Braking Bad Habits

Braking is about so much more than just stopping, or taking the fear out of speed. Use your brakes with skill and style and you’ll be faster and safer

- Andy Barlow

Slamming on the brakes is one of the first things you learn as a kid, to make everything feel safe again. No matter how fast you’re going, you can always slow down gradually to a stop, get your feet back on the ground and breathe a sigh of relief. As you get into mountain biking though, you quickly understand that applying the brakes when things get lively isn’t always the best course of action. Surprisingly often, when the terrain gets loose or twisty, incorrect braking will actually reduce your control.

This month we’re going to look at how to brake properly. We’ll take in how to identify safe places to brake, and why letting go of your brakes can often give you more control than applying them.

SAFE BRAKING ZONES

We all know that we’re not supposed to brake on slippy things like wet roots or slick rocks. While this is true, the thing no one ever takes the time to explain is that in order to do this, you’ll need to control your speed elsewhere — preferably where the ground is more predictable and has better traction. Safe places to brake might include open stretches of consistent ground, cambers on technical trails that are in your favour, or even just the safe run-up to a steep, technical chute. The less speed you carry into something difficult or technical, the more likely you are to commit to staying off the brakes when you start to gather speed over the bumpy bits.

THE COACH
ANDY BARLOW

Before joining Dirt School Andy liked to win things — races like the Scottish XC Champs and the Scottish Downhill Champs. Since 2009, though, he’s coached some of the world’s best riders with Dirt School and helped bring on the BASE MTB course at Borders College in the Tweed Valley. But what Andy really likes to do is communicate those pro techniques to everyday riders.

FLUIDITY