hand brakes dangerous in traffic?
 

Am I the only one that feels that hand brakes are dangerous in traffic?

In emergency situations it's obviously best to be ready to engage the brakes. However, it's also important to keep a good grip on the handlebars, not just for accurate steering, but also for applying lots of body english.

It seems to me that it's a bit of a conflict to simultaneously try to use the hands for steering, and for braking, and for balancing and I feel much safer knowing I can use a coaster brake to (at least partially) delegate braking to the feet (which aren't being used to pedal during emergency maneuvers anyway).

Now I know a rear brake does not provide maximum stopping power, but a bicycle is not a train and stopping isn't always the best course of action for collision avoidance.

I differ in experience and opinion.

Never had a problem with control while braking--if anything, deaccelerating pushes the bars harder into my hands. Maybe I'd have problems if I need to brake and swerve--but never had to do that. Like you said, it's not a train--usually not a problem to stop in a few feet (guess my cruising speed, eh?).

Ride more and practice, with practice braking and steering is no problem.

Never had an issue on any of my bikes whether they are geared, fixed gear, SS, flat bar, drop bar, drop with a racing geometery, riding on the hoods, riding in the drops, etc.

The only problem I have with handbrakes is when an obstacle appears in front of me and I need to:

1) Slow down
2) Signal to change lane
3) Steer to avoid potholes and merge into next lane

...all in a short time interval.

Usually, I simply give up the signaling part.

I guess if you are on an obstacle course or riding on the sidewalk, then your hands would be preoccupied with steering.

But in traffic? I think braking and steering in traffic is not that hard, is it?

+1

Steering and braking go hand in hand... ;)

I disagree. A good grip on the handlebars is not only not important it's bad. You should have a light grip.

Braking and doing harsh maneuvers at once also sounds like it's often a bad idea. Sounds like a good way to lose most of your traction and end up sliding out.

Also, I mostly steer my bike with my body's balance not my hands.

Being able to stop like a car is occasionally important. Many many accidents are caused by attempts to miss the accident instead of just getting slowed down as much as possible. People change lanes right into other cars they forgot were there, or brake too late while they check their blind spot.
If you're in a lane and the car in front of you slams its brakes your only shot of stopping is a front and rear brake and good skills at applying them. You may not be able to safely swerve around it.

Supposedly there's a group of people who ride with no brakes on a fixie. I haven't really met any of these people, I don't think they exist in my small city. But I'm guessing it's about "being hardcore" and saving money on rims.

I'm sorry, I disagree with a few aspects. First, I've never had issues maintaining good grip on the bars while pulling the brake levers, whether from the hoods or the drops. If anything, in an emergency stop, I've gripped the bars too well, causing my arms and shoulders to tense up rather than remaining loose.

Second, your hands on the bars are only part of the steering input; you steer your bike at least as much with your butt through the saddle as with your hands on the bars.

Third, your feet may well be needed in an emergency situation; sometimes the best maneuver isn't to stop but to accellerate or to bunny-hop.

Finally, even if I had a coaster brake, I'd put a front caliper on too. But then I'm one of those belt and suspenders guys who puts front and rear brakes on my FG bike (essentially giving me 3 brakes).

So, no, I don't think hand brakes are dangerous in traffic.

I concur with your difference of experience and opinion.

The only time I would consider hand brakes dangerous is when people have their brakes set so spongy or bad that you need to bring the lever all the way down to the bar to achieve good power, because you have to take *all* your fingers off the bar to get the lever down (I borrowed a friends bike that was like this once! and, his pads had glazed. fun!). Even half decently set up brakes don't get that way though, they have to be seriously neglected or poor.

If you're having that much difficulty with your co-ordination and control wouldn't some sort of "learn to ride" course help?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ride+a+bicycle

I concur with the concurrence of difference of experience and opinion.

Hey makeinu, coaster brakes only work on the rear wheel. Stopping distances are WAY longer unless you're moving at a crawl, and doing any significant maneuver while applying only the rear brake will drastically reduce your level of control. Besides, you may not be pedaling while braking, but you might need to lift a pedal to prevent it from striking the ground -- which is hard to do if you can't backpedal.

It is true that stopping is not always the best course of action. However, being able to stop much quickly increases the number of ways you can respond. Besides, it's usually the best course of action for certain common situations like the right hook or when a car suddenly pulls in front and there's no good swerve option. No offense intended, but I'm going to guess you haven't actually had to a real emergency maneuver before.

My only brake is a disc on the front, Avid BB7 road bike specific. I use it alot. Mucho intersections to navigate. My experience is that rear brake is unnecessary.

My fixed gear has a rear brake and a front brake. I am still trying to figure out the point of a rear brake on a fixed gear. It is barely useful on my geared bikes. Mainly as a backup or an emergency.

I may remove my FG's rear brake in the near future.
However, I need to improve my front break a bit.

You dont need to grip the bars to steer. I use the palm of my hand for steering, and my fingers for braking. The trouble with coaster brakes is that you have to put your foot on the pedal to brake, but you have to put your foot on the ground to stay upright when you stop. This is difficult for small children learning to ride 2 wheels. I tell them to make the decision before they try to stop, which foot to use for braking and which foot to put down when they come to a stop.

I'd feel really unsafe with just a rear coaster. I run brakes front and rear on my SS conversion, which I ride in traffic and at night nearly every day of the week. I want the most stopping power I can get so I can stop for any unexpected hazard. Sure, a bike isn't a train, but at 25mph, braking distance is certainly not negligable.

I like riding my cruisers which have only a rear coaster brake, but I won't ride them as fast as I do my hand brake bikes. A rear brake can never stop you as quickly as a properly adjusted front brake.

well, usually the course of action is to brake hard, then release brakes and maneuver if necessary. Once you achieve 100% traction with braking, steering becomes impossible.

under hard braking of the front wheel, you have to make sure you don't bend your arms because the force of the braking will send you forward. You won't go over the bars unless you actually crash into the bars or shift your weight forward too much.

Rear brakes get useful in sloppy conditions where your front wheel is likely to lock up and skid rather than you endo'ing. Also good in cases where you have a lot of extra weight on the bike where using only the front would likely result in failure of the fork. (surly big dummy readme)

I remember having a coaster brake on a few bikes I've used in the past, but I found them neigh usable. I also figured out that a car can stop way quicker than a bike with rim brakes can.

Both so very true. Rear brakes are a cornerstone in winter, IMO. Additionally, I wouldn't be taking my Xtracycle down any hills without them..

As long as theres no rain or snow.

While I agree that most turning is done with the body (at least for me), I'm pretty sure I only use 1-2 fingers when braking, most of the time (with the rest of my hand gripping the bar). I say pretty sure, because I dont really pay a whole lot of attention to it.. I just kinda do it automatically.

And this is why disc brakes are better. Plenty of mountain bikers have found that they lose little steering ability while braking due to a disc brake's better force modulation.

There is the issue of signaling. But, as previously mentioned, if you're dodging a ped, or a cager, or a pothole, or snow bank, or a wendigo, or a flock of geese. Signaling is optional.

Apparently so.

I refer to to the late, great, Sheldon Brown:
http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html