Do you cover your brakes?

[BentMikey]

No misinterpretation at all. Just see the poll - you're being a pedant again.

*plonk*

 

[Origamist]

For anyone interested, three Bikeability course manuals can be found here:

http://www.bikeability.org.uk/professionals/course_manuals/

 

[GrasB]

"...If you have bull bars (vertical extensions to handlebar ends) never use them, at least in urban areas, as you do not have immediate access to your brakes."

Now that's a broad generalisation! Before I changed bars on the Marin I could easily reach the brakes from the bull bars. I could even lock the rear wheel from them, though standing the bike on it's nose wasn't going to happen.

The other interesting thing is, as an experienced rider who makes sure he's aware of what's going on most of the time, I find often a quick manoeuvre is far more effective than jamming on the brakes for getting out of trouble. For flat bars not having full grip of them reduces the ability to change direction quickly & still have full control of the bike.

 

[BentMikey]

That's certainly a very good point - manouvering can be far better than braking!!

 

[ELL]

I tend to cover the brakes a fair bit because having 2 offs in the last 4 months one of which i broke my arm I tend to air on the side of caution

 

[ed_o_brain]

I don't cover my brakes all the time - in fact, I vary my hand position in order to maintain comfort for as long as possible. I suffer with work related upper limb disorder, so this probably is more important to me than many people.

That said, my ability to maneauvre/stop quickly has been tested on many an occasion and appears to come up to scratch.

I'm not a trained cycling instructor, but I've taught a couple of people to cycle and I've found myself instinctively advising them to cover the brakes - just seems like common sense advice to give an inexperienced cyclist.

These days for me it's not a concious thing.