Have you ever wondered why bicycle chains and gears are always on the right-hand side?
Drivetrains enable riders to pedal a bicycle forward and even change gears in bicycles.
A drivetrain is the set of components in a vehicle that move the wheels forward. In motorised vehicles like cars, they connect the engine and transmission to the wheel axles.
In bicycles, it is where the chain connects the chainset, also known as the crankset, and the cassette sprockets at the rear wheel.
Drivetrains, where the chains and gears are located, are on the right because of the tradition that bicycle makers set in the 1800s.
The tradition was widely adopted as most people were right-handed, including makers and customers.
Depending on the road's gradient, gears make it easier or harder to pedal. Modern road bikes, mountain bikes, and gravel bikes have derailleur gears.
A derailleur gear is a mechanism that allows the chain to move from one sprocket to another.
However, modern technology can allow for left-handed drivetrains.
The challenge is that some bicycle parts fit only when the drivetrain is on the right side.
Among Kenyans who love cycling is First Lady Rachel Ruto who through her organisation, Mama Cycling, encourages cycling as a leisure activity and sport.
"Riding a bike is everything to a cyclist. The friendship and camaraderie you have with other cyclists.
