Improve Your Braking on a Mountain Bike
Being able to stop and slow down quickly and safely is an important part of mountain biking that few people are ever properly taught. Having fine control over your brakes will allow you to ride faster and smoother than before, while also reducing the impact mountain bikes have on the trails. Proper brake control is a must for anyone interested in aggressive cross country, freestyle riding, or downhill riding.
Contents
Steps
- Start by finding an appropriate level open space to practice in. A dirt parking lot or short grass field is ideal.
- Place two rocks, cones, or water bottles {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} apart near one end of the area. These make your target stopping line. You should have plenty of room to ride straight at the gap between them to build up speed, and you should have plenty of space on the other side of them in case you don't stop right on the line.
- Ride towards the line at a running pace. Stop pedaling and coast with both feet level. Squeeze both brake levers and try to stop with your front wheel perfectly on the line (center of the wheel between the cones). If either wheel skids, release some pressure on the appropriate brake lever. Repeat several times building up speed. You should have a good idea of where you need to start applying your brakes in order to stop on the line.
- Switch to using only your rear brake. You will need more stopping distance, so go back to your original speed. Practice until you can stop on the line consistently using only your back brake.
- Switch to using only your front brake. Again, start slow and work up. It is very important that you not lock-up (skid) your front wheel. Practice this until you can stop consistently on the line.
- Resume using both brakes simultaneously. You will find you can stop in a much more controlled manner than you could before.
- Pump your arms downwards quickly and with force just as you start to apply your brakes. The motion is much like a very fast push-up. This momentarily increases the force on your front tire, giving the tire more grip. With more grip you can brake harder without locking your tires.
- Pump with your legs into the pedals to increase force on the rear wheel.
- Keeping your pedals level, drop your heels so your feet point up 30 degrees while braking. This allows your legs to take much of force instead of your arms. This will let you ride longer without getting tired, as well as give you better control of the bike while braking.
- Compare your stopping distance and control while braking to when you started, you should now be able to stop in a much shorter distance.
Tips
- This practice can take as little as 30 minutes.
- This practice is particularly important for people looking to get into Downhill mountain biking.
- Practice this in all weather conditions. Sand, dry dirt, and wet mud react differently; it is good to be comfortable in all situations.
- Ideally you should be using more front brake than rear. Your front brake is responsible for up to 70% of your braking force.
- If you find that when you are using your front brake the rear wheel starts to lift off the ground, then your weight is too far forward on the bike. Your weight should be evenly split between your hands and your feet in what is called the Neutral or Attack position.
- If you lock up a wheel (start skidding) simply release enough pressure on the appropriate lever to allow the wheel to begin rolling again. Skidding your rear wheel will increase your stopping distance while causing rutting and damage to the trail. Skidding your front wheel will result in a crash.
- Practice with a friend. You can watch each other and make suggestion or notice errors. Plus riding with a friend is simply more fun that riding alone.
Warnings
- Always wear your helmet when riding a mountain bike, even simple practice like this can result in a crash and head injury
- Locking up your rear wheel is a fairly safe thing to do. It does however cause damage and rutting to the trail.
- Locking up your front wheel is unsafe. With your front wheel locked you cannot control your bike. If the wheel strikes a rock on its side while not spinning, it can twist the wheel sideways throwing you over the handlebars.
- Ensure your bike is in good working order with properly inflated tires
- If you own a pair of riding gloves, wear them during practice. Chances are, if you fall, you'll be going slow enough that your hands take the worst of it.
