Do you always cover the brakes?

Acadian · Jun 10, 2004

- seb said:
Anyone here ever take all their fingers off of the brakes? I tried it at Abercarn last weekend and just couldn't make myself do it - I'm quite aware of the fact that I brake into just about every corner/section, I'm sure I could hold it without braking, but I styill find myself always braking.

I tried and I just can't...I always ride with one finger hovering over the brakes. Strange, but if I simply grab a fist full of grip and don't stick a finger out, I feel like I have less control and will go over the bars! Seems to force me to keep my upper body properly positioned since my hads/wist are always at the right angle.

BrayDownhill · Jun 10, 2004

if you wanna start doing it, start riding a bmx, trails or racing really. street really isn't as good for it unless you ride brakeless, and then your just hardcore.

most bmxers who ride trails and racing ride without covering the brakes, it helps build a lot of confidence.

RaID · Jun 10, 2004

unfortunately i do, unless its a section that i know i dont need brakes for a while

but thats probably a reason im slow :rolleyes:

fatire · Jun 10, 2004

Just cause you cover 'em doesn't mean you have to yank on them.

fatire · Jun 10, 2004

Just cause you cover 'em doesn't mean you have to yank on them. Does not covering them mean you're perfect and don't make any mistakes?

ChrisRobin · Jun 10, 2004

I've tried did...didn't like it. Or maybe I just wasn't used to it. Just holding on the bars feels good, you feel stable and all but when you really need the brakes, it almost takes too long to get your hands in the right place to pull on the brakes. I find you also lose some concentration because you weren't ready to brake.

Scurry · Jun 10, 2004

I normally do, but my last race I was racing my street HT, I was getting tired of plulling on the non working brkae pads so let go for a while.

preppie · Jun 10, 2004

I don't have a finger on the brake when I'm pedaling towards a big jump or a gap because I have the tendency to grab the brakes when I'm about to hit the lip...with the most stupid crashes as a result.
So to protect myself from those Panic-brake-maneuvers, I ride with the brakes uncovered.
Recently I'm trying to hit the turns-berms without covering the brakes because I brake too much in corners, even when I tell meself to keep of the %&## brakes, I still grab em for some reason.

jmvar · Jun 10, 2004

I tried it....I have to really think about it when I let it go....I only tried it in real easy sections where I know I won't need to brake...It felt really good though, like swimming in the ocean naked, except if you crash it will be like swimming in the ocean naked during jelly fish season.

buildyourown · Jun 10, 2004

I am a chronic "scrubber". I always seem to brake check when I don't need to. However, the other weekend at Whistler, the arm pump got so bad, I had no choice. I simply couldn't hold on to the bars any longer without using my whole hand. I was entering sections way faster than usual and holding much more speed simply because I couldn't brake check. Good training really.

COmtbiker12 · Jun 10, 2004

If only I had the skills to ride/race without covering my brakes. I wonder if I start doing it if the skills/flowitity of riding like that will just come? :confused:

SuspectDevice · Jun 10, 2004

I Spent all spring trying to brake less. The thing that helped me the most was not covering the front brake, just the rear. The front is where all the stopping power is, so if I actually wanted to slow down I had to go through the extra effort of getting out to the lever. i'd say it helped a bunch. It made me think a lot more about braking areas, and i got much better at steering the rear wheel with a little brake.

CowboyLeo · Jun 10, 2004

I kinda trained my self by riding street without brakes.
If you have a second bike, take the brakes off of that one and ride it for a while. If you can, move the brakes levers out of reach on your main bike and ride some really easy trails. Either of those two options will force you ride without the brakes and show you when you don't need to cover the brakes and when you actually do. I find all fingers on the grip give me more confidence for really rough terrain, hopping really high, or any other situation when you want lots of control.

Big E · Jun 10, 2004

im just a wuss and i usally finger my brakes it makes me feel safer cause i am a wuss.

steve45 · Jun 10, 2004

when i'm DH'ing i usually have the brake covered by one finger, sometimes i conciously take all fingers off, but when i stop thinking about it the finger creeps back on the lever, its just automatic reaction.
dont feel any difference in control or grip, well at least i dont notice it. and it dosnt bother me either way.

OGRipper · Jun 10, 2004

I'm with Build Your Own. I pretty much always cover the brakes, but after one day on Whistler mountain I realized arm pump was killing me and I was braking too much. So I started railing without covering the brakes, and ended up going faster (no scrubbing) and with more control (my hands weren't as tired). It was hard at first (like the first time doing one- or no-handers), my brain was telling my hands to do something but they just wouldn't listen. Maybe the self-preservation instinct is stronger than we think...

But the payoff was awesome - loved launching those big lips going way too fast. By the middle of the week I realized that the faster I went, the more time I spent in the air. The more time in the air, the less abuse my body was taking. Screwy logic maybe but it worked for me, I remember being airborne and thinking "Ahh, this is a relief from the pounding trail..."

Zark · Jun 10, 2004

There are sections on my local trails that are so tiring I've been training myself to stay off the brakes entirely. The brakes aren't helping and killing your momentum through the rocks. It helps the control to just grab the bar, but it can be scary.

This is something I can benifit by practicing.
Here are things I want to dial in better.
1. Keeping hands off the brakes/braking less
2. not braking in corners/only rear brake in corners
3. switching foot forward position to get comfortable with both.

These things I've listed are bad habits that I can't seems to shake and want to. Anyone else have some of these habits? What were your experiences?

manhattanprjkt83 · Jun 10, 2004

Anyone reading this thread that covers the breaks and hasnt tried not doing it really should try it. I was hardcore into pulling the breaks when i was about to pussy out until this spring. I was building my DJ hardtail (i had came from a FS) and did not have the adapter for my sherman to install my hope M4. So i decided to ride without the font brake for the spring. My skills improved so much i was pulling bigger moves alot fast than i would with the front brake. My DH freinds harassed me saying "when are you gonna put a brake on that" but i just laughed because it improved my riding so much more. It just doesnt give you that bail out option. Additionally my bunnyhop got alot higher too, i knew that i wouldt stop if my hands werent on the brakes so i just hopped the effing thing. I dunno get your fingers of the brakes and notice the improvement!

Dog Welder · Jun 10, 2004

Actually one of the best training things I've ever done was when my rear brake puked all over itself early on in the day. Spent the rest of the day riding with just the front brake. Holy crap does that teach you something new.

goin' medium · Jun 10, 2004

I have had to stop covering the rear brake on logrides. When I needed to slow I would grab a bit of rear brake and slide right off. My head knows this, but if my finger is on the rear brake I use it anyway. Front brake good. Rear brake bad.

I recently glazed my rear brake pads. Had no rear brake for 2 rides. Didn't realize I was breaking the rear tire loose in turns. Not skidding around the turns, just sort of starting a drift by tapping the brake. Without that I wound up blowing right by a couple of turns. I also grab a bit of rear brake to change lines on steep off camber sections. Both are skills I didn't know I had till it wasn't an option. I fixed the rear brake because I figured they are habits I don't want to break. I did realize that I use the rear brake WAY too much for controlling speed. That, I am working on.

Curb Hucker · Jun 10, 2004

I will almost always have one finger on the levers, except when urbaning in chicago where i sometimes use 2 when extreme panic stops often occur, damn fvcking taxis i hate em :mumble: theyre hazardous

dromond · Jun 10, 2004

I almost always do, especially for DH. However I got used to riding the rhythm section with all fingers on the bar and it helped TONS.

Turley · Jun 10, 2004

I'm in the process of teaching myself not to cover them asmuch. What I have found by not covering them is you don't unecissarily brake near as much and when I do break, it is more often in the best spots(ie before the corner and not in it dragging them).

offdawalley · Jun 11, 2004

I keep 2 fingers over the brake case something I don't see or anticipate comes along, but I don't yank on them all the time

Ifelloffabike · Jun 11, 2004

Most of the time i have my fingers off the brakes. I feel that my reaction time is quick enough that if i realized i do need to brake i can move my finger the half an inch from my bars to my lever with time to spare. Speed is your friend when going over most things and grabbing a handful of brake is ususaly a surefire way to crash when riding through technical stuff.

Enduro · Jun 11, 2004

Anyone who rides wheelies without the rear brake?

thaflyinfatman · Jun 11, 2004

Enduro said:
Anyone who rides wheelies without the rear brake?

Without using - yes. Without covering - no ****ing way, especially at high speed!

I always cover my brakes and yes I probably do brake-check too much.

Do you always cover the brakes?

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