Braking on Steep Hills for Mountain Bike Racers

Video Transcript

"So when we are going down a steep hill and we don't know what's going on, we can modulate our brakes, move our weight low and farther back, and move around obstacles. So, by pivoting and moving around, it allows us to comfortably and safely get down the hill. So we go back to the fundamentals of looking farther ahead; not looking directly in front of our wheels. Because if I look right in front of my wheel, I'm going to be in the back seat before I know it. So, I'm looking at the end of the hard section. I'm bringing my weight down almost behind the seat. When it gets steep enough, you often find yourself riding low and behind the seat. So, you know, I can get behind the seat and you know, I'm lightly putting hand inputs on both the brakes. I mean, these brakes are, these bikes are toys, basically. They are designed to be beat on. And there's nothing bad is going to happen to our brakes because we are using them really hard. It's not going to make them wear out any quicker. The only thing that really wears out brake pads is real extreme sandy mud. So otherwise, other than that, you can be as aggressive with the brakes as you want as long as you stay in control. And the fundamental thing to remember is that you can't turn when you are braking controllably. If you are braking on rocks and roots, because you are already braking and that's using so much of your tire's available traction, it will pull you up the sides of roots and stuff. So, brake in smooth spots, look far ahead, use your brakes evenly, and have a good time. "