hey all, i was reading up on general MTB braking techinqu and i found a drastic conflict of opinion, on one hand it is said that as, the front brake is more powerful the majority of braking should be focused around the front brake, however i have also heard that both brakes applied at the same time is the most effective technique…
Generaly, on the trails i initiate braking with the rear and modulate the front brake gradualy and then release, i also tend to ease off the fron brake on particularrly uneven trails.

What are your opinions on the best braking techinque?

No such thing. Different situations demand different braking techniques. The only thing that is set in stone is to not have your front brake on, without the rear……….but then again, what about endo and stoppies?

Some general rules are, never touch the front brake in a corner, always try and brake hard and fast (without skidding) trust the front brake.

Depends on grip. More grip normally means more front brake.

In a corner or more technical section (roots, rocks) then I tend to use more back brake to scrub speed.

It’s simple, the brake force should be modulated to match the vertical load on each tyre at that moment in time. Effects such as weight transfer, riders position, surface irregularities etc all play a part, as does what the intended effect of the braking is. Afterall, it’s gonna be pretty hard to pull off a decent stopie using just the rear brake…….. 😉

As Kudos, depends on the terrain/conditions.

Never a good idea to grab a handful of front in any situation though. Gentle squeeze, gradually getting firmer if needed – release gently too. Stops the front from locking and doesn’t upset the suspension too much.

A handy technique if your front is too high over a jump or you really want to nosedive in – dab the rear brake mid-air. Pulls the front down nicely (release before landing though).

When approaching a corner at full speed, grab the back brake as hard as possible as soon as you see the bend

Then skid

Brake less than you think you need to. Your tyres will grip better.

Can all those with the stupid braking ideas post some of their crash videos up

Your tyres grip better when allowed to roll. Why is that stupid? I would bet that a high percentage of crashes are caused by over braking.

mikey74 – Member

Your tyres grip better when allowed to roll. Why is that stupid? I would bet that a high percentage of crashes are caused by over braking.

On all occasions ?
Object of braking is to slow down IMHO so the only correct answer is

kudos100 – Member

No such thing. Different situations demand different braking techniques. The only thing that is set in stone is to not have your front brake on, without the rear……….but then again, what about endo and stoppies?

Some general rules are, never touch the front brake in a corner, always try and brake hard and fast (without skidding) trust the front brake.

Although I regularly just use the front but only when I dont want to turn.

On all occasions ?

Yes, except when you do actually need to come to a stop.

You have to ask yourself “why am I slowing down”? Is it because of fear? Is it because you don’t have the technique to go faster?

Braking is there to control speed, not necessarily to slow down.

mikey74 – Member

On all occasions ?

Yes, except when you do actually need to come to a stop.

Think you answered yourself there 😀

My rear brake failed on last ride (my fault). Rode using just the front. If I needed to slow for a corner I left it as late as possible then pulled hard on the front brake with bike dead upright, then off the brake, laid the bike over and dealt with the concequences by holding on tight (much easier to do when your fingers are not covering brake levers) and railing it round on the side lugs.
Probably the best I’ve ever ridden.

mikey74 – Member
On all occasions ?

Yes, except when you do actually need to come to a stop.

Think you answered yourself there

No I didn’t. The original post did not mention anything about coming to a complete stop. How many times do you need to come to a complete stop when on the trail? That is completely different to “trail technique”, which the OP was referring to.

My rear brake failed on last ride (my fault). Rode using just the front. If I needed to slow for a corner I left it as late as possible then pulled hard on the front brake with bike dead upright, then off the brake, laid the bike over and dealt with the concequences by holding on tight (much easier to do when your fingers are not covering brake levers) and railing it round on the side lugs.
Probably the best I’ve ever ridden.

My case in point.