A_M _B_2015_02_03_

98 - AMB

In this issue Aiden is going to guide us through one of the most fundamental

skills known to the seasoned mountain biker. It’s a skill that often gets

overlooked but if we take the time to learn it properly, it can be a powerful

skill that can be used to gain more control and more speed on the bike, and

it’s called Braking!

First up, we’re going to go through a few of the important basics. Most

mountain bikes these days have pretty good braking systems on them, with

short lever blades, hydraulic actuation and more power than most of us will

ever need. But, how do we use them efficiently and comfortably and in the

process - gain speed! Let’s take a look:

1. SIngle fInger BrAkIng:

Start with looking at the positioning of your brake levers. Without going into

detailed setup (which could be a whole article in itself), make sure your

brake levers are positioned inwards enough to allow you to brake with just

fUnDAMenTAl SkIllS

HOW TO BrAkIng

BRAKING

THE ART OF

WordS: Aiden LeFMAnn

PhotoS: LAchLAn ryAn

one finger on either side (ideally index finger) and preferably within easy

reach of the end of the lever’s blade - where the leverage is at its greatest.

the more fingers you have wrapped around those handlebars of yours, the

more stability and control you will have on the bike - so no 4-finger braking

please! you can try and imagine hanging off a chin-up bar with just one

finger, which is very difficult and probably impossible for most of us. this

is why having those fingers wrapped around your bars and not your brakes

is vital for stability, control and speed. So ideally, 1 finger on your brakes, 4

fingers on the bars and you are part the way there to using your brakes to

their full potential.

2. BrAkIng pOWer:

Mountain bike front and rear brakes are the same - As in, calipers and levers

do not differ from front to rear in most cases however disc rotor sizes are

often different. you may notice a larger rotor on the front end of your bike,

which is used up front to assist with the dispersing of heat that is generated

whilst we are using the front brake. this is because the front brake has twice

as much (roughly) ability to slow us down, generating far more stopping

power than what the rear brake can. With that in mind, the general average

of front brake to rear brake use is 70% to 30%. the 70/30 rule is just an

average, and not the general rule of thumb for every trail, corner or obstacle.

tip: if this is a little foreign to you - practice on the grass by placing a marker

where you will start your braking. First up, with about 15 metres run up,

pedal as fast as you can to the marker, and firmly apply (and hold) the rear

brake only, taking note of your final stopping position. then, do the same

run up, with the same speed but use the front brake only (remember single

finger!), and take note of your final stopping position (shift your weight back

slightly for this one). Whilst the front brake on it’s own is powerful enough

to stop us rather quickly, it’s not the safest option, so in the 3rd and final

test - do the same run up again, but try the 70/30 braking rule. your stop will

be faster, it will be safe, smooth and you will feel the difference in stability

straight away.