Originally Posted by
operator
That is an incorrect intrepretation. Maximum deceleration is achivied with rubber firmy planted on pavement and with the wheel JUST at the point of lockup (but not locking up). ON a brakeless fix, if the rear wheel is off the ground then it is providing NO deceleration as long as it is there.
Skid stopping, skidding is not optimal and you are doing everyone a disservice by telling them that these are good "emergency" braking maneuveurs. Anyone who has taken high school physics or a basic driving course will have learnt this. Every racecar drive in the world knows this as well.
Convenience, or perhaps ignorance.
I agree WHEN IT APPLIES TO A CAR OR MOTORCYCLE,..but in the real world (like SF going down oak, or 21st st., or anything down from pac heights), SKIPPING slows you down faster than skidding, or forceful controlled backpressure on the pedals, and thats with the rear wheel hopping and skidding for a foot or so every half rotation of the cranks.
so while the wikipedia regurgitation, and the racers braking physics lessons ALL apply, they don't work when you ride a fixed gear bike down a freaky scary steep hill like 21st st in san francisco (from the top,heading east, down to mission), even with a front brake, I skip it every half block or so, just to keep the speed down.
we now return you to the regularly scheduled rock throwing contest.