[Closed] Braking for braking's sake

CHICKEN!

If you're ok with it it's ok. 🙂

I have an inbuilt speed limiter so I do the same as you but that speed does vary dependent on terrain, circumstances, etc.

I don't think I'll ever beat Steve Peat 🙂

We all have our inbuilt 'bitch brake' trigger, it goes off at different points for different people.

I would suggest you push yourself just out of your comfort zone regularly, you will soon find you adapt to a higher speed.

Are you in a hurry? Most of the time I'm riding I'm enjoying being outdoors. Going faster usually means I'm missing something and/or back home earlier.

Don't cover the brakes, you'll be less likely to grab the lever.

Is it ok to always travel at a speed you feel in control of or is it just a case of getting used to higher velocity?

In many ways they are the same thing; you get used to a higher speed when you feel in control at that speed. Riding out of control is surely not the way to ride faster.

As someone who went through a period of crashing painfully I don't think the answer is to simply go faster and hope for the best. Faster riding comes through practice, experience, tuition etc.

I remember when I learnt to drive and going at the speed limit rasied the hairs on the back of my neck, now the speed limit feels like I'm crawling along.

Ask yourself why that is and - assuming you come to the answer I expect you will - apply that to your riding.

I try to remind myself that I'm just braking because of my limits, not the bikes, The extra 5-10mph that the bikes is doing isn't affecting the bike really at all. So yeah, lay off the brakes 🙂

I like the 'bitch brake' concept.

I shall have to pretend I've got Jessie Pinkman shouting it in my ear every time I do it.

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scruff - Member
Don't cover the brakes, you'll be less likely to grab the lever.

I can sympathise with the OP, to the point that on certain sections and obstacles (gaps mainly) where a degree of speed and commitment is vital, I do have to death grip the bars, but find it mildly terrifying.

Braking because you think you're going too fast is a purpose, the point is to "point brake" hard and proper rather than dragging them.

I've heard it called morgage braking, as in I've got a morgage to pay.

brake dragging compromises suspension action, reduces the amount of traction from the tyres, and makes you more likely to accidentally anchor on if you get knocked by something, results in more arm pump and less control of the bike, and overheats the brakes meaning they are less effective....

so your making it worse for you....

I really should stop doing it as well 😉

brake dragging compromises suspension action, reduces the amount of traction from the tyres, and makes you more likley to accidentally anchor on if you get knocked by something, results in more arm pump and less control of the bike, and overheats the brakes meaning they are less effective....

so your making it worse for you....

Yeah but going really fast is scary

I'm a sucka for dragging the rear every now and again and find myself talking myself out of it whilst riding along.

It really grates me being a brake bitch slave!

Will be practising not dragging brakes on purpose next time as find it usually means I miss out on a good turn or air time therefore thinking shall I stop go back and hit it up properly.

It's mental dont ya know!

vonplatz - Member

brake dragging compromises suspension action, reduces the amount of traction from the tyres, and makes you more likley to accidentally anchor on if you get knocked by something, results in more arm pump and less control of the bike, and overheats the brakes meaning they are less effective....
so your making it worse for you....

Yeah but going really fast is scary

Having ridden a BMX at a set of trails (jumps) with no brakes at all it is amazing how much more control you have over the bike when you're not covering the brakes, and not thinking about braking.

I recall Missy Giove being interviewed after winning a race saying how she spent most of the time shouting at herself not to brake.

Clearly even good DHers get scared...

you may be worried about dragging the brakes, but if you're braking *more' to slow down before a tricky bit, and then easing off the brakes through the tricky bit, then you're doing better than most.

Is it ok to...

if you can, set your brake levers so they have some free movement before they start to bite.

that way you can fool yourself into thinking our braking without actually braking.

It's your bike, you don't need someone else's permission to ride it the way you want to.

Very true. Maybe what I meant to ask is whether I may be hampering my development as a rider through excessive braking and if anyone has any tips for overcoming it.

As someone who certainly found himself braking just to go slower and think I was in more control, I spent a lot of time this summer actively adopting the " don't brake, don't brake " mantra.

It works.

I didn't find myself in any more trouble on techy stuff than I used to, in fact probably the opposite, carrying more speed, really seems to help , certainly helped me be more active on the bike as opposed to just steering round stuff. It's the single most useful step forward my riding has taken in ages.

Meantime back in the gloop, all the old , possibly irrational, slowing has begun again, just need to find the balls to do the same whilst already sliding all over the shop.

In my case it's probably all age related, but just chuffed I can maybe overcome fears still.

Its called comfort braking and its very common thing done by lots of people.

You only need to go as fast as you feel comfortable with. If you feel you need to slow down or just hold your speed constant rather than accelerating more and more then there is nothing wrong with braking. Try braking in short, sharp bursts. Pump down on the bike to insure tyres get lots of grip and don't lock up. This should keep you in control of the speed and bike without upsetting the bike or over heating the brakes.

If you feel you want to go faster then session a short bit of trail you know well but one that you brake a lot on. Start of by rolling in from stand still and build the speed up bit by bit. Try to look up and ahead, some of the time you are braking because your brain can't process the information quick enough. Looking further up the trail gives your brain time to take in the information and process it. By slowly building the speed up you don't have a big delta from your previous run and you can trick your self into thinking you're not going much faster.

Interesting that Jairaj talks about looking further ahead, definately a consequence of more speed, but strangely , it buys time to process what it is you are seeing and I think that's probably the key,min as much as that's the benefit of more speed.

Is it somewhat odd that people buy expensive full suspension bikes that make them go faster yet then feel the need to comfort brake? I knew there was a reason why I was still on a hardtail!

Is it somewhat odd that people buy expensive full suspension bikes that make them go faster yet then feel the need to comfort brake? I knew there was a reason why I was still on a hardtail!

I have both and go plenty fast enough on the hardtail to comfort brake on that too!

I like the idea of more purposeful braking, I'll deffo give that a try, and looking ahead is deffo something that I need to improve in my riding. If I don't consciously do it then I end up staring at the bit of ground about three metres in front of my tyre. I need to get to the point where I've interiorised it.

What scruff said,I moved my levers further down my bars so I can't cover my brakes like a pussy,I actually ride better and don't use my brakes Untill last minuite now.

The best take away snippet I got from a bike skills course a couple of years ago is that sessioning is the key. Take a feature that you're not confident on and spend 40 minutes or so seasoning it and you'll soon naturally start carrying more speed over/through it. Its the only way to build your confidence and man up your skills. If you don't then the only time you might see that particular feature is one a week on your weekly ride, or less if you ride a different spot every time. A lot of technical features out on the trail are easier if you can carry a bit of speed.

I suppose it depends if the purpose of every ride is to go as fast as possible ?

I think the purpose of every ride for most is for the ride to flow, that you link up sections smoothly rather than abrupt changes of speed. Its efficient - every joule of energy you scrub off with your brakes is a joule of energy you've got to put back.

The best take away snippet I got from a bike skills course a couple of years ago is that sessioning is the key.

That sounds like solid advice, practice makes perfect, but what about when your bitch braking round a new trail or like me, you have a terrible memory for trails and forget what's coming up unless you ride it every 4 days!

The price of brake pads is what keeps me off the levers.

I struggle with braking too much when I'm not confident on a trail. The things that have helped me most are:

1. Reminding myself how much better the bike handles the rough when it's free to roll (hardtail or full-sus)
2. Looking well ahead and staying relaxed (which makes speeds feel much lower)
3. Spotting my next braking point in the distance and staying off the brakes until I reach it
4. Braking hard and quick and then getting off the brakes and scanning ahead for the next good braking spot

Two things really changed my attitude to brake control, in a positive way:

1. Going chain less in Whistler Bike Park after snapping rear mech and hanger, and being too poor to replace them.

2. Two years riding a brakeless Bmx

Both instances taught me more about not braking/flow than in 20 years of previous riding experience.

Vonplatz, its all about sessioning types of features, such as berms, steps, drops, jumps, rock gardens. You starts small and slow and build yourself up, so if you are hacking round an unknown trail and suddenly see a drop coming up then you instinctively know what to do so no need to think and brake, just ride it and enjoy it.

I think everyone does this to a certain extent, even pro's. Put someone in a situation where they feel uncomfortable (anything from a local trail up to redbull rampage) and they will brake more.

What i've tried to work on is to brake later, use more front brake and pumping the brakes to control speed rather than dragging them.

It doesn't always work, but when it does my riding improves.

Love my Magura Louise's for stopping this,the brake lever moves a fair bit before the brakes start working.Always helps stop those "flinch braking" moments.. Unfortunately,the Shimano ones on the other bike are instant & can cause a few "moments" until I adjust to them again !

Talking about the adjustment of the brakes, I was on a skills course with Ed Oxley and when trying switchbacks I couldn't get round them because of poor braking (locking up back wheel).

The next day he fettled my reach adjust on the XTs and I found that it made my braking much more controlled. I'd always thought that reach was just a matter of preference till then.

I'm a serial comfort braker. The comment above about energy being wasted getting back up to speed is the one I've been using on myself lately. I've also tried to pick better spots to brake. At the Gorrick Autumn Classic rd2, there was one off camber rooty downhill bit that needed some braking (for me personally 😉 ) By getting the braking done a little earlier and harder, I was able to square the corner off and cross the roots at a much better angle. The one lap I drifted in too fast and then feathered the brakes during the corner, the wet root sent my back end flying as if I'd hit black ice!

Just by recognising you have a problem you're already on the right track. I find talking and internally shouting at myself helps sharpen things up a bit 😉

Just by recognising you have a problem you're already on the right track.

That's what my therapist tells me too.

but what about when your bitch braking round a new trail or like me, you have a terrible memory for trails and forget what's coming up

Sessioning a bit of trail isn't about memorising exactly what's coming up. It's about keeping the variables as constant as possible so you can just concentrate on riding the bike and learning new skills. The idea is once you've learnt a particular skill and can do it comfortably to a high standard you can apply it more easily in any situation.

Im comfortable with my bitch brake.

I was zooming down a steep road hill yesterday when i remembered that my Centrelock rotor adaptor was loose after an earlier tumble (failiure of which could result in the rotor shredding the caliper, or visa versa) and that i had just built the front wheel myself, with second hand spokes, and had had to backall the spokes off half a turn after totally over tightening it.
I almost got off and walked down the hill 🙁

Bitch brake on Kirkstone Pass on my road bike and northern Monkey on W'fold on my MTB. Can't help it!!!

OP there's no-one to impress by walloping down the side of said hill and ending up in a ditch. However, maybe there are things you can do to increase your sense of control on the bike (1 finger braking, footwork, looking further down the trail, using the front brake as the dominant/rear brake only when appropriate, not staring at things to avoid, not hanging off the back like it's the 90s etc)?

There's always someone faster who will think you're slow, and someone slower who will think you're fast. There's a speed at which you feel you can respond to things and control the bike and beyond that you will be beyond your perceived range of control.

I now aim to ride smoother than faster, which happens to mean I ride faster than I used to be but ride more calmly. It's amazing what a difference staying loose on the bike can do and it can only be done if you're relaxed.