Originally Posted by
astroman
one thing that hasn't been mentioned is what happens in emergency situations when instinct kicks in.
i have had a couple of freak near misses, dogs suddenly in front of me with no warning, and in each instant i grabbed both brakes. and in both instances i know (well I strongly assume) i would have endoed without the back brake. i was very thankful for both brakes. most riders might have better instincts than me, but i feel the body memory of years of two brakes riding comes back to me despite four odd years of leg stopping. something happens in freak situations that takes us back to what our body kinda does on auto pilot...that's why i never feel quite right with just the front.
With or without the rear brake you will/can endo if you pull too hard on the front brake and/or don't get your body in the correct position, which is as far back and low as possible. The first time I rode an adult bicycle with a front rim caliper brake, a NYC Taxi cut in front of me and I simple grabbed both brakes as hard as I could and did a perfect gymnastics dismount over the bars, landing on my feet facing the front of the bicycle. Bystanders on the sidelines applauded my skillfull feat, but of course it was a 1 in a million outcome. I did everything wrong. I was sitting upright with my hands on the tops of the bars, which were raised tourist style above the height of the saddle. I also had my arms bent, so as soon as I hit the brakes, my weight shifted forward, which decreased the resisting moment to overturning about the front wheel. You can stop hard with a front brake, but it takes practice. Go to a deserted road or parking lot and practice stopping hard with the front brake. Move your body back to the back or even past the back of the saddle, bend your back and straighten your arms so that your body is as low as possible and your locked arms keep your body from shifting forward upon deceleration. Gradually increase the front brake lever force until your legs no longer feel the rear wheel turning as it starts slipping (skidding) or lifting off the ground. This is the maximum braking point for the front wheel. Next practice hypothetical situations where you are casually riding along and see a problem emerging. First, straighten your arms and push back while simultaneously positioning your hand on the front brake lever, and then apply progressive force on the front brake. Finally, use your brakes only as a last resort in abnormal situations, and use evasive maneuvers first.
Concerning dogs. It's my experience that dogs will typically not run in front of your front wheel, and will instead let you pass by and then chase after you either from behind or alongside. So the best tactic is to slow down but not stop and simply hold your line and ride by. If the dog is initially in your path, it will simply move aside and then chase. Most dogs just want to chase and won't get aggressive and start biting unless you start kicking at them or spray them. The faster you go the faster they'll go and vice versa, so there's no point in speeding up.