re "dragging brakes" in general, cycco will back me up on this one -- its just not a good idea to drag brakes, any brake, for any period of time.
Good hard application of brakes to bleed off some speed, then let off to allow heat to go down a bit, then good hard braking again, repeat -- this is the same in cars as well, to avoid overheating and fading braking systems.
Yup. Couldn’t have said it better. I can find roads within a few miles of my house where it is possible to push over 50mph without much effort for many miles. If I have to slow down, I hit the brakes hard, back off, hit the brakes hard again, and repeat as needed. Even on steep rocky terrain like below, I don’t drag my brakes all the way down. I’m applying them more often but I don’t keep them on all the time.
Dragging rim brakes or disc systems will cause overheating and fading, I've done this in cars as well as touring in mountains with bikes with rim or disc brakes.
I've toured a lot in mountains loaded up, and while I am a light rider, not dragging brakes is key.
It's all about managing heat and keeping it at a reasonable level.
I’m from a mountainous state and learned how to drive in mountains as well as ride in mountains. I’ve
never had a brake system overheat nor fade while driving. On my bike, I let it fly and pulse brake. In a car, I use the gears to descend. I can drive down a 7% grade for miles and miles without touching the brakes at all.
I am however very comfortable at speed and judging safe speeds for the conditions.
Admittedly, I am also comfortable with speed but even if someone isn’t they don’t need to drag the brakes all the way down a hill.