Do you want to know how to brake on a mountain bike just like the Pros? Would you like to learn the correct braking technique that not only gives you more control, but actually helps you go faster on a mountain bike?
Yes please.
Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll learn the Pro mountain bikers’ three braking secrets. Secrets so powerful that when applied correctly will give you advanced braking skill and more control than ever before to help you go faster on a mountain bike.
The 3 Secrets – Advanced Mountain Bike Braking Technique
Much of a Pro mountain biker’s control, skill and speed lies in…
1. the way they use their brakes
2. the way they think about braking, and 3. the way they set-up their brake controls on the handlebar
These three secrets are key to developing greater speed and control on a mountain bike. This page covers the first secret – the way the Pros use their brakes. You’ll find the second secret here and the third secret here. BUT FIRST, let’s get started with secret number one. Welcome to the world of…
One Finger Braking
One Finger Braking
Why One Finger braking is King
Modern mountain bikes, particularly those with hydraulic brakes, have a hidden treat. Their brake systems and brake levers are specially designed to be used by one finger only, in any situation.
Moving your brake levers inward so that you’re only using your pointer fingers will give you
- better bike control
- better feel for what the brakes and tires are doing
and this will give you…
- greater confidence in all of your riding, compared to two or three finger braking.
And unless this skill is learned, your mountain biking may never reach the level you want it to. Seriously. But, hey, it’s all good. Let’s do something about it. But first I’ll explain a little bit more why…
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One Finger Braking Gives You More Control
More control = less braking = more speed
With One Finger Braking at least three fingers from each hand are sharing the job of holding the bar, even during gear shifting. Because of that…
- your hands will feel more secure and balanced on the bar. No more straining your little fingers just to hold on
- you’ll ride with a more relaxed grip. Less hand and arm tension and stiffness will improve your flow with the bike
and
- gear shifting will become easier
All that will combine to increase your control and confidence on the bike.
And because of that you’ll push your limits more and you’ll use the brakes less, keeping more momentum in every ride you do…
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So Go Do It
Change to one finger braking and go faster on your mountain bike for no extra effort. What’s that you say?
You don’t think one finger is strong enough?
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Take the Leap and Switch
Take the leap and switch to one finger braking. You may surprise yourself by how quickly you get used to it. That nervous feeling of not enough steering control at high speed…
…Gone!
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1. full-fingered mountain bike gloves – with non-slip silicon grip pads under the braking fingers to aid handlebar and brake lever control
2. quality lock-on mountain bike grips – good lock-on handlebar grips lock firmly on the handlebar. If your grips spin or slip on the bar then it’s hard to keep control of the bike.
[...] reading: http://www.mtbtips.com/advanced-mountain-biking-tips/how-to-brake-on-a-mountain-bike/ [...]
Just spent the afternoon reading your mtbtips site. Fantastic site mate with some really good and practical tips.
I’m going home now to try out adjust my breaks to try out this one finger breaking deal
Keep up the good work
Thanks for the feedback, Mark. I’m glad you find it helpful. And yeah, give the one-finger braking a go. I think it really is the cornerstone of better bike control.
Cheers,
Chris
Hey thanks again for your comments and time on the site, Zane. You were right – there was no link. I've since fixed it and made some text and link additions so they all link up. In doing so I now realise that navigating between the three secrets is a bit messy/not very straightforward. I'll look at streamlining it somehow. Thanks again for bringing ti to my attention.
Hey Chris, I just figured out what the problem is. There is no link from the end of page 2 to get you to page 3 of the braking tips… which is why I missed it! Read page 1, read page 2, clicked on link at end of page 2 and got an error…
Doh! I will read further before commenting next time!!
Thanks for your comment, Zane. I split the Brake Just Like the Pros into three sections or 'secrets'. You'll find the steps to moving your brake levers inward so that your pointer finger pulls on the end of the lever is shown in the third secret. There's a link to it at the bottom of 'Brake Just Like the Pros'. I might make a more obvious mention of the inward brake position on the first page now though. Cheers.
I agree about your 1 finger braking, but find many people need to shift their brake levers inwards on the bars so that their “pointer” finger naturally grabs near the end of the brake lever. Pulling at the end of the level = more leverage = more power from your one finger.
Thanks for your comment, Zane. I split the Brake Just Like the Pros into three sections or ‘secrets’. You’ll find the steps to moving your brake levers inward for better pointer finger leverage is shown in the third secret. There’s a link to it at the bottom of ‘Brake Just Like the Pros’. I might make a more obvious mention of brake position on the first page now. Cheers.