Do you cover your brakes? and if so, when?

[RRrider]

I'm turning to the wisdom of barf to figure out what all you experts out there do with respect to covering your brakes. Clearly MSF teaches NOT TO, but I believe this is because the temptation to grab brakes is too strong if you are a beginner. Many books teach to always cover your brakes. Track junkies and racers do not cover their brakes when on the track. Lee Park teaches that trail braking into a turn on the twisties is safer because if you need to adjust your line or speed based on some unhappy surprise around the turn, then you are already on the brakes and can smoothly adjust without disturbing the suspension and therefore your traction.

So what do you do, and why?

Do you always cover your brakes? Never cover your brakes? Cover only in traffic and when approaching intersections? Cover in traffic and in the twisties but not at the track?

thanks

 

[EastBayDave]

Do you always cover your brakes?

pretty much all the time...~90%+ is a guess...

front only, do not cover the rear...

 

[Honey Badger]

pretty much all the time...~90%+ is a guess...

front only, do not cover the rear...

This, with 1 or 2 fingers only.

 

[RightCoastBias]

Usually a finger or two, especially when splitting or riding in heavy traffic.

 

[Sean90]

I cover the front about 90% of the time too. That extra half second could save your life.

 

[louemc]

Your onto something I have to believe needs saying.

I cover, nearly 100% of my riding time.

It's because I ride the public road, where blind corners and on-coming (possibly over the center line) traffic is.

I can see why MSF won't tell a noob to do it...I can see why a track racer would only do it when they need to.

Neither of those situations mean dick to me...I know what My risks are, and how to improve My odds, at coping safely :ride

And..I up-graded my front brakes to be a One finger affair, so covering is easy peasy, the other three fingers and the thumb wrap the throttle, with no discomfort.

 

[Tharkûn]

Usually only when splitting or riding through a busy downtown/business area. Covering cramps my hand after riding all day

 

[revnort]

I almost always cover my brakes. I don't cover my brakes on a long highway trip.

 

[Bassem]

Street: 100% two fingers.
Track/races: Braking/in-corner/around other bikes. One or two fingers

 

[Tydive]

I cover in traffic or when sightlines are blocked. Really anytime I think half a second could make a difference.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Not nearly as often as I know I should. I automatically cover when splitting or when I feel I may need that extra second.
Its when I'm not thinking about it that will catch me out.
Still working on it.

 

[WWWobble]

Good question, I really haven't thought about it lately, but yes. Front lever, two or three fingers. I don't suppose I do it all day every day on multi-day rides, but it has become a habit and I do it routinely.

WWWobble

 

[planegray]

I cover the front whenever my (lack of) cushion of space demands it.. probably like 90% in the bay area. I also cover the rear brake when splitting.

When I'm able to stop covering, that means that life is good, and I can focus a little bit on how awesome it is to be riding :ride

 

[R1-Limited]

There are two many situational circumstances to fully answer the question IMO. When I commute I am always covering in traffic, splitting, or when my bubble closes. If I have open space I am scanning 360 constantly as that space can disappear in seconds.

Back roads, I am always 100% covering them, as you never know when you will come about to a cluster f*** of bicycle riders, dirt, cows or whatever.

 

[angelsndevils]

Just one of many examples... I had a lady pull out of safe way right across my entire lane. When she saw me coming she frooze up and stopped completly sideways across my lane. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates as I buckled down on the binders. the forks were completely sunk down and I was modulating the rear tire right on the verge of a full lock. When I stopped my front tire was only 1-2 inches from the side of her car. If my fingers were not already on the lever that split second that it took to get it on the lever may have been the difference of me striking her car. I sat there in the middle of the street shaking my head and could read her lips as she mouthed out a scared "I'm sorry!" I waved her on and went on my merry way. The only time I dont have my finger on the front brake is when I clutch up a wheelie....YUT-UUHHHH.

/cool story bro and all that shit.

 

[Ol' Gravy Leg]

The only time I dont have my finger on the front brake is when I clutch up a wheelie....YUT-UUHHHH.

Which is when you have the rear covered, right dawg?

 

[Mr Pepsi]

I answered no, but the more I think about it after actually reading your post, it occurs to me I do. Intersections, approaching left hand turning cars, cars about to bolt out in front of me. I've been known to cover both front and rear.

 

[MCCRASH]

All the time in traffic -- buys an extra fraction of a second which could make the difference (as it did a week ago for me when the minivan I was following rear-ended a car nearing a toll plaza).

Outside of that, I'd say much of the time but not all. If I have good sightlines, for example, I might not. It's hard to say because it is so instinctive.

 

[shaun b]

always, no.

approaching intersections, while spitting lanes, when anything looks like they may pull infront of me, yes.

 

[rodr]

I always have 1-2 fingers on the front brake but it's not just to minimize reaction time; throttle modulation is steadier that way.