Do you cover your brakes?

[Bman]

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.

Pretty much the same.

If Im on any technical terrain or cannot be sure of a clear road ahead, I will cover the brakes with one or two fingers.

My hands are however never more than 250ms (0.25secs) away from the brakes

 

[Origamist]

Well, the bit we disagree on is how much difference covering the brakes makes. I'll go for a rather more important estimation than you suggest.

That is the nub of the disagreement and I made that very point on page 3 (post 28):

I'd argue that reaction time is far more closely allied to reading the road (i.e. hazard perception) well in advance - a couple of inches of hand movement is of considerably less importance when it comes to collision avoidance.

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=924412&postcount=28

 

[Will1985]

I could put some of the time or most of the time. On solo rides I'll cover the brakes passing junctions but no need elsewhere. In a group I tend to have my hands near the brakes just in case...you never know what the guys in front of you might do!

 

[summerdays]

I was assessing how much I do it today - and mostly that's the most comfortable position for me except when going uphill when I'm less likely to be covering the brakes and more likely to be able to stop instantly by stopping pedalling (I'm nearly at a standstill anyway).

 

[magnatom]

I don't cover the brakes all of the time. I answered some of the time. I know my route well and I know where the hazards are. There are sections where covering my brakes is not required.

That is not to say that my hands aren't a million miles away from the brakes and that I try and anticipate the need for them.

I genuinely think anticipation is much more important than covering (i.e. hovering over) the brakes.

BM, this discussion reminds me of the use of hi-viz. Lights are far more important. However, hi-viz will make a slight difference, not much if you have good lights, but a difference for sure....

 

[J4CKO]

Yes, I cover my brakes, usually in snot and dribble.

 

[Matty]

Surely this is just common sense ....... do you always hover your foot over the brake in the car? Doubt it. Hence my reply of sometimes.

You use cyclists sixth sense to know when something daft is about to occur!

 

[arallsopp]

All of the time for me. The 'bent puts the levers directly under my fingers, and with the current steering setup there's no advantage to wrapping hands around the grips.
Actually, if anything, its more aerodynamic for me to cover the brakes than not.

 

[HJ]

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

+1

 

[CotterPin]

I am genuinely surprised and interested CP. I guess Bikeability would not be in favour of using bar-ends to change hande positions on flat bars for this reason? Do they recommend interrupters on drops?

"Covering the brakes" is the same as "keeping your hands over the brakes" (in my book). Is this just a didactic method to emphasise the importance of covering the brakes?

IMO, covering the brakes is best practice, but it is not essential 100% of the time.

FYI, Origamist - from the Cycle Training UK Cycle Training Instructors Manual. I hope they don't mind me posting it here! (my emphasis):

"Cover your brake levers with your thumbs hooked underneath the handlebars. Only grip the handlebars when going over a pothole or accelerating hard. Otherwise always ride covering the brakes, as this makes your braking reflex slightly quicker and you never know when you may need it. 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."

This is taken from the theory section describing the style of riding they teach and which they expect instructors to adopt. As I understand it, CTUK has been one of the principle organisations in putting together the syllabus for Bikeability, so I imagine (a) a lot of thought has gone into what should and shouldn't be taught on the syllabus and ( it would be similar for other trainers across the country.

I imagine it is a part of the training because it is easier to get a newby cyclist to adopt a new behaviour and one as simple as covering the brakes than it is to get them to acquire a whole set of skills on day one about how to read the road to anticipate potential hazards.

 

[Origamist]

FYI, Origamist - from the Cycle Training UK Cycle Training Instructors Manual. I hope they don't mind me posting it here! (my emphasis):



This is taken from the theory section describing the style of riding they teach and which they expect instructors to adopt. As I understand it, CTUK has been one of the principle organisations in putting together the syllabus for Bikeability, so I imagine (a) a lot of thought has gone into what should and shouldn't be taught on the syllabus and ( it would be similar for other trainers across the country.

I imagine it is a part of the training because it is easier to get a newby cyclist to adopt a new behaviour and one as simple as covering the brakes than it is to get them to acquire a whole set of skills on day one about how to read the road to anticipate potential hazards.

Thanks for that CP. It's what I thought: "always" cover the brakes - but there are then caveats...

If I was a pedant, I'd take issue with the term bull bars - but I'm not!

 

[BentMikey]

LOL @ Will! A paceline is a relatively high risk situation, IMO. In skating, it's the back of a hand on the back of the skater in front of you in case there's a slowdown or slinky effect. With a slinky, it's best to get out the paceline and roll to near the front, avoiding the pulse of the slows.

Magnatom, there's at least one significant difference with the hiviz debate. Covering the brakes vs. not covering the brakes always has an effect on your reaction time. Wearing hiviz brings at most a debateable benefit some of the time. There are plenty of road situations where hiviz brings no benefit in visibility.

Caveats? ...hence the almost all of the time in the poll. I have the same manual CotterPin has, and agree on the point that it's an easy win on risk reduction. For us all.

 

[Origamist]

Caveats? ...hence the almost all of the time in the poll. I have the same manual CotterPin has, and agree on the point that it's an easy win on risk reduction. For us all.

The poll was fine and made sense, it's when you contradicted the poll and selectively paraphrased Bikeabilty (with dreaded CAPS):

So... my reason for posting is that Bikeability teaches to cover your brakes ALL the time...

You made no mention of the caveats in Bikeability. That's why I asked for clarification and was grateful to CP for quoting Bikeability's position in full.

As I've said, I agree covering the brakes is best practice and certainly worthwhile, (particularly for absolute beginners who might fumble if they did not cover the brakes when faced with a tricky situation) but in terms of general risk reduction, it's of a very low order.

 

[BentMikey]

I love the avoidance of admitting to your compensation for your less than best practice, that was highly amusing!! And yes, you're being excessively pedantic about the "almost all the time". KTHXBAI.

 

[Origamist]

I love the avoidance of admitting to your compensation for your less than best practice, that was highly amusing!! And yes, you're being excessively pedantic about the "almost all the time". KTHXBAI.

I've done my best to explain that I cover the brakes and it is my fall-back position - a last defence, if I'm in a tight spot. I've not "avoided admitting" anything; read post 45:

I cover my brakes, but I don't rely on this to keep me safe (it's a fall-back...What is key however, is to try to understand what traffic up ahead, to my left, to my right, and behind me will do, and act accordingly - maintaining a bubble of vigilance, if you like.

As regards being a pedant, I wanted to find out what was actually written in Bikeability - not your (mis)interpretation of it.

I apologise to everyone else reading this thread for the need to keep repeating myself for BM's benefit.