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  • What do you do when your brakes fail on your road bike at 40mph
  • geetee1972
    Free Member

    In my LBS this morning and theres a road wheel completely folded in half. I asked how it had happened and the guys said it was a customer whose brakes failed while on a long road descent in the lake district. Apparently the last thing he remembers is seeing the dry stone wall that eventually stopped him approaching at about 40mph. 😯

    They couldn’t say what failed. Just that he was braking but kept accelerating (so maybe there was some contamination?)

    Pretty much your worst nightmare though. More scary on a road bike I think as at least on a mountain bike you’ve got lots of other ways you can scrub speed or just bail.

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Just that he was braking but kept accelerating (so maybe there was some contamination?)

    He did remember to stop pedalling as well, right?

    mikey74
    Free Member

    I’ve just got back from Whistler. Whilst I was doing a run down Crank it Up (fast, jumpy trail, for those who don’t know), I hit a braking hole in the trail coming up to a jump and my rear wheel decided to jump out of the drop-outs. At the same time, my front wheel pinch-flatted: I managed to throw myself in the undergrowth to stop.

    So, yes: I agree with your last point there.

    He did remember to stop pedalling as well, right?

    On a steep descent, stopping pedaling isn’t going to do much to slow you down.

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    umop3pisdn
    Free Member

    Unclip your foot and jam it against the rear tyre on the seatstays

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Mikey sounds like a lucky escape but how on earth did your wheel come out?

    I guess that’s a good advertisement for through axles.

    _tom_
    Free Member

    Unclip your foot and jam it against the rear tyre on the seatstays

    +1.

    mikey74
    Free Member

    I thought the same thing GT. I had been riding some pretty rocky double blacks before that and I guess the QR had just been knocked open slightly, and the braking bump was the last straw.

    I always have my QR pointing backwards so it shouldn’t have been knocked open, but you never now.

    nobbyq
    Free Member

    die.

    jonba
    Free Member

    Managed 25 at kielder 100 with no brakes. Foot wheel works well as does unclipping and doing a Flintstones impression.

    umop3pisdn
    Free Member

    geebus
    Free Member

    For ages I rode a ‘Raleigh Max Ogre’ or something with no brakes, including on some quite steep hills in the town I lived.
    Standing up, one foot on the pedal, the other infront of the upper pedal and shoe on the ground to slow.

    Just don’t hop on to your motorbike after not having ridden it for a while and try the same thing as I did one!
    Also, make sure your inside leg in a corner is braking. At least once I didn’t turning left coming down a steep hill and ended up with a nicely skinned knee.
    Finally, was amused when I was stopped by the police for riding on the pavement (nightish time, no lights – heh, I was 17). “Why are you riding on the pavement and where’s your lights?” they ask “Well, I didn’t have lights so thought it was safer on the pavement.” I didn’t mention that it also meant I could slow the other side of the parked cars so they couldn’t see I didn’t have brakes.

    swingbing
    Free Member

    Unclip your foot and jam it against the rear tyre on the seatstays

    Second nature after years riding a bmx with pathetic cantilever brakes.

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    It happened to me about 2 hours ago coming down Gummers How. Thankfully it was just the front brake and I noticed before the bottom of the hill. The qr cam had come undone so I put it back into position and continued on my way. A lucky escape.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    Foot on tyre is the best – dont do your front in case you slip your foot under the fork brace as you will go OTB and break some bones- not from experience

    Unlip and feet down and then tbh I would bale and roll
    it is not crashing at speed per se that is dangerous it is coming to an instant stop by hitting street furniture that will do the real damage

    better to get road rash and spin than hit a wall or lamppost

    [ oh and poo my pant I guess at 40 mph downhill]

    onceinalifetime
    Free Member

    Pah he should of used hs33’s fps!

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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