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C. Brakes
NOTE: For most effective braking, use both brakes and apply them simultaneously.
WARNING: Sudden or excessive application of the front brake may pitch the rider over the handlebars, causing serious injury or death.
1. How brakes work
It’s important to your safety that you instinctively know which brake lever controls which brake on your bike. In the U.S., bikes are
required to be set up with the right brake lever controlling the rear brake, and the left lever controlling the front brake.
The braking action of a bicycle is a function of the friction between the brake surfaces -- usually the brake shoes and the wheel rim. To
make sure that you have maximum friction available, keep your wheel rims and brake shoes clean and free of lubricants, waxes or pol-
ishes.
Make sure that your hands can reach and squeeze the brake levers comfortably. If your hands are too small to operate the levers com-
fortably, consult your dealer before riding the bike. The lever reach may be adjustable; or you may need a different brake lever design.
Most brakes have some form of quick release mechanism to allow the brake shoes to clear the tire when a wheel is removed or rein-
stalled. When the brake quick release is in the open position, the brakes are inoperative. Ask your dealer to make sure that you under-
stand the way the brake quick release works on your bike and check each time to make sure both brakes work correctly before you get
on the bike.
Brakes are designed to control your speed, not just to stop the bike. Maximum braking force for each wheel occurs at the point just
before the wheel “locks up” (stops rotating) and starts to skid. Once the tire skids, you actually lose most of your stopping force and all
directional control. You need to practice slowing and stopping smoothly without locking up a wheel. The technique is called progressive
brake modulation. Instead of jerking the brake lever to the position where you think you’ll generate appropriate braking force, squeeze the
lever, progressively increasing the braking force. If you feel the wheel begin to lock up, release pressure just a little to keep the wheel
rotating just short of lockup. It’s important to develop a feel for the amount of brake lever pressure required for each wheel at different
speeds and on different surfaces. To better understand this, experiment a little by walking your bike and applying different amounts of
pressure to each brake lever, until the wheel locks.
WARNING: Some bicycle brakes, such as linear-pull and disc brakes, are extremely powerful. You should take extra care in becoming
familiar with these brakes and exercise particular care when using them. Applying these brakes too hard or too suddenly can lock up a
wheel, which could cause you to lose control and fall.