XC racing braking techniques...

[balls2da-wall]

My question is how much are you guys on the rear brake? This past race I noticed I was on the rear brake alot more than I usually am and it saved my right arm alot, but I am wondering if it slowed me down because I was not hard on the gas hard on the brakes? It seemed as though for hard corners I would use both brakes, but with small sweeping corners I would just use the rear.

[foxman_23]

rear all the time only use fronts when i need them . using the rear brake to steer is alot more controllable. the fronts make the tires do things you dont want them to do like skid and push trhu corners

[balls2da-wall]

Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks.

[stumpleg]

Rears for me pretty much all the time. I don't use my fronts very much. I did catch myself using the fronts in some small, slower corners where I was almost turned. But most of the corners last weekend I was just using my back brakes.

[CannondaleRider]

If your using JUST your back brakes when coming into a corner....especially a hairpin where you come to a slow speed, then your coming into corners to slow.

The rear brakes are about 15% of your braking power, meaning that they don't slow you down very fast. If only the rears are slowing you down enough, then you are braking way to early.

You should be coming into corners as hot as you can, brake with front and rear at the last possible moment(Sometimes only fronts if it's a corner that you can kind of back it into) Never start braking early enough that you aren't using all of your braking potential, and never be coasting......be on the gas, or on the brakes.

As for having the problem of your front end pushing when your on the front brakes....obviously, thats pretty much a problem on sloppy tracks...whether you brake or not, lol. BUT, in most situations, you should be able to manipulate the front and rear brakes, to get your momentum, your traction, the type of corner, the entry, and the exit to work together to give you the fastest entry, corner, and exit speed. That mainly comes down to practice, and knowing your bike.

[duke416ex]

I'll go along with c-dale on this on. One thing I have learned over the last few years is use all your brakes. I go through atleast 2 sets of fronts and 3-4 sets of rears in a season. In all racing you should go to the last minute to brake, and the fronts will stop you a lot quicker than the rear, the rear may be more controllable, but you need to learn to use your front a lot. Learning better braking techniques will make you a lot faster, as weird as that sounds.

[flauge]

Really the only time Im on the back brakes is when i need a lil more stopping power w/ the fronts. Im not sure if my technique is right but in the tight stuff I really work the fronts more than the backs... I hit the front brakes and feel for the weight to transfer to the front, work the gas, and whip it around. :cool: works for me.