Do you cover breaks more then you don't?

[Mr_Kipling]

After watching back my chest mounted camera footage, I noticed that I cover my breaks more than I don't. I cycle an MTB on the road in an urban environment in Berkshire, for leisure and to get to work. My fingers are almost always covering the breaks. Is this normal for this type of ride? Do you road bike guys/girls cover your breaks in that setting?
I have never owned a road bike, but I do assume that my front and rear hydraulic disc breaks have better stopping power than a road bike. My average speed is probably a lot lower then a road bike too, so I guess stopping should be shorter.

 

[slowmotion]

I commute in quite heavy traffic. The brake levers are far more important than the shifters. The bars and pedals are quite handy though.

 

[classic33]

I have the "suicide levers" fitted on the road bike. So on the tops they're used, on the hoods the brakes are covered.
On the MTB, terrain dependent, on the road, depends more on the amount of traffic & time of day.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

If you don't brake in time you could break a leg.

Disc brakes do NOT stop faster than caliper brakes. It is not brake force that dictates the maximum deceleration of a bicycle but the risk of overturning and going over the handlebars.

Then, the front brake is the one you should use 90% of the time. There are exceptions but it should not be your first choice. In an emergency on dry asphalt, only the front brake is to be used.

 

[vickster]

I don't have breaks on my bike unless I fancy coffee and cake.

I do have two sets of brakes on two of my bikes however! In traffic, yes, my hands stay close

 

[jnrmczip]

It seems that pedestrians have no regard to the fact I'm not a car and always think they can beat me across the road before I get to them so cover the breaks a lot when people are around. As there have been a few stupid people step out recently

 

[busman]

When riding quiet roads, busy roads, uphill and down dale I always have the breaks covered.
You never know what's going to happen. I remember on one ride with a mate. We were riding down a country lane and from no where a suicidal chicken darted from a hedgerow and launched its self into my friends front wheel. Luckily we had both slowed down as we had our hands covering the brakes.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

When riding quiet roads, busy roads, uphill and down dale I always have the breaks covered.
You never know what's going to happen. I remember on one ride with a mate. We were riding down a country lane and from no where a suicidal chicken darted from a hedgerow and launched its self into my friends front wheel. Luckily we had both slowed down as we had our hands covering the brakes.

I like the way you cover all your options.

 

[winjim]

I get my colleagues to cover my breaks.

My bike has drop bars; when I'm riding in traffic I'm usually on the hoods so the brakes are naturally covered anyway.

 

[Dan B]

If you don't brake in time you could break a leg.

Disc brakes do NOT stop faster than caliper brakes. It is not brake force that dictates the maximum deceleration of a bicycle but the risk of overturning and going over the handlebars.

Then, the front brake is the one you should use 90% of the time. There are exceptions but it should not be your first choice. In an emergency on dry asphalt, only the front brake is to be used.

Did you mean to say "In an emergency on a straight road on dry asphalt" or would you also use the front brake only while cornering?

(I do, but only because I've completely lost the habit of reaching for the back brake. I suspect though that that's not god practice even if I've got away with it so far)

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I have a finger or two on my brakes a lot, on the flat bar bikes I set them down quite a bit too so my fingers naturally extend to cover them anyway without any alteration of hand position

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Did you mean to say "In an emergency on a straight road on dry asphalt" or would you also use the front brake only while cornering?

(I do, but only because I've completely lost the habit of reaching for the back brake. I suspect though that that's not god practice even if I've got away with it so far)

On curvy or straight roads. If you lose the rear wheel in a turn, you've lost it and cannot recover. Emergency braking means braking at maximum deceleration which is limited by the rear wheel lifting. If the rear wheel just-just wants to lift and you apply rear brakes, it will quickly lose traction and move out sideways and you'll lose control. Emergency braking (and hard practiced braking) involves the front wheel only.

In situations where traction is limited it gets a bit more complex but the long and the short of it is front brake to be applied harder than rear.

 

[snorri]

The award for the 'Most Intriguing and Least Informative Thread Title of the Month' goes to..............................."Do you cover breaks more then you don't?"

 

[Yellow Saddle]

The award for the 'Most Intriguing and Least Informative Thread Title of the Month' goes to..............................."Do you cover breaks more then you don't?"

Give us a break, won't you? Don't go and put brakes on this thread now.

 

[snorri]

Give us a break, won't you? Don't go and put brakes on this thread now.

After struggling with the thread title, I'm a broken man.