Braking Habits For Bikes!

By: Greg Hudson

Two fingers can save your life. A real-life emergency stop is not always the best time to realise this. Learn to do hard braking, in the correct way, by making the following method an unconscious habit.

Its an Instinct

Take a little time out to practice some hard breaking and youll program yourself to react instinctively whenever the cat, the rat or the pratt crosses your path.

Check your tyre pressures. Then choose a nice strip of road free from distraction. Warm your tyres up for better traction and tighten your grip on the tank with your knees. This will help to transfer weight evenly throughout your body.

TIP - Try to stay as relaxed as possible. Nerves are probably the first stumbling block to the realisation that you can brake a lot harder than you think you can.

The First Phase

A slow squeeze on the lever is the key to effective breaking, similar to the trigger of a gun. Use two fingers and smoothly bringing them all the way back.

Notice that the weight of you and the bike transfers onto the front wheel compressing the suspension. Remember, if you grip the lever too hard the suspension reaches its max. Not being able to go any further, the result could be a loss of control as the tyres take on too much pressure.

Another thing to remember! Keep your elbows bent and not straight, as locked ones wont be in the position to react as quickly as flexed ones!

Lift Off!

The weight now distributed onto the front tyre gives you a whole lot of grip. When the rear wheel leaves the ground, youll know youve reached your maximum breaking capacity.

A Mute Point

Because there is less weight and little grip on the back wheel, your back tyre might hop around or lock up thats fine. But if the front tyre locks up, decrease the pressure on the brake lever and then increase it again. Failure to do so will result in a bike on your back.

Tip Pull in the clutch to avoid stalling

Conclusion

Practice getting to this point whenever possible and youll have the unconscious competence to follow through when the situation requires it!

About the Author



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