breaking phobea!!! anyone else got it?

webbhost

Just figured i would find out if I am alone, and possibly get some advice....

Ok so it started on a rainy day, and I went around a corner very slowly and aplied front brakes. Wheel locked and of course i went for a trip onto the floor.

Ever since, I cannot bring myself to use my front brakes effectively... I might touch them a little, but I am constantly using back brakes whether its wet or not. Basically I'm afraid of locking the front wheel and coming off again (but at greater speed).

Am I just being silly? is anyone else like this?

Jonah2940

See the 'downhill tips' thread currently running for an excellent article on braking techniques.

turkeytickler

Are you ok using the front brake when going straight?

fossyant

Don't brake on a corner - do it before.

If it's wet you'll have to be cautious - usually due to diesel/oil.

Just keep doing it, and drop the speed before hitting the corner, or just fly round (in the dry)....

sean65

Get all your braking done before the corner if possible. If you have to slow mid corner then use the back. Even if the back end slides you can control and recover it. In fact I use this technique off road for tight switch backs.

The front brake is the most important brake for killing your speed as all the weight of the bike plus you is carried forward as you slow down.

Just relax and practice using the front brake when you're stopping in a straight line. Gradually apply more power as your confidence increases. Don't snatch at the brakes but squeeze 'em.

With practice you'll even be able to use the front on milder corners.

webbhost

hi all,

Tried it again today and again fell off.

Nah not really, althrough it felt uncomfortable, I tried concentrating braking on my front wheel rather than my back wheel today... wasn't all front wheel like but most of it was. I seem to be ok doing it for gradual stopping where I have plenty of time to think about it... what happens if have to brake suddenly because you're cut up etc? Would you hit the back brakes and skid to a stop, or would you hit the front brakes (and how hard would you hit? How do you know if you're about to lock your front wheel?)

oldwelshman

I dont consciously think of which brakes I am using, it is natural, I use both together but probably more on the front.
I do normally brake befoe corners but again this is now instinctive so guess it becomes instinctive the more you do it.
Sometimes though i do go a bit fast and then I try not to brake and often "drift" in the bend and sometimes have to use some brakes to prevent going off the road

zanes

webbhost wrote:

what happens if have to brake suddenly because you're cut up etc? Would you hit the back brakes and skid to a stop, or would you hit the front brakes (and how hard would you hit? How do you know if you're about to lock your front wheel?)

I practice cadence braking on my bike, carried over from driving (sans ABS) which basically involves you emulating ABS with your brake lever, ie. taking the brakes close to the point of locking, then releasing, then almost locking again. It takes alot of practice, but I think it is worth it as you never get into a locked skid (and lose control.) I reckon I can hammer on and off at 3-4 times/second on my bike.
Probably worth mentioning it might be abit harder on your bike than normal braking, but my bike is a relatively cheap one so I'm not too worried.

sean65

Keep at it. As has been pointed out it becomes natural. I guess its about 70% front 30% rear in dry conditions and about 50/50 in the wet.

pneumatic

if you are worried about breaking, try learning to brake. Follow above advice, and you'll remain intact.

NWLondoner

zanes wrote:

webbhost wrote:

what happens if have to brake suddenly because you're cut up etc? Would you hit the back brakes and skid to a stop, or would you hit the front brakes (and how hard would you hit? How do you know if you're about to lock your front wheel?)

I practice cadence braking on my bike, carried over from driving (sans ABS) which basically involves you emulating ABS with your brake lever, ie. taking the brakes close to the point of locking, then releasing, then almost locking again. It takes alot of practice, but I think it is worth it as you never get into a locked skid (and lose control.) I reckon I can hammer on and off at 3-4 times/second on my bike.
Probably worth mentioning it might be abit harder on your bike than normal braking, but my bike is a relatively cheap one so I'm not too worried.

i do the same with my braking, use them like a ABS system. Works surprisingly well

The only time i do a full lock is when i think i can make the lights before they go red then realise i WON'T !!!!! Those stupid lights in Maida Vale always bloody catch me out

Clever Pun

breaking using the front break on a corner will potentially jackknife the forks and send you flying.. if you must break on the corner back break first.

as with any sort of vehicle you get the speed right before entering the corner and drive through it.

andy_wrx

Gawd there's some weird and wonderful theories here...

Read this - AASHTA
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

oldwelshman

NWLondoner wrote:

zanes wrote:

webbhost wrote:

what happens if have to brake suddenly because you're cut up etc? Would you hit the back brakes and skid to a stop, or would you hit the front brakes (and how hard would you hit? How do you know if you're about to lock your front wheel?)

I practice cadence braking on my bike, carried over from driving (sans ABS) which basically involves you emulating ABS with your brake lever, ie. taking the brakes close to the point of locking, then releasing, then almost locking again. It takes alot of practice, but I think it is worth it as you never get into a locked skid (and lose control.) I reckon I can hammer on and off at 3-4 times/second on my bike.
Probably worth mentioning it might be abit harder on your bike than normal braking, but my bike is a relatively cheap one so I'm not too worried.

i do the same with my braking, use them like a ABS system. Works surprisingly well

The only time i do a full lock is when i think i can make the lights before they go red then realise i WON'T !!!!! Those stupid lights in Maida Vale always bloody catch me out

I am not sure about this abs method, your on a bike not a car
It is normally better to brake smoothly as bike os more stable, and less stress on components. The only time I ever do this sort of ABS actiong (long before abs was invented) was in wet conditiond to dry the rims, but rims and brakes are much better these days even in the wet.

brbelly

i have a corner i came off on last year and had a real phobia about it would come round it at 10 mph

just bit the bullet and come round the corner now at 20 plus

Doobz

I remember when I was a kid I used to do those power slide things on my bmx and then ride off (the ones that you did like a 180degree skid).. I am glad I used to do them as yesterday when out riding in rush hour past a school of all places some kid just starts walking accross the road right in front of me.. the road was kinda wet so didnt want to use the front incase it came from under me.. so I did one of those mad power slide things and had a bit of a back wobble and then rode off - the kid didnt even notice I was there.. I had all my lights blinking like mad etc and he didnt even raise an eyebrow.. Either he was like the coolest kid at school or he probably had a bowl of cherios and a splif before he left the house.. :evil:

webbhost

funnily enough I just bit the bullet and decided to start "experimenting" lets say with front brakes... hitting them quite hard, seeing what I can do without falling off. (Not wearing clipless as I was commuting, so if my bike did tip, i could recover easier).

Quite amazing how fast a phobea can disappear (or be greatly reduced) in such a small period of time. I can also stop alot quicker than I could before now aswell.

Thanks for the advice and links people.

chopper1

Try loosening your front break slightly, so you can tether or only apply a small amount of pressure when breaking so that they dont bite sharply, using your front brake gives you more stability than using the rear, especially at speed.
Hope it helps, just dont loosen them too much!!!

NWLondoner

My main phobia is going round corners at speed

I slow right down. Too slow maybe.

Ever since i came off on a corner on black ice it has made me more cautious.

webbhost

corners dont really bother me... I just started off slow and gradually picked up speed. I fell off once on a corner (wet roads, hit front brake and front wheel just jumped in the air) which is where my breakin phobea came from but corners themselfs I'm absoluitely fine with