Originally Posted by
cyccommute
What Sheldon Brown...and others...fail to take into account is that once the rear wheel starts to skid, you've gone past the point of maximum deceleration for the bike. Maximum deceleration is not the point where the rear wheel skids, i.e. lifts off the ground, but maximum deceleration occurs just before the rear wheel lifts off.
I see your point, and question Sheldon's take too, but this portion is not completely correct.
Maximum deceleration is that point (and as your weight transfers, that point changes) right before you lock up the brakes. Comparing suspended bikes to non-suspended bikes is misleading at best. The loading/unloading the suspension is an art all it's own (yes, i know you load/unload tires, but the movement of center of gravity is vastly less) Likewise, your coefficients of friction and adhesion on the road vs. dirt are vastly different.
Just my 2 cents..