Learn Front Braking for Mountain Bike Racers

Video Transcript

"A lot of people are afraid of the front brakes on mountain bikes these days because they are really good. The extreme power and the extreme control that they give you enables you to ride in control and go fast in ways that we never really thought would be possible before. I just rode down this entire hill without ever touching the back brake completely in control the whole time. I was raising the back wheel off the ground, locking up the front brake and all sorts of stuff. What enabled me to do that is understanding how my fender of mass affects the way the bike handles and being really comfortable using the front brakes. Because going downhill, almost all of your weight is on your front wheel even on flat ground. So much of your weight is on the front wheel. About 70 percent of your total stopping power is available from up front. The back brake is really not anywhere near efficient for stopping. It is almost more for steering than for stopping. So what enabled me to safely ride down that hill only using my front brakes is getting my weight back off the front wheel and more onto the back wheel. Riding my bike enough to be familiar with what the bike feels like under heavy braking and getting a feel for the modulation of the brake. Meaning what sort of lever pressure creates what sort of response. These are all things you can pick them up riding on a trail or you can pick them up by messing around on your bike in your driveway. That's what makes mountain biking so fascinating and fun to do. It's so many of these tips and techniques you can just figure out by playing. So front brakes; about 70 percent of your stopping power works great for slowing down in a straight line. Otherwise you know a corner or stuff like that because it has so much power it is going to suck you off line and make things less controllable and less fun. So just remember use your front brake as much as you want. Just compensate for it by moving your weight backwards and have a safe and enjoyable controlled ride."