Braking on a Bicycle

Braking is one of those things you do without really thinking about. You might learn to ride a bicycle, but you never really learn to brake. You just push on the levers and hope it’s going to stop you (preferably without sending you over handlebars.) Bicycles generally need little maintenance, but I strongly suggest checking these aspects of brakes. Pulling break levers actually stops the front and back wheel. The pads are aligned to the rims (and not the tyre) There is no grit stuck in the pads (you will hear a grating sign when braking) Make sure oil doesn’t get on the rims (you can clean with some washing up liquid) There is an equal distance between two brake pads. Rear Brake / Front Brake. The brake on the front wheel will give the strongest stopping power. Applying the rear brake gives a slower stopping power. However, relying on the front brake can make bike less stable, and if you press too hard too quickly the back wheel can start to lift up. Control With Front Brake For situations where you do need to make an emergency stop, it is the front brake that is most powerful. To avoid [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/articles/braking-on-a-bicycle/

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