Braking Techniques
07-14-22, 03:46 PM
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Larry if you need to stop in a hurry when your pulling a pace line while shirtless, wearing slides and smoking weed on your triple chainring deep storage Trek just shift your body weight squarely over the back tire while you squeeze both levers equally.
07-14-22, 04:14 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by Zaskar
That assumes zero sand/pebbles, etc. and that the rider is dead nuts squared up and going straight. Otherwise, yeah, the front tire will absolutely push.
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07-14-22, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by terrymorse
Yeah, any sand or gravel on a dry road surface can produce a skid of the front wheel. Hopefully, such a skid happens only when you're going straight. If your front wheel skids in a turn, you are going down. Hard.
you WILL go down, regardless, whether you're goin straight or in a turn. LOL!
Slide On
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oh, and sliding on wet roadway produces the same rash... LOL!
07-14-22, 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by big john
All of that and more!
07-14-22, 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Bah Humbug
Science fiction? Horror? Fantasy?
07-14-22, 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
Is this going to be the latest Larry thread wherein he displays ignorance only to eschew any knowledge offered and then tell us how he knows better? Cool.
07-14-22, 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
Isn't that every Larry thread?
07-14-22, 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by greatbasin
It's false to think the front provides the most possible braking. This misconception is based on the idea that 100% of the weight will transfer off the rear wheel, leaving it with no traction. This is a consequence of weight distribution and moment of force and maximum braking is not achieved in an "endo" or "stoppie."
The front tire's traction does have a limit and it will lock at the limit of its traction. As mentioned above, an endo is not necessarily the result of a locked front brake. The front can be made to slide. No doubt as disc brakes on bicycles continue to improve, ABS is next. Until then, maximum braking is achieved by modulating the front manually such that it is close to locking. Under these conditions, the rear tire can still have traction and the rear brake does contribute to braking.
There are some children's bicycles that use linked brake systems to maximize braking. They use a lever in lieu of counter-intuitive coaster brakes, and the single lever actuates both the front and rear brake proportionally so as to prevent endos and provide the shortest stopping distance with kid-operated "mash the brake" technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmz298OXP3Q
Motorcycles have similar dynamics to bicycles. I think it was in the late 90's that Honda introduced a linked brake system because the knew some consumers were using only the front brake, resulting in excessive stopping distances. There are also a few knuckleheads that only use the rear brake. Honda's linked brake system reduced stopping distances prior to the widespread adoption of ABS on motorcycles. BMW and Honda were the major market participants that were early-adopters of ABS and linked brake systems. Since 2016, the EU requires linked brakes or ABS on motorcycles, scooters, etc. Linked brakes or Combined Brake Systems (CBS) have been adopted on motorcycles because they shorten stopping distances by applying both brakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combin...0rear%20brakes.
The front tire's traction does have a limit and it will lock at the limit of its traction. As mentioned above, an endo is not necessarily the result of a locked front brake. The front can be made to slide. No doubt as disc brakes on bicycles continue to improve, ABS is next. Until then, maximum braking is achieved by modulating the front manually such that it is close to locking. Under these conditions, the rear tire can still have traction and the rear brake does contribute to braking.
There are some children's bicycles that use linked brake systems to maximize braking. They use a lever in lieu of counter-intuitive coaster brakes, and the single lever actuates both the front and rear brake proportionally so as to prevent endos and provide the shortest stopping distance with kid-operated "mash the brake" technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmz298OXP3Q
Motorcycles have similar dynamics to bicycles. I think it was in the late 90's that Honda introduced a linked brake system because the knew some consumers were using only the front brake, resulting in excessive stopping distances. There are also a few knuckleheads that only use the rear brake. Honda's linked brake system reduced stopping distances prior to the widespread adoption of ABS on motorcycles. BMW and Honda were the major market participants that were early-adopters of ABS and linked brake systems. Since 2016, the EU requires linked brakes or ABS on motorcycles, scooters, etc. Linked brakes or Combined Brake Systems (CBS) have been adopted on motorcycles because they shorten stopping distances by applying both brakes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combin...0rear%20brakes.
Last edited by Jack Tone; 07-14-22 at 10:54 PM.
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07-14-22, 10:51 PM
#34
Newbie
I learned to brake mountain biking. It translates well to road. The OP brought up emergency braking so I will address that.
if the emergency requires stopping in a straight line then yeah the front wheel is going to do the bulk of the work. As others have said if the rear wheel is still touching the ground then using the rear brake will of course slow you down faster. There are plenty of reasons this would be - low traction, weak front brakes, you’re on a long tail cargo bike or towing a trailer, whatever it is.
Now if the emergency also requires turning (maybe a duck waddled into your path) then the rear brake can be a great value. Applying it does two things 1. It slows you down, of course. 2. It causes your weight to shift forward, increasing traction on the front wheel and enabling you to turn quicker. On a loose surface this is important to know. Using the front brake also shifts weight forward, but it encourages the front wheel to understeer. Now there is always a spectrum of how much front brake you can use to slow yourself down faster without straightening out your turn and it depends on how much traction you have. We all probably have a feel for that intuitively.
In short, using the rear brake “pulls you into the turn” and using your front brake “keeps you pointed straight” … or you end up on the ground if you do it wrong 😉
if the emergency requires stopping in a straight line then yeah the front wheel is going to do the bulk of the work. As others have said if the rear wheel is still touching the ground then using the rear brake will of course slow you down faster. There are plenty of reasons this would be - low traction, weak front brakes, you’re on a long tail cargo bike or towing a trailer, whatever it is.
Now if the emergency also requires turning (maybe a duck waddled into your path) then the rear brake can be a great value. Applying it does two things 1. It slows you down, of course. 2. It causes your weight to shift forward, increasing traction on the front wheel and enabling you to turn quicker. On a loose surface this is important to know. Using the front brake also shifts weight forward, but it encourages the front wheel to understeer. Now there is always a spectrum of how much front brake you can use to slow yourself down faster without straightening out your turn and it depends on how much traction you have. We all probably have a feel for that intuitively.
In short, using the rear brake “pulls you into the turn” and using your front brake “keeps you pointed straight” … or you end up on the ground if you do it wrong 😉
07-15-22, 12:50 AM
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I think the proper technique starts with a boom box and some big pieces of cardboard.
07-15-22, 05:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
Brakes are for fakes.
07-15-22, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by eduskator
1st thought that came to my mind when I saw this thread on the main page: Brakes? Who needs brakes?
07-15-22, 07:55 AM
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Back peddle slightly until the brake catches, stand up hard, when the tires lock, wait until you can smell rubber. Then, kick it out. Stand up shirtless and shine the remaining pearly whites.
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07-15-22, 08:25 AM
#39
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Larry if you need to stop in a hurry when your pulling a pace line while shirtless, wearing slides and smoking weed on your triple chainring deep storage Trek just shift your body weight squarely over the back tire while you squeeze both levers equally.
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07-15-22, 08:51 AM
#40
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Under controlled trials on dry pavement, the fastest stops were done using only the front brake. My guess at the reason for that result is that one is only concentrating on one lever instead of two and of course the rear brake is not doing anything when braking at the limit with the front.
There's gotta be someone here who's been around long enough to remember the video of the ultimate braking job. A racer descending at high speed sees a hairpin ahead of him on which several riders have just crashed. Team cars are stopped on the hairpin, probably giving aid.. He hits the front brake hard, bringing the rear wheel 6"-12" off the ground and holds that pose until he finally crashes into one of the cars blocking the hairpin. Perfect braking and bike handling, too bad that wasn't enough.
There's gotta be someone here who's been around long enough to remember the video of the ultimate braking job. A racer descending at high speed sees a hairpin ahead of him on which several riders have just crashed. Team cars are stopped on the hairpin, probably giving aid.. He hits the front brake hard, bringing the rear wheel 6"-12" off the ground and holds that pose until he finally crashes into one of the cars blocking the hairpin. Perfect braking and bike handling, too bad that wasn't enough.
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07-15-22, 08:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Bah Humbug
Brakes only slow you down.
07-15-22, 09:02 AM
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Emergency stop?
Pull as hard as you can on the front brake lever with straight stiff arms. Do not touch the rear
https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-...-on-a-bicycle/
Pull as hard as you can on the front brake lever with straight stiff arms. Do not touch the rear
https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-...-on-a-bicycle/
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07-15-22, 09:06 AM
#44
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There will inevitably be situations that call for quick braking and I would reiterate scooting back on the saddle to avoid the endo.
Not a technique as much as a habit to not go into blind corners too fast and brake before corners to avoid heavy braking while in corners. It may slow down my average speed but I refuse to carry too much speed into a corner or bend in the road when I don’t know what lies ahead.
Not a technique as much as a habit to not go into blind corners too fast and brake before corners to avoid heavy braking while in corners. It may slow down my average speed but I refuse to carry too much speed into a corner or bend in the road when I don’t know what lies ahead.
07-15-22, 09:39 AM
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Originally Posted by big john
No brakes on these bikes.
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
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07-15-22, 09:42 AM
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Addiction is all about class.
07-15-22, 09:52 AM
#47
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Originally Posted by big john
No brakes on these bikes.
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
attend the races at the fairgrounds regularly. Track racing is close enough
for me.
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07-15-22, 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by big john
No brakes on these bikes.
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
Best Speedway Race EVER! - YouTube
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07-15-22, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by genejockey
Nobody at the LBS ever told him to use his rear brake.
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07-15-22, 11:01 AM
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Originally Posted by big john
All of that and more!
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