Better leg braking?

[trio25]

I'm the same longers, although you are probably better than I am at the moment. Slow speeds - ie less than 10mph - it does something. But higher I need the brakes. Was assuming I just wasn't strong enough or not riding fixed long enough!

 

[ColinJ]

My friend's late father used to ride fixed all the time in the Peak District. He used leg-braking for years and had no problems with it at all, until the day he did that is...! He lost control on a steep descent and ended up having a really bad crash into a dry stone wall.

Definitely not for me..

 

[swee'pea99]

I was nervy when I first went fixed about leg braking, and kind of had the idea that using brakes was an admission of defeat, but people hereabouts reassured me and since then I basically use the front brake, aided by a bit of leg braking. There's no way I'd ride without that front brake, and I've never got the hang of skidding - I just can't get the wheel to stop...it digs in and keeps turning. Only difference now is, it doesn't bother me.

 

[MacB]

Yeah, not sure about the skidding bit, I can understand it happening if you have to brake in an emergency. But for fun?, I'm too mean, I want tyres to last. I can remember doing skids when I was a child until I realised that new tyres came out of my pocket money I swear my Dad had a little grin on his face when the realisation dawned.

 

[Ian H]

I saw these two threads were consecutive: Better leg braking? and Old chicken legs!

Leg braking is just one of the ways of staying in control on fixed. Nothing to do with locking wheels and shredding tyres, but keeping to a pace on a descent or slowing before a junction. It's much easier on a sensible gear ratio, that is rather lower than the time-trial or track gears that some folk want to pedal. I have two brakes, by the way.

 

[fossyant]

I got bolloxed by the coach at the recent track session for leg braking once I'd come onto the Azure.

 

[Ian H]

I got bolloxed by the coach at the recent track session for leg braking once I'd come onto the Azure.

Erm...how are you supposed to stop? Unless he had an aesthetic objection to you bouncing up and down in the saddle.

 

[totallyfixed]

For those of you that know the road down into Newton Linford from Ratby, [Charnwood forest area] I was once going down there on my fixed and managed to brake from @30mph to a stop using only leg braking. I was feeling quite pleased with myself until one of those freewheeling behind me said I looked like an epeleptic kangaroo. I try to be a bit smoother these days, but no brakes, you must be joking or maybe you are from London where it's some kind of fashion thing.

 

[fossyant]

Erm...how are you supposed to stop? Unless he had an aesthetic objection to you bouncing up and down in the saddle.

I'd come in quite quick and was leg braking quickly - he didn't know I ride fixed every day.....there was a mix of us out there, he was concerned I'd pull a muscle

 

[Rob3rt]

Ive been making a few shorter runs the last week or so, and so legs not so taxed, felt a bit more confident cause felt stronger and tried to skid a few times, didnt pull it off(I am thinking my low gearing makes skidding pretty hard to pick up), but deffo moved up to a new level of controlling the bike, feel much more confident skipping it about, feel much more like im throwing the bike around than trying to control a runaway train, lol. Hopefully I'll manage to pull a skid by accident and accidently pick up being able to do it, or some time spent in the park on the grass might help

Dont really need to skid, but I figure better you can control the bike and do stuff (even if you dont need to), the more you have at disposal should it be needed. Should be getting my brake fitted in next week or so though

 

[MajorMantra]

(I am thinking my low gearing makes skidding pretty hard to pick up)

Lower gearing makes skidding easier. Practice shifting your weight forward - it's not hard with your balls on the stem.

Matthew

 

[Rob3rt]

Lower gearing makes skidding easier. Practice shifting your weight forward - it's not hard with your balls on the stem.

Matthew

Lower as in a harder gear to push? How does this make it easier to skid? I'd have thought it was harder to resist its motion much like its harder to push it.

Edit: Sorry if im missing the obvious here btw.

 

[MajorMantra]

Lower as in a harder gear to push? How does this make it easier to skid? I'd have thought it was harder to resist its motion much like its harder to push it.

Edit: Sorry if im missing the obvious here btw.

Ah, no. Conventionally, low gear means easier gear, high means harder.

What gear are you running?

Matthew

 

[Rob3rt]

Ah, no. Conventionally, low gear means easier gear, high means harder.

What gear are you running?

Matthew

Ive always called low geared as in harder to push, sorry for the confusion.

Im running a 48 tooth chainring and a 15 tooth fixed at the back. So 48:15? Stated using the right convention?

Im buying some nicer wheels soon and getting the bike re-sprayed so might get a "lower"/easier gear put on that to see if it makes any difference.

 

[MajorMantra]

Ive always called low geared as in harder to push, sorry for the confusion.

Im running a 48 tooth chainring and a 15 tooth fixed at the back. So 48:15? Stated using the right convention?

Im buying some nicer wheels soon and getting the bike re-sprayed so might get a "lower"/easier gear put on that to see if it makes any difference.

That's about 79 gear inches which is on the high side for general riding, although not if you live somewhere fairly flat. I find about 70" works well in Edinburgh and 74" is ok though a touch high sometimes. Going to a smaller gear will definitely make leg braking and skidding easier.

Matthew