How to brake safely when biking: tips for safer cycling

As for riders, one of the most important and essential skills is how to brake safely. When you come across an emergency, the proper way of braking may avoid an accident and save your life, besides, it can also improve efficiency and save your energy when necessary. However, many people often get wrong when biking. Here are a few essential brake skills you require to know and by following the tips listed below, you will be able to control your bike in any cases and ride safely.how to brake safely

1. Check your brakes before your riding

To make sure you brake safely, the first thing you need to do is to check your brakes before your riding. It can be very dangerous if your brakes are not working properly. Make sure your brake pads are in good condition and parallel to the rim. If any part of the pad touches the tire, it will tear it. Besides, make sure the entire pad contacts it when they squeeze the braking surface. Your cables and housing should be changed every year to keep them in good condition. And then test your brakes. Push your bike forward and apply the front brake hard to see if it could lock the wheel, stop the bike and lift the rear wheel off the ground. With the same method to test your rear brake.

2. Fingers ready

Be sure to rest your fingers on the brake lever because there are always wheels in front of you and you will never know when you have to stop. Keep your fingers ready and you will be able to brake timely and quickly and reduce the possibility of emergency when your hands find the brakes. Besides, you need to apply pressure evenly to each brake lever to make both tires share the load that can help you maintain stability and control.

3. Don’t panic

There is no good to panic when you find yourself in a situation where you need to brake quickly. If you panic, you will be more likely to make a mistake that can cause injuries. you can find somewhere quiet to build up speed and then stop yourself with the brakes. Every time you practice you need to notice how fast you can stop and how long it takes your time to actually stop. It’s worth your time to practice braking safely. Practice more and you will know how to react instinctively and properly.

4. Front brake or rear?use your rear brake when you arr on bump surface or slippery surface

The front brake is your friend and should be your primary means of stopping you. Remember the rear brake work best to regulate your speed but it is not designed to reduce speed in a hurry. If you reduce speed in a hurry with your rear brake, it will lose traction and skid which means you are out of control. Often, you will use both front and rear brakes and for most experienced cyclists using the front brake alone or apply more force through the front brake is their first choice. However, there are some cases when the rear brake is preferred. On the slippery surface and bumpy surfaces, you should leave the front brake alone because it’s possible to skid the front wheel by braking and your bike will have a harder time mounting the bump. In these cases, just keep you speed low and apply your rear brake carefully.

5.Emergency stopsbaking and properly male you a safer journey

To avoid braking suddenly, you need to scan well ahead. You should brake gradually when you are approaching junctions and traffic lights. I believe many people might slam on the brakes by instinct when there is a car pulling out of a side road right in front of them. In this cases, you ‘d better off swerving and accelerating because you will be not able to stop timely enough if you are too close to the car. If there is enough room for you to stop, make sure to keep your wheel as straight as possible to prevent you from potential skidding and other possible accidents.

Summary

Your practice will pay off as you become more confident and experienced on your bike in all kinds of riding. The journey is full of unexpected things, and the better you can stop, the safer and more confidently you can go.