[Closed] Braking with one finger - who really does it?

"run my mini's like this for them to feel comfy with one finger braking"
Even running the shifter (window removed) just outside of the brake lever (coincidentally also blue LX and hope mono mini) I found the shifter got in the way of my thumb. I've compromised by running brake lever outside, but only running it about 35mm away from the grip instead of 50mm away

"I don't see how it affects control"
On really rough/longer rough descents I found that my little finger plus the next finger simply wansn't enough to hold on. Having my strongest fingers covering the brake lever just doesn't make sense. Having 3 on the bar to hold on and the index finger to cover the brake is far better. You can modulate and pull the brake on/off far easier with just one free finger. With 2 I found they were trying to hold on as well control the braking

"If your minis aren't powerful enough they aren't working properly. "
I've suspected this for a long time. I've just never bothered trying to sort them

"wrong again"

Subtle as a brick 😆

"if the bite point is just a bit off the bar "

Now this doesn't work for me at all. When the lever is close to the grip, my finger lacks power and control. For me the optimal bite point is lever (main bit) horizontal to the bar, getting slightly closer for full power. Further from the bar and again it feels weaker.

It just goes to show that lever angle and bit point is very body dependant. I've spend quite a lot of time optimising mine and recommend that everyone plays around with theirs, wherever they end up positioned.

Buzz - I have my levers set up a long way from the bar - so when braking with the middle finger only the first knuckle is bent at full power - and the index finger remains round the bar and is not pinched. I find this much easier to get power thru the lever.

Personal preference

Unless you're riding more with your feet than you realise

particularly if you're clipped in, your feet are highly constrained to a small circle, and necessarily the point of application of the force they exert (barring the propulsive torque) is concentrated on the bottom bracket, an even smaller space. Imagine keeping your torso still, what limited freedom your feet would have to act.

glenp - he speak truth. check out article's here:

[url= http://www.imbikemag.com/technique.php ]under rotation and braking[/url]

two for me (mtbs and motorbikes)- i broke my hand years ago and it just feel more comfortable that way.

particularly if you're clipped in, your feet are highly constrained to a small circle

That's why you should learn to ride with flats. 😉

SFB - moving your body around affect how the weight acts on the bike - regardless of where your feet are. Your weight acts thru your hands and your feet and you can mover the COG up, down, forward back and side to side without moving your feet.

one finger locks Vs or even cantis (if you're not too inept to set them up properly in the first place).

Here's one of me not braking one-fingered but ready to when it all goes T1Ts up 😳

[img] [/img]

I just find it gives you much more control over the bars but also more importantly keeps your hands and arms much more realaxed allowing quicker steering inputs. No problem with power using the Formulas, fantastic brakes.

Ok, so which is mounted to the "outside" on the bar? Shifter or brake lever? Imagining this is index finger braking?

web_toed_marsdener - Member

Ok, so which is mounted to the "outside" on the bar? Shifter or brake lever? Imagining this is index finger braking?

Gear shifters, so you can get the end of the brake levers further inboard, allowing your index finger to sit in the angled end of the lever.

Thought so. Getting the correct shifter angle with my Oros and X9 shifters is tricky. The master cylinder kind of fouls the shifter.

web_toed_marsdener - Member

Thought so. Getting the correct shifter angle with my Oros and X9 shifters is tricky. The master cylinder kind of fouls the shifter.

Yep, got that problem on my Inbred just had to move levers a little too far over to accomodate the mastercyclinder, not ideal but better than using two fingers 😳 for me anyway!

I learnt a lot about this from other riders and my arm pump during the mega. I have always been an index finger braker but got bad arm pump. Then on advice I moved my levers further away from the grips, it really works, then due to arm pump started alternating middle finger and index finger braking, in the end had no problem either way. But not two fingers, couldn't hold to the bars if I did that...

TJ - that makes sense if you breaking with the middle finger.

always index finger braked, ever since having discs anyway. levers inboard so your finger hooks into the end of the lever, sorted!

web_toed_marsdener

Thought so. Getting the correct shifter angle with my Oros and X9 shifters is tricky. The master cylinder kind of fouls the shifter.

Get some Avids and the matchmaker 😛

One finger braking here on Hope Mono 4's
Just bring the brake handles inwards about an inch
from your handle grips.
But when its shit shit shit I use two of them.

On really rough/longer rough descents I found that my little finger plus the next finger simply wansn't enough to hold on

It's always been enough for me. Perhaps I have especially mighty pinkies.

One sometimes, two others; the reality is that my brakes only need one finger, I sometimes need two because I have shortcomings, mostly due to many years of riding motorbikes where it feels unnatural to have just one finger on the brakes, thing is when the going gets choppy two fingers on the bars aint enough so I find myself chopping and changing, hey ho.

I always rode with two fingers on the brakes on the motorbike and it took concious effort to only have one on the MTB - but it has helped

Yup had to put them further outboard to force myself to use one finger to brake, mostly so I have more fingers on the bars, better grip.

As a point of interest how many motorcyclists reckon being able to brake properly has helped them with their mountain biking, you know popping a bit of back brake on when a trail tightens up to help you drop into a corner, that sort of thing?

that's called a skid and I'm not sure it's that widely used by motorcyclists to get round tighter bends 😯

particularly if you're clipped in, your feet are highly constrained to a small circle

That's why you should learn to ride with flats.

I've ridden with flats for the past 11 years, but actually it doesn't give you much scope to move your feet while riding, just when you stop.

SFB - moving your body around affect how the weight acts on the bike - regardless of where your feet are. Your weight acts thru your hands and your feet and you can mover the COG up, down, forward back and side to side without moving your feet.

I don't understand why you're reiterating what I already said ?

Hmm, I wonder sometimes.

Why do you neeed to use more than one finger?
Also why would you use the middle finger unless your index was knackered?

The index finger provides the strongest grip and has more ccontrol than your other fingers, unless yours is knackered, so why would use any other finger and why use two when one will do.

I use index finger only, always have and always will, even when I had mechanical brakes.

Middle finger is the strongest finger.

"wrong again"

Subtle as a brick

yeah, sorry buzz!

agreed with your sentiments about personal preference though...to an extent...haha

One finger breaking all the way, felt strange when i first tried it, got told about it on a trip to Whistler and the bike instructor there was adamant we would need as many fingers on the bar for grip and control as we could manage... She was right too!

Since then i have never looked back...

Oh and thats index finger too...

particularly if you're clipped in, your feet are highly constrained to a small circle, and necessarily the point of application of the force they exert (barring the propulsive torque) is concentrated on the bottom bracket, an even smaller space. Imagine keeping your torso still, what limited freedom your feet would have to act.

The body position is moved around (in a quite particular fashion - see the article linked previously) in order to effect control of the bike via the feet. The hands are relatively much, much less important. If you ride on your feet (yes, to reiterate yet another time - you will need to transfer your weight to get in the right position) you will not get thrown forward on to your hands.

I'll carry on riding on my feet, and teaching hundreds of others how to do the same.

simonfb, i suspect that your techniques are ingrained from lots of riding over a fair few years; if you were to receive some coaching of some form on how to use flat pedals to your advantage, weighting your bike etc. it might go some way to improving your self confessed limited skillz, err, dood.

that said, i know you love your riding just the way it is and thats what counts, right?

learning how under rotation and riding on your feet work is IMO essential for anyone wanting to advance their handling in fast, technical situations. bottle, quick reactions and fluke will only get you so far!

as for the brake thing, one finger here too. i think the hope m4's with the tech lever are great for 1 finger braking as due to their relatively long lever blade you can get really good leverage which then allows you to run them pretty close to the bars and still get more than enough power. i often get comments on how far inboard i run mine but it really works for me. give it a bash!

[img] [/img]

levers are now angled up a bit and wound closer to the bar, this pic was pre-setup. i run my brakes 7cm inboard from the grips then do the rest by feel.

I don't have any choice in the matter I only have two working fingers on my right hand. Hasn't held me back.

Which is the index finger ? I use the first to hold the bars, the second to work the brake lever.

(This didn't help me much on a motorbike though)

Obviously I am using my left hand to whip out a mirror and check my hair and make-up.

That reminds me of Hugo Koblet - who reputedly always carried a comb to fix his appearance as he finished a stage. [img] [/img]

One finger on Juicy Ultimates or BB7s. All fingers on my drum brakes (and could use some more) 🙂

I got used to riding with my index finger permanently resting on the lever,came from riding discs,most braking only needs one finger,if its serious then add another.
I used the C2's since they arrived with the pro levers,those were quite short 😕 I suppose that's why I adopted the style

I use two, but mostly because I can't get the brakes in the right position to use one. Force of habit too now I guess.

1 finger FTW....

I brake middle finger only. Mind you, I can barely hang onto the bike at high speed and end up running death grip so get regularly moaned at by the BF for doing so.

Prolly should try and convert to using my index finger. Might actually have some control over the direction of the bike then...

Good thing about using the middle finger is you can sort of lock your thumb and index finger together around the handle bar. A very wise man in the alps taught me it, does require to run your levers out far enough to avoid crushed knuckles.