Because bicycles were ridden on the left hand side of the road and mounted from the left, it obviously made sense to have the dirty drivetrain on the right hand side of the bike, away from the rider when he/she was not actually mounted on the bike. It has the bonus that in the days of threaded cogs and freewheels, they could use the more conventional right hand thread, so there was some logic in keeping this arrangement, even in countries which decided to travel on the opposite side of the road. The trick arrangement for kilo tts and pursuits on the track was a drivetrain each side, but that is no longer allowed.
Hugh Thornton Cheshire, England
In a message dated 09/01/2006 13:13:26 GMT Standard Time, dcwilson3@yahoo.com writes:
I've always wondered. Now I'm asking. :-)
Don Wilson
Los Olivos, CA