Mountain Biking - how much braking to use

This is going to some like a newbie question, but. What is a good ratio or % of braking to use front to rear. I do a wide variety of riding to include some steep, treturious down hill, and i feel like i will endo if i use to much front brake. Today when i picked up my bike from its first service they said that the front wasn't being used enough and the rear was to much. The LBS even stated that the front is your power brake and should give you more control. So what is some good advice to get me to use more front brake without endoing or is the LBS full of it.

oh, yeh i have v-brakes if it matters

As much as you need. The front brake is good for stopping, and the back is good for control. You dont really want to use your front brake too much going down a steep hill, but you can feather it and control it. Riding down a hill, keep your weight over the rear wheel, or farther, and balance your brakes. There is never a set percentage of how much brake you should use front/back. It varies with terrain and riding conditions.

I find that when braking if cornering, back brake is safer, braking while going straight, front brake works better. Like Dirtbike said, the rear brake is totally control, virtually no stopping power. Although you shouldn't just use your front brake and forget about your back otherwise you WILL come off (has happend to me).

So get off your saddle, lean back and a good 'braking power' ration seems to be (back:front) 4:3. Although try not to concentrate about braking too much just remember > Rear Brake = Control
> Front Brake = Power

What ever you need to slow you down, just like they said above, each one has an advantage and a disagvantage. Take some time to get the feel for your bike and you should be ok..I dont really think you can put a% on it cause it changes for each situation..

I do DH and find I use my front brake probably 80% of the time, all power is on the front. But if I need to slide the back wheel around an off camber switchback or am loosing it through a corner I find the rear brake is best. For out right power and adjustablility the front brake is best but once you start turning you will want to use your back brake more.

I remember when I snapped my rear brake lever at thredbo (Australi's longest and most arguably most technical DH track) in the first fifth of the track I was surprised how reliant I was on my rear for stability. But I have to tell you if you want to learn how to stop very quickly take your rear brake off, go down the steepest single track you can find and go into an off vamber corner over rocks... that will teach you your limitations and how to modualte your brakes.

I use about 70% front and 30% back.

Front for power, rear for control. I used to find when doing enduro (motorbikes) that getting the rear a little out of line coming into the corner that you could hammer the front much harder coming into a corner even to the point of lockup and maintain control. "Moment of inertia" or some such smart rubbish I think they said helps define why. Translating that to moutain bikes makes for some fun corners, but doesn't quite seem as effective as I can't maintain momentum as well as if I just keep it more tidier with the wheels in line. All depends on the corner though I guess.

I find it depend on one's style how much of each brake you use. I do the opposite of what most others do, I tend to use 70 to 80% rear and only use the front if I am heading into a turn or stunt to hot, usually when racing. When not racing I tend to keep my speed slow enough so I can flow through a trail with out too much change in speed so just a dab of rear brake does the trick.

:beer:

I have disk on front and some decent V's on the back, but even still I find my braking ability is 70-30 in favour of the front. The one time my disc failed and I had to rely on my rear alone I ended up in hospital.

ya ususally 70 - 30 for me too. i find my front brake can stop me much faster and the back brake for really tight corners