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MTB Braking Tips

If you found yourself blazing down hill on loose terrain heading head first into a tree the last thing you want to do is slam on your front brake. Learning to use your brakes correctly when mountain biking helps you ride safer and faster.

Remember these tips and consciously practice them until they become habit.

Pulse
Prolonged braking heats up the discs and pretty quickly reduces the stopping power of your brakes. Use pulse braking to keep your brakes cool and performing well from the top of the hill to the bottom.

Trigger
When braking pretend you are pulling the trigger of a gun. This helps you keep control and feel the amount of grip, in the situation, that the tires have and reduces the likely hood of sliding out when over braking.

Simultaneously
The front brake is stronger than back brake, so for most effective braking use your front and back brakes together.

Wet
Wet brakes don't brake as well, if your brakes get submerged in water it is a good idea to brake hard on them immediately after to flush out and water that might have got into the mechanism.

Cornering
Brake before corner other wise if you do it in corner, you reduce grip on the wheels.

Obstacles
Don't brake before obstacles, a bit of momentum is better than too little.

Fingers
Use 1 finger for light braking, using two fingers makes it easier if you need to brake harder.

Body Position
Ensure you have an even spread of body position on your bike cause if you are too far forward and your braking hard on your front brake you are more likely to go over the front, or if there isn't enough weight on the back tyre your are more likely to skid.