Which brake first?

[ThompsonRH]

This seems like a very basic question but curious about your opinion.
There’s a YOUTUBE video supposedly posted by Rize, talking about the correct braking technique on Rize eBikes. The young lady confidently states you should brake with the rear brake most of the time and add the front brake if you want to stop quickly.
Now I’ve ridden bikes all my life and taken what they used to call the Advanced Cycling Test in Britain (la dee dah you say!!)
I was told and have always use the front brake first and added the rear 2nd, for prolonged down hill or quick stops.
I recall the reasoning being if you apply the rear brake first, especially on slippery surfaces, the back end of the bike will slide sideways and you’ll be a crumpled mess on the ground, you’ll be toast. Applying the rear brake first was a way to show you were a jerk; to intentionally skip the rear end and send up a spray of gravel.

 

[Gordon71]

How about both at the same time?

 

[fauconnier]

Both on pavement. Rear first on dirt and gravel as a speed regulator. Front first ? No !

 

[Gordon71]

Both on pavement. Rear first on dirt and gravel as a speed regulator. Front first ? No !

Why is that? If the goal is to slow down or stop on any surface I would think two brakes are better than one.

 

[fauconnier]

It's not an opinion, it's what I do. On slippery surface, I test the adherence and regulate my speed with the rear brake then I use the front brake, few seconds later, if I need more. To control a sliding rear wheel is nothing compared to a sliding front wheel, I have a couple of falls to prove it...

 

[J.R.]

I apply both equally in nearly every situation. You don't get equal stopping efficiency from both though, there's more stopping power from the front brake. Some say 60 to 70% braking power in the front, it can be dependent on the style and weight of bike, but there's always more braking power in the front.

I apply the brakes equally. It's the best way to keep the bike upright and straight on loose or wet surfaces and will stop in the shortest distance. Motorcycle riders learn this quickly, given high speed and weight. There isn't a downside to using both.

 

[ThompsonRH]

Interesting discussion. But I remember being told always apply the front first and I think, the logic is that the weight and forces are then vectored forwards, including you pressing down on the handle bar, applying a lot more weight onto the front wheel, thereby giving the front tire much more grip. And you can carefully steer into a skid should it occur. Applying the back brake first, there’s less weight and you‘re more likely to skid. Applying both means you still have less weight on the two wheels and the rear is likely to skid. This was an argument for road going bikes, not mountain bikes. Maybe more applicable to apply both brakes together on gravel. But I recall if you didn’t apply the front brake first in bike test in Britain, that was instant failure.

 

[Gordon71]

I apply both equally in nearly every situation. You don't get equal stopping efficiency from both though, there's more stopping power from the front brake. Some say 60 to 70% braking power in the front, it can be dependent on the style and weight of bike, but there's always more braking power in the front.

I apply the brakes equally. It's the best way to keep the bike upright and straight on loose or wet surfaces and will stop in the shortest distance. Motorcycle riders learn this quickly, given high speed and weight. There isn't a downside to using both.

That's pretty much how I do it. 90+% of my braking takes place on downhill especially if there is a curve at/near the bottom and I don't know what might be coming the other way. I tend to pump the brakes to slow the decent just in case I need to do a quick stop at/near the bottom.

 

[rawlus]

i apply both pretty equally, or from a muscle memory pint of view, don’t consciously think about it really.

front wheel will have more traction during braking maneuvers but that’s true in most vehicles as the momentum force is applied there to a greater degree.

i use rear braking on bikes with coaster brakes, remember those?

 

[PedalUma]

If I were advising a marketing manager selling to people who do not regularly ride bikes I would tell her to stress using the back first in a video. This is from a liability perspective only. I have seen people flip over the handlebar with the bike landing on top of them. As they go over they reflexively increase their grip on the front brake lever to hold on. That said, I use mostly the front in minor adjustments and technical situations. I apply both to stop and feather on long descents because of superstitious thoughts of over heating the surfaces. My coaster brake electric bike has a powerful front caliper and gravel tires. I am about to clean the front rim to nix a squeak and go for a town ride for a cup of coffee.

 

[Tbill]

I would never hammer on the front brake alone. The rest of the bike might keep going.
Especially on wet or loose surfaces.
It all depends on the situation.
Equal pressure on front and back seems the most logical - like in a car.

 

[fooferdoggie]

on our tandem it maters a lot the front has so much more stopping power since you cant really lock up the rear. but I learned not to use the back when we go off-road to easy for the front to slide out. its aways best to practice panic stopping till you really get a feel for it and have full control. the difference in how brakes feel can make a difference too so you need to be familiar with how they work I na panic stop on all your bikes. like I had matura brakes on my commuter and Shimano single finger brakes on our tandem. the difference in feel was night and day. I liked the matura it was hard to over control but you had to use 3 fingers to get full power. where the Shimano one finger can bring the tandem to a full stop on a 20% grade a huge difference in how they felt. so practice and practice more.

 

[McCorby]

Equal pressure on front and back seems the most logical - like in a car.

This is not true. Cars typically apply more braking force to the front than the rear. It’s called brake bias.

What Is Brake Bias? | BuyBrakes Blog

Brake Bias, Or Brake Balance, Is The Percentage Of Braking Force That's Applied To The Front Wheels. Learn More About The Role Of Brake Bias Here.

www.buybrakes.com

 

[smorgasbord]

For decades now, motorcyclists know the answer:

Which brake should I use? – Big Apple Motorcycle School

 

[Viking1]

I use both all the time at the same time. The rear by itself is useful for balance when making full turns at slow speed, however.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I think the best advice/instruction you can give is to know your bike. I always tell someone to try the brakes and get a feel for them when lending a bike (or car for that matter) I always give my brakes a feel for test heading out.
That said I typically apply rear lightly micro seconds before the front and then increase the rear as needed. Each braking situation is different so that's not an absolute. I also like to apply rear only going into a tight turn at relatively slower speeds... Just like how the bike whips into the turn. I ride hilly paved/gravel and dirt paths and not down mountain sides at speed so ymmv

 

[gromike]

My front brake does most of my braking. It's my grab brake! I do simultaneously modulate the rear brake to keep the rear wheel behind. If I'm doing a high speed stop, my butt is behind the seat.
Ebikes do complicate braking on a bicycle. Their speed and weight make them mini-motos, yet we ride them in the worst part of the road--the shoulder. Where large bipeds suddenly step off the curb into your 20+ mph path!
So everyone should practice panic stops. I did a panic stop one time where I thought, for a second or two, I was flying.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I use both all the time at the same time. The rear by itself is useful for balance when making full turns at slow speed, however.

I'll have to try that!

Still getting my low-speed balance back after 25 foolish years of little cycling. The local commuter train station is a good place to get across — or more precisely, under — the tracks on certain rides. But the ramps down and up include 180° turns that I have yet to master.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I second that. My 2 Emtbs came equipped with different brakes each has its own characteristics. Another factor is the suspension, mines are good but under heavy braking there's a slight forward lurch or dip reason why I try to apply equal pressure when braking on paved surfaces. Realistically it's hard to determine if equal pressure is applied.
I have not gone over the handlebars so I must be doing something right.

I concur, suspension makes a difference on your plan of attack.
Braking the front first on a downhill causes the front fork to collapse as the rear becomes light. That's my reason for applying the rear a split second prior.

 

[m@Robertson]

Know your bike indeed. Thats the best bet. Leave the dogma in a drawer somewhere. Brake as needed per the situation - being aware of weight transfer and where your center of gravity is going - and build a safe practice into muscle memory so when you have a panic moment you default to something that doesn't upset the apple cart. Slamming on the front brakes is definitely not that. I use the back brake to 'set' the bike initially and then a split second after that bring on the front brake. Thats the move that results in the least likelihood of my going over the bars or the front wheel locking up.

The OP's description of braking technique sounds almost unimaginably dangerous until you think back a few decades and remember what the effectiveness was of rim brakes on a much lighter analog road bike. Back when I was riding one of those yeah sure I was front wheel braking, with the rear easing in afterwards. Front pads wore at about a 3:1 ratio or more. Nowadays I'm pretty close to 1:1.

I still remember a panic stop a few years ago where I hit the fronts going into a corner and found an *oncoming* car in my lane. Panic-hit the front brake which locked the front wheel and sent the bike airborne and sideways a little. Thankfully it was a fat bike so when both wheels came down again I had enough rubber and sidewall to land stably and recovered without crashing.