Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Sorry, but using the front brake only is yet another myth that is perpetrated in bicycling...particularly road cycling. (No mountain bike rider who likes their teeth would ever advocate front braking only
)
It comes from not understanding the physics and dynamics of braking. While it is true that you reach maximum braking power when the rear wheel leaves the ground, it is
not true that this is the only way to reach maximum braking power. The contribution from the rear wheel is only about 20% of the front and it does decrease rapidly as weight is shifted to the front wheel, however while still in contact with the ground, the rear wheel is contributing to the deceleration of the bicycle. Moving the body back and down, i.e. adjusting the load to a lower center of gravity, will make the rear wheel even more effective and reduce the tendency of the rear wheel to slide. Mountain bike riders have been doing this for ages. In fact, mountain bike riders are told to release the
front brake when the rear starts to slide and push off the back of the saddle. This brings the rear wheel back into contact with the ground, stops the slide and makes overall braking more effective.
Road riders would be wise to train themselves to know how to deal with a sliding rear wheel. A sliding wheel doesn't mean that you are going to crash...any 10 year old kid will tell you that
...but it does mean you should do something about it. Release the front brake, move backwards on the saddle and move your center of gravity downward. I do this just about every time I stop and not just in panic stops.
If you read my post again, you will see that I was talking about riding on the road in dry conditions. I even said that when it gets wet, that the front brake is not the brake to use.
As far as a sliding rear wheel goes, should never even put yourself in that situation in the drive. A locked rear wheel eliminates all of your steering and people have a tendency to let go of the rear brake when the rear is sliding, which is exactly what you should not do because of the bike is in any way sideways, the rear wheel will then get traction and lead to a high side.
By training yourself not to use the rear brake, to use only the front, you will never put yourself in the dangerous situation where you walk the rear wheel and lose all steering control, and at worst crash.
I agree with you, in mountain biking when it's slippery, it's exactly the opposite, the rear brake is used much more than the front.