Which brake first?
- Thread starter ThompsonRH
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You are right.
GMA52
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I know this is an older thread but felt I should give my experience to save others what happened to me. Yes, that was what I was used to and then bought an E-Scooter. My first ride I went down hill on driveway then downhill on the street. About a block away I hit the right hand brake as I was picking up speed too quickly and next thing I realized my face was planted on the asphalt. Happened so quickly it did not register what happened at first. After breaking nose, bruising both eyes badly I decided to replace my bike helmet with a full cover motorcycle type helmet. I am very careful about the front brake but on my new E-Bike which is much heavier in the rear I do not seem to have an issue using front brake. Both E-Scooter and my E-Bike utilize Hydraulic disc brakes. My E-Bike front brakes are on the right hand side also. So my suggestion, do not be an idiot like I was and just assume. LOL
gromike
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On my electric motor cycle the only brake lever/pedal I use is the front brake, but it's got regenerative braking on the rear wheel.
On my Huffy Oslo, a 20 inch folder, I learned the hard way to never use the front brake if you had a drink.
On my Huffy Oslo, a 20 inch folder, I learned the hard way to never use the front brake if you had a drink.
PedalUma
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In 2019 the Specialized Creo came out. I took one from work home for the weekend to test it. My neighbor saw it and wanted to try it at full power. He liked it. Then his friend wanted to try it. I didn't know the guy. He went three meters, hit the front brake and flipped, landing on his back with the $12,500 bike in the air.
spokewrench
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I went over the bars in October, 1961. I'd just paid top dollar for a Raleigh that was outwardly decrepit. As I rode home, a homicidal boy hit the back of my front wheel with a basketball. The decrepit fender crumpled, locking the wheel. The bike went end over end. The geometric relationship between bars and seat was such that I simply somersaulted over the bars and landed on my feet.
I'm sure Sherlock Holmes must have said, "Position is nine tenths of the laws of physics."
On 3 e-bikes I moved the seats back several inches. On 2 of them, I bought hardware to raise the handlebars. I'm just after the tried-and-true riding position of classic 3-speed utility bikes.
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spokewrench
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In 1970, BMW motorcycles switched to Porsche brake linings, which they said wouldn't fade. I discovered that they would absorb moisture and grab. On a motorcycle, I think that's more dangerous than fading.On my electric motor cycle the only brake lever/pedal I use is the front brake, but it's got regenerative braking on the rear wheel.
On my Huffy Oslo, a 20 inch folder, I learned the hard way to never use the front brake if you had a drink.
Approaching a stop in the rain, I'd start with the rear pedal.Being single-leading-show and having a bit of warmth from the ring-and-pinion, it might not grab. If it did, ok: a rear-wheel skid allowed time to recover.
Then I'd gently apply the dual-leading-shoe front brake. I'd need fast reflexes to let it off if it grabbed because a locked front wheel would take down a motorcycle very fast. It was like ABS, where I'd immediately re-apply the brake. Each time it locked, it would get a little warmer. After 3 or 4 cycles, it quit locking.
spokewrench
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I wouldn't buy a bike like that. The seat is almost over the pedals and the bars are way too low.
PedalUma
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I'll bet you would like this 2007 Crossroads. The saddle is high because it was in the stand.
stompandgo
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Did the homicidal boy survive the incident?
spokewrench
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Now you're talking! The seat clamp appears to be about 12" behind the crank and 28" behind the handgrips. With the seat that far back, I'll bet the suspension post isn't necessary because the rider's weight would be more on the pedals and less on the seat.
I've read that to adjust a seat fore and aft, some fitters get the right height, put a crank in the forward level position, and have the rider sit in his pedaling position. A vertical line that intersects the spindle should touch the forward end of his knee. That works for me.
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GMA52
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On my E-Bike, I bought raised Handlebar and mounted it leaning slightly backward. I moved the seat backward as well. With this and the bike being heavier I have no issues hitting the front brake. I too found hitting the back brake hard locks it up and on loose ground or gravel it slides to the side on the rear end. I use both brakes now or front more so..I went over the bars in October, 1961. I'd just paid top dollar for a Raleigh that was outwardly decrepit. As I rode home, a homicidal boy hit the back of my front wheel with a basketball. The decrepit fender crumpled, locking the wheel. The bike went end over end. The geometric relationship between bars and seat was such that I simply somersaulted over the bars and landed on my feet.
I'm sure Sherlock Holmes must have said, "Position is nine tenths of the laws of physics."
Biplaneguy
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I'm in the "both" camp, but I modulate the front and rear pressures according to how the bike feels without really thinking about it. But I'd say that a front wheel skid goes bad faster and is harder to recover from, than a rear wheel skid. And I vividly remember friends going over the handlebars of the infamous 1960s Schwinn "crate" Sting-Ray bikes with the front drum brake (and the dangerous ballbreaker shift lever ).
).
PedalUma
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I use both without thinking about it like a fish does not have to think about swimming or a blind guy playing the fretless bass. I often modulate between front and rear depending on the terrain. If I am hopping up something like a curb I will use more front then let off for the pop up. Going down something like a curb is more rear.
spokewrench
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Testing braking distance from 20mph on dry, smooth pavement, I could stop slightly shorter with the front brake alone. It was a matter of modulating the front brake to the point that the back wheel was about to come off the ground. There was almost nothing to gain from the back brake, and I didn't have the brain power to try to brake the back without skidding the tire bald at the same time I tried to hold the front just shy of going end over end.
I wouldn't do that in normal riding. Until I start to decelerate, less than half my weight is on the front wheel. In real-world conditions, sudden front braking could lock the front wheel before there's a weight shift.
Normally, I start with one sometimes and the other sometimes, to check the feel of the brake. With my first e-bike, I pulled the rear lever one day to lock the back wheel so I could turn the bike over backwards for mechanical work. The pads had worn to the point that the brake had almost no friction. Because I'd always pulled the levers simultaneously, I didn't know how long I'd had no back brake.
I wouldn't do that in normal riding. Until I start to decelerate, less than half my weight is on the front wheel. In real-world conditions, sudden front braking could lock the front wheel before there's a weight shift.
Normally, I start with one sometimes and the other sometimes, to check the feel of the brake. With my first e-bike, I pulled the rear lever one day to lock the back wheel so I could turn the bike over backwards for mechanical work. The pads had worn to the point that the brake had almost no friction. Because I'd always pulled the levers simultaneously, I didn't know how long I'd had no back brake.
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