Originally Posted by
Flatballer
And the contact patch isn't what's keeping us from stopping. It's the physics of not being able to keep from flipping over. You could be riding on a 38 inch wide tire, but you're still going to flip over the front before you lock up the front tire.
In a panic situation, it is
very easy to slam the front brake on too quickly and instantly lock the front wheel. FYI, you should be able to avoid going over the bars by sliding back toward the rear of the bike...