Syscrush

To me it seems like leaning forward and locking the rear wheel is a cool-looking but ineffective way to stop a bicycle. I'm just wondering if there are any articles online where different brakeless stopping techniques have been compared. I guess there are really only two techniques - skid or don't skid. Some info comparing approaches and results would be really interesting to me, maybe to others, too.

elTwitcho

You don't lean forward over the bars to skid if you're trying to stop

onetwentyeight 

seated skid, nuts on the stem skid, skip stop, foot on the back tire, straight skid vs whipping the tail out...

iansmash

whipping the tail out seems to work the best for me...i can really dig in...like a hockey stop haha

alot of times just one or two of those will slow me down to walking speed


and you look so awesome when you do it

Syscrush

I can see that.

No debate there.

1fluffhead

Skipping is a faster way to slow down than skidding.

gkelley

I personally think balls to the stem looks really stupid

Guvna

The more weight you have on your back wheel when you lock up, the faster you'll stop. Work your way back from the balls-on-stem to seated skid.

IMHO, the value of skidding is over-rated-- I can come to very fast stops without skidding at all or just skipping a little. When you skid, you're loosing traction (hence why, in cars, when it's snowing, you are supposed to pump your brakes, not just slam and hold).

Guvna

+1

It says it all right in the title doesn't it? What are your balls doing on your stems dudes?

peabodypride

Of course it's a terrible way to stop. A brake works very well in that matter.

jakerock

Im a total noob, but it seems like the "balls to the stem" skids take 1/2 second more to set up for and dont slow you down as much as a little skip or two... I thought those "balls forward" ones were just for ruining tires on youtube?

ibcrewin

This thread is useless with out videos.
(j/k)

iansmash

nobody goes balls to stem in hopes of slowing down/stopping


unless they're an idiot

mihlbach

The fastest stopping techniques involve contraction of the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis. Work those muscles to strengthen them up.

operator

For christs sake. The fastest way to stop is with the use of a front and rear brake. Failing that, just the front brake. Then afterwards it's the non/skid-skip stop.

If skidding was a faster way of stopping, do you really think ABS would be invented? Don't you think race cars would be skid stopping everywhere? And no, skip stopping is not faster than skidding. Anytime the wheel in the air it's not contributing jack crap to the stopping power of the bike.

Skidding looks cool but maximal deceleration force is provided when the wheel does NOT lock up.

jakerock

Well... "Balls to the stem" helped me LEARN to skid, but in real life / traffic surprises, a 'skip' is faster to execute and slows me down fast. But, maybe im an idiot.

Guvna

Wait a second, those aren't leg muscles...

Geordi Laforge

flexor digitorum profundus and flexor digitorum superficialis ftw.

Guvna

Thanks for all that brand new information.

What would we do without people saying the same **** as everyone else except with more attitude on this forum?

carleton

The coefficient of friction (the stopping force) before the skid starts is higher than after the skid starts. This is why all cars now have anti-lock brakes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frictio...nt_of_friction

Simply put: Skidding slows you at a slower rate than simply back pedaling.

murdaki11

really? come one, of course skidding is the worst way to stop. **** people use your brains.

operator

Comedy gold dude.

Whining about someone else giving out correct information. Are you new here or just fantastically brilliant?

iamthenoise

if you can learn to do multiple skip stops (like 2 or 3 in one second) with a lot of weight on the rear of the bike, youre down to walking speed and stay relatively in control, as opposed to tail whip skids, which are effective, but put you and the bike in awkward positions in an emergency. ive never really thrown a long skid in an emergency, more often than not, my instinct is to first skip then change direction

dddave

you've been here for 5 years. you really think that people here don't know that using a brake is faster than skidding? what would we do without you spreading your "fantastic brilliance?"

skloot

Good point..