogs, I made sure I slowed right down, gave the warning ding of my bell, and got ready for a louder ring and on the brakes. That's when I realized the flaw. My bell is controlled with my right hand; same as my rear brake. What that means is if I'm getting ready to ring the bell, my left hand is free to apply full braking to the front. If my bell was to be switched to my left hand, that would leave my right hand free to apply full braking to the rear brake.
So, make sure your bell is on your left side, leaving your right hand free for braking.
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