| The question always comes up; Is it best to use the | | | | For that reason it is best for any serious cyclist to |
| front brake, the back brake or both? | | | | learn how to use the front brake properly. First find a |
| The question is not as simple as it would seem. For the | | | | parking lot, preferably abandoned, or at least with very |
| road bike rider it is pretty straight forward and I would | | | | few cars in it. A good place is usually a church during |
| side with those that prefer the front brake. However I | | | | the week or a school on the weekend. |
| am still undecided on the mountain bike and most BMX | | | | It may take several practice runs, but here is the best |
| Bikes are not even equipped with front brakes, in fact | | | | way to learn to use the front brake. Ride your bike in |
| the NBL nor the ABA even require front brakes on | | | | an open area with the least amount of auto traffic |
| BMX bikes. | | | | possible. Ride the bike for a short distance to build up a |
| Most people would say that you will stop faster if you | | | | little speed then apply both brakes simultaneously |
| use both brakes at the same time. That seems to at | | | | making sure to put most of the effort into the front |
| least on the surface make good sense and is probably | | | | brake, that way your legs will tell you when the rear |
| the best advice for beginning cyclists. To get the | | | | wheel is about to skid. Practice this over and over with |
| shortest stopping distance however you will need to | | | | harder and harder stops. |
| learn how to use the front brake alone. | | | | A skilled cyclist will use the front alone 95% of the time |
| The fastest way to stop a bicycle is to apply the front | | | | on pavement. There are some instances where the |
| brake so hard and fast that the rear wheel is slightly | | | | back brake is the better choice. |
| off the ground. Once the rear wheel is elevated above | | | | Don't use the front alone on slippery or wet surfaces. |
| the ground it has no traction and therefore does | | | | The front wheel could skid on the slippery pavement, |
| nothing to aid in stopping the bicycle. | | | | front wheel skids are nearly impossible to control. |
| The rear brake is useful for poor traction situations, or | | | | If the surface is bumpy or rough enough that the |
| when you have a blown front tire. It does nothing to | | | | wheels may become airborne and you apply the front |
| help the stop the bike on dry pavement. Taking time to | | | | brakes while the bike is in the air the wheel will not roll |
| learn the proper use of the front one will make you a | | | | when it hits the ground and that will give you a 100% |
| safer cyclist. | | | | chance of a bad outcome. |
| There are cyclists that use the rear brake exclusively | | | | If you have a front flat, don't use the front brake. If you |
| however when they need to stop quickly in an | | | | brake a wheel that has a low or deflated tire the |
| emergency situation they will grab the front also and | | | | rubber can slip on the rim or even come off the rim |
| this is the usual cause of the over the handlebars | | | | and cause a crash. |
| crash. | | | | If the front fails for any reason, use the back brake. |
| Josh Brandt has a theory that the over the bars crash | | | | For long downhill rides such as mountain descents |
| is caused not by braking too hard, but instead by | | | | where the brakes could overheat, it is best to alternate |
| braking to hard without using the riders arms to slow | | | | between the two rather than use one or the other |
| the deceleration so the bike stops but the rider doesn't. | | | | exclusively. |
| This causes the weight of the rider to be thrown | | | | Use both the brakes together in rainy weather or if the |
| forward and the over the handlebar bicycle accident | | | | front brake is not strong enough to lift the rear wheel. If |
| to happen. | | | | the front brake is not strong enough, repair the brake. |