Originally Posted by
seypat
You didn't answer my question. Which is it, in front, behind, or it doesn't matter.
Differences in brake performance only matter if that difference is being used.
Let's say vehicle A has 20% (however that'd be measured) better brakes than vehicle B.
So when vehicle A breaks with 50% of available capacity, vehicle B has to brake with 70%.
Nothing happens b/c of the differences in brake performance no matter who's behind or in front until vehicle B is maxed out and vehicle A still has capacity to brake harder.
The reason why mixed traffic works, despite huge differences in vehicle performance is that most of the time is spent in the zone of overlapping performance.
Better brakes on a vehicle behind you is unlikely to cause an accident involving you.
But I suppose you could get rammed by a rider planning to brake harder and later.
Which is already possible, so that scenario doesn't add anything.
Better brakes on a vehicle ahead of you is unlikely to cause an accident involving unless that vehicle is braking hard enough to use that advantage.
Better brakes on a vehicle ahead of you can cause an accident involving you if that vehicle is braking hard enough to use that advantage.
But only if you "cooperate" by staying too close behind for the speed and performance of your vehicle.
Poorer brakes on a vehicle behind you is unlikely to cause an accident involving you unless you are braking hard enough to use that advantage.
Poorer brakes on a vehicle behind you can cause an accident involving you if you are braking hard enough to use that advantage.
But only if the vehicle behind "cooperates" by staying too close behind for the speed and performance of that vehicle.
And again, another condition that needs to be fulfilled for differences in brake performance to mean anything is reaction time. There has to be enough of it
In a tight peloton, at race speed, for most of the guys reaction time is the limiting factor.
They can't see far enough ahead to know when the guys ahead might be about to brake.
Brake performance doesn't matter if you've piled up before you've even started braking.
Keep in mind that a pro peloton might have a 25-30 mph average, with 2-3' rider spacing.
That is by definition not a legal, functional, normal traffic behaviour.
Accidents will happen, even if you'd have brake performance bordering on magic.