11-30-2016, 10:18 AM
This is key:
"You never grab the brakes, even in an emergency."
I hear and read so many times, over and again, the phrase "panic brake" as though that's the only option, just grab a handful and pray. "I had to panic brake!" No. That's nuts and it's wrong. It's entirely possible to train a rider to never grab the brakes even under the most severe duress. You can teach a pilot to recover from a stall, which is not even close to being instinctive behaviour. But after practicing stall recovery, a decent pilot can do it every time (and he or she had better!).
Same thing for brakes. I learned this a long time ago and it has saved me from some real problems. You bring in a certain amount of brake to compress the suspension part way whilst retaining control, then start to maneuver. It later becomes instinctive.
"You never grab the brakes, even in an emergency."
I hear and read so many times, over and again, the phrase "panic brake" as though that's the only option, just grab a handful and pray. "I had to panic brake!" No. That's nuts and it's wrong. It's entirely possible to train a rider to never grab the brakes even under the most severe duress. You can teach a pilot to recover from a stall, which is not even close to being instinctive behaviour. But after practicing stall recovery, a decent pilot can do it every time (and he or she had better!).
Same thing for brakes. I learned this a long time ago and it has saved me from some real problems. You bring in a certain amount of brake to compress the suspension part way whilst retaining control, then start to maneuver. It later becomes instinctive.