Given the amount of time I seem to spend clinging on to my brakes, I often wonder whether I should call my hobby mountain braking.

At what point do you really let go and let it rip? 😉

usually about 3s before i give up staying on 🙂

Learn not to drag them
Learn to brake on the easy stuff and let off on the hard stuff
Learn to look up to read the trail more so the point above is easier

You’ll be much faster in no time if you actually go out with an aim to improve those 3 points rather than riding aimlessly.

(thx, alex, this was a bit of a joke thread following on from the others, but I appreciate the advice! )

Have you ever ridden a motorbike or had motorcycle lessons?….ever attended any kind of advanced driving course?

If so I’m preaching to the converted so ignore me…..but a spinning wheel without any braking forces on it (particularly bikes where grip is at a premium with only two wheels) has the maximum amount of grip it can generate, applying braking forces slows you down and may give the illusion of more grip but in reality you are asking more of the tyre and it will let go shortly.

On motorbikes we were always told that if coming into a corner too fast don’t panic and brake, the wheels will lock and you’ll go down or the braking forces will make the bike sit up and you’ll go headlong into the tree, oncoming traffic etc that you were trying to avoid….instead just keep leaning and turning, the tyres will see you right….same for cars, never brake mid corner unless you’re trying to provoke a skid, get it all done on the straight and take the corner off the brakes and enjoy the traction of the tyres and pass it off as your riding skill!

I cover my brakes with a forefinger on each hand but don’t feather them on a run, I brake for as reason then come off again for any corners, features etc….try it on a section of trail you know well.

(Just seen your above edit, reeled in hook line and sinker).

Since fitting Zees on the fat bike I enjoy a whole new level of braking

Four pot calipers + 4.8″ tyres + rigid fork = nothing stops faster

Brake, turn it in and fire it out

I normally only brake when going downhill!

It was only half a joke tbf and the advice is welcome. I have worked hard on improving braking, body positioning and less mincing over the past year.

A better bike (not an 8 year old HT) helps with decent brakes. I am definitely one finger braking these days.

haha only just seen the other thread 😉 Either way all good advice to anyone not trolling 😛

I have a touring bike with canti brakes and carbide rims,i gave up on braking years ago.

I employed ‘the death grip’ at BPW at the weekend, it was ‘interesting’ at times, but the surface of Terry’s (or possibly a shit set-up) was destroying my hands and and extra finger of grip seemed better than being able to slow down.

When the wheels lose traction, skidding wheels are not good at grip

Don’t brake… just, you know, stop accelerating. Fit some draggy tires and it’s perfect.

Have you ever ridden a motorbike or had motorcycle lessons?.

No but I had one overtake me going uphill into a roundabout, then slow me down around it cos he couldn’t corner for shit this morning. Idiot.

I usually give up on braking when I don’t want to have to pedal as much up the next hill.

I give up breaking straight after I crash.. 😀

I give up breaking straight after I crash..

That’s roughly when I start.

braking is for loozers duude. It just slows you down

braking is for loozers duude. It just slows you down

scrub off speed… ride the feature… carry on

Couple of years ago…when I took them off and rode a lap of the red at llandegla…..for giggles.