Do you cover your brakes?

[BentMikey]

Well, do you cover your brake levers when riding? Keeping your fingers on the lever(s) themselves? One lever for the front brake counts if riding fixed.

 

[adscrim]

Mostly no, I do when I'm riding through town but not when on the open road.

 

[Panter]

Yes. Unless I can see far enough ahead that there's no possible hazzards.

 

[gaz]

I currently ride a hybrid, so it has flat bars, i hold my handle bars close to where the stem attaches, and thus don't have any hands on the gears or the brake leaves, so i very rarely have any hands covering the brakes. i only move my hands to the standard position when i'm filtering through traffic, or am in a situation where it's uncertain when i may need to stop.

 

[Origamist]

Most of the time on my commute.

 

[thomas]

I would have put "some of the time", but I really always cover the brakes as I approach junctions etc.

I put some of the time, but if I was around junctions/in town, rather than countrylanes then it is most of the time.

Depends really. Fingers are always close, but it would be uncomfy to keep my hands over them all the time.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I commute on an MTB, so flat bars, though I do have bar ends. So most of the times my hands are near the brakes anyway, but I do get fingers in position on the brakes when I'm in a potentially hazarous place (approaching junctions, etc.) or if I spot a hazard: dog, ped, squirrel, car, low flying plane, rabbit, whatever.

 

[ianrauk]

I would say some of the time.
Like to think I am a confident cyclist in heavy traffic (you have to be in London).. so usually just cover when needed.

 

[hackbike 666]

+100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

[ttcycle]

I cover mine most of the time on the commute as ride on the hoods so the hands fall there for the gear changes anyway and it's helpful for motorists/peds etc that run out/change last minute though often slow the bike down without breaking if it's an expected stop point.

 

[hackbike 666]

Im sure the Punchline is BM is going to tell us we are all doing it wrong......or at least I am....

 

[HLaB]

I can't recall where my hands sit on the flat bar commuter but I do no when I anticipate some bad driving and/or a need to stop quickly I cover the brakes.

 

[4F]

No but most of my riding is in the countryside

 

[dmoan]

Always when riding the Brompton and almost always on the road bike - for same reason as ttcycle - my hands naturally fall over the levers.

The only time I don't cover the brakes is when I'm down on the drops, riding into a headwind or spinning up a long hill, when my hands are closer to the stem.

 

[addictfreak]

If im off road (MTB) I only cover on downhills and technical sections.

On road usually on approach to junctions and other hazards, always in slow moving traffic.

Im getting to old to come off, it hurts to hit the tarmac these days