on 2/20/11 7:35 AM, Michael_S at mikeybi...@rocketmail.com wrote: > Angus, That's exactly my point. If you've ever ridden steep technical > terrain off road, you quickly learn never to apply significant > pressure to the front brake or you'll go right over the bars. In fact > you frequently use only the rear brake and shift your weight back > wards on really steep descents to compensate for that weigh transfer. > On pavement it's less critical due to increased friction and the fact > that roads aren't as steep. It just seems common sense to design your > bike with less powerful front brakes for just that reason.
I do see your point: the front brake is essentially made more effecient by its placement on the front of a bicycle. But, I've always been of the "you are safer with a sharp knife/axe" state of mind. I want my front brake to work well, consistently and effeciently. Then I'll make compensations with force and timing (and body position). We used to ride trails with our rear brakes unhooked (and some would just unhook your rear brake for fun when you weren't looking), just to force ourselves to get a feel for it. Yes, we stacked hard more than a few times (which is why I don't recommend it), but we were young and indestructable then. ;^) On trails, the rear brake is pretty useless. As soon as you start skidding, your speed increases. There's absolutely an angle of descent which precludes the use of front braking, but that's pretty close to free-fall, IME. Judicious balancing of momentum and front braking has been the trick for me in descending. - J -- Jim Edgar cyclofi...@earthlink.net Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com Current Classics - Cross Bikes Singlespeed - Working Bikes Gallery updates now appear here - http://cyclofiend.blogspot.com "That which is overdesigned, too highly specific, anticipates outcome; the anticipation of outcome guarantees, if not failure, the absence of grace." William Gibson - "All Tomorrow's Parties" -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
