If you want to park the bike safely, you must pay special attention to how to use the front and rear brakes.
The general view is that the front and rear brakes should be used simultaneously. This is suitable for beginners who have not mastered the braking skills. But if you stay at this stage, you will never be able to stop the bike in the shortest distance and in the safest way like those riders who have learned to use only the front brake.
The quickest way to stop any bicycle with a regular front and rear wheel span is to apply a lot of force on the front brake so that the bike's rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. Currently, the rear wheel has no pressure on the basis and cannot provide braking force.
If the ground is slippery or the front wheel has a puncture, then only the rear wheel can be used. But on dry asphalt/concrete roads, only the front brake will provide maximum braking power. This is true both in theory and in practice. If you take the time to learn to use the front brake correctly, then you will become a safe driver.
Many people are afraid to use the front brake, worrying about turning forward from above the handlebars. Front flips do happen, but they mainly occur to people who have not learned how to use the front brake.
Riders using only the rear brake will not have problems under normal circumstances. But in an emergency, in a panic, to stop quickly, the driver will squeeze both the rear brake and the front brake, which is unfamiliar, resulting in the classic “handle overturning.”
Jobst Brandt has a reasonably credible theory. He believes the typical “handle overturned forward” is not caused by excessive front brake force. Still, the bicycle stopped because the rider did not use his arms against the front brake to counter the body’s inertia when the front brake was used vigorously. But the rider’s body didn’t stop until the rider’s body hit the front handlebar, causing the bike to roll forward. (Translator’s Note: At this time, the person’s center of gravity is already very close to the front wheel, and it is easy to turn forward).
If only the rear brake is used, the above situation will not happen. Because once the rear wheel starts to tilt, the braking force will be reduced accordingly. The problem is that compared to using only the front wheel to brake, the former takes twice as long to stop. So for fast drivers, using only the rear wheels is unsafe. It is very important to use your arms to hold your body against it to avoid turning forward. Good braking technique requires moving the body as far back as possible and moving the center of gravity as far back as possible. Do this regardless of whether you use only the front brake, only the rear brake, or both front and rear brakes. Using the front and rear brakes simultaneously may cause tail swinging. When the rear wheel starts to slide, and the front wheel still has braking force, the rear of the bicycle will swing forward because the front wheel braking force is greater than the rear wheel braking force. Once the rear wheel starts to slide, it can turn forward or sideways.
Rear wheel slippage (drift) wears down the rear tire very quickly. If you stop a 50 km/h bicycle with the rear wheel locked, you can grind the tire to the braid in a single pass.
Learn to use the front brake
The maximum braking force is when a lot of pressure is applied to the front brake so that the rear wheel of the bicycle is just about to lift off the ground. At this time, a little bit of the rear brake will cause the rear wheel to drift.
If you are using a regular bicycle, the best way to learn to use the front brake is to find a safe place and use the front and rear brakes simultaneously, mainly using the front brake. Keep pedaling so you can feel the rear wheels drift from your legs. “Pinch” instead of “grab” the brake lever so that you can feel it. Practice getting harder and harder brakes, and realize the feeling that the rear wheels are about to lift when the brakes are slammed.
Every time you ride an unfamiliar bicycle, you must experiment like this. Different cars have different braking sensitivity, so you know the braking feeling of the vehicle.
Once you can use the front brake confidently, practice relaxing it to restore control of the bike until it becomes an automatic conditioned reflex. Reduce the vehicle speed and brake hard until the rear wheel is about to tilt, then release the brake. Don’t forget to wear a helmet.
Some drivers like to fly. When the front brake is applied hard on the dead fly, the transmission system will feed back the grip of the rear wheel to the driver. (This is why it is better to fly to death in winter). If you ride a dead-speed bike with only the front brake, your legs will tell you exactly when the maximum braking force of the front brake is reached. Once you learn this on a dead-speed bike, you can use the front brake well on any bike.
When to use the rear brake
The cyclist only uses the front brake 95% of the time, but in some cases, it is better to use the rear brake.
Slippery road. On dry asphalt/concrete roads, unless turning, it is impossible to use the brakes to slip the front wheels. But on slippery roads, this is possible. Once the front wheel slips, wrestling is inevitable. So if the ground is slippery, it is better to use the rear brake.
Bumpy road. On bumpy roads, the wheels will leave the ground instantly. In this case, do not use the front brake. If you encounter obstacles, using the front brake will make it difficult for the bicycle to pass the barriers. If the front brake is used when the front wheel is off the ground, the wheels will stop spinning in the air. The consequences of landing with a stalled wheel can be serious.
The front tire is flat. If the front tire bursts or suddenly loses air, use the rear brake to stop the car. Using the brake when the tire is flat may cause the tire to fall off and fall.
The brake cable is broken, or other failures of the front brake.
When to use the front and rear brakes simultaneously
Under normal circumstances, it is not recommended to use the front and rear brakes at the same time, but there are always exceptions:
If the front brake braking force is not enough to make the rear wheel tilt up, the rear wheel can also provide braking at this time. But it is best to repair the front brake. The general rim brake loses a lot of braking force when the rim is wet. At this time, using the front and rear brakes at the same time can reduce the braking distance.
If the front brake is astringent, has abnormal noises, and cannot be smoothly controlled, the front brake must be used sparingly. It is still necessary to fix the front brake as soon as possible.
Straight and long downhill, the hand squeezing the front brake will be tired, and it may overheat the front wheel and cause a flat tire. At this time, it is best to use the front and rear brakes in turn. Use a point brake to distribute the heat generated by the brakes on the two rims and dissipate them to avoid heat accumulation and affect the tires. When you need to decelerate quickly, use the front brake.
When cornering, the grip has to be both braking and cornering. Using the front and rear brakes simultaneously can reduce the possibility of wheels slipping. The harder the corner, the lighter the brakes. So control your speed before entering the turn. Don’t use the brakes when cornering is very urgent.
Their geometry makes it impossible to tilt the rear wheels for bicycles with very long or low bodies, such as tandem or reclining bicycles. This car's front and rear brakes can provide maximum braking force simultaneously.
For riding a tandem bicycle: The rear brake is useless if no one is in the back bike seat or a child is sitting. At this time, if the front and rear brakes are used at the same time, the risk of tail swinging becomes very significant.
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