03-26-2015, 11:26 AM
The rear brake isn't meant to be used for emergency/panic braking, or even under normal braking situations. Majority of your breaking comes from the front wheel. When you brake with the front, the weight transfer causes the front tire to be pushed into the ground, increasing your contact patch and the available friction for braking.
When you brake with the rear, you can potentially lose traction much easier. The rear brake is meant for conditions where the front might break loose, like in the rain or on gravel. Or if you're racing, to set up the bike's weight for a turn.
If you're riding on a normal day on the streets, you should be pretty much exclusively using the front brake. People think that they should use the rear to avoid going end over end or braking the front loose, but it would take being extremely ham fisted to do that, I assure you. And attempting to use both in an emergency situation is just as bad. Trying to modulate two different brakes at once requires far too much processing to be instinctual.
Stick with the front brake, except in times with low traction.
When you brake with the rear, you can potentially lose traction much easier. The rear brake is meant for conditions where the front might break loose, like in the rain or on gravel. Or if you're racing, to set up the bike's weight for a turn.
If you're riding on a normal day on the streets, you should be pretty much exclusively using the front brake. People think that they should use the rear to avoid going end over end or braking the front loose, but it would take being extremely ham fisted to do that, I assure you. And attempting to use both in an emergency situation is just as bad. Trying to modulate two different brakes at once requires far too much processing to be instinctual.
Stick with the front brake, except in times with low traction.