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That is a bit of a misconception. Your front brake is much more effective at stopping the bike than the rear. People go over the handlebars because they are n

by 7952 8y ago

That is a bit of a misconception. Your front brake is much more effective at stopping the bike than the rear. People go over the handlebars because they are not gripping well enough. They are not used to the force. With a bit of practice you will never go over the handlebars with the front brake. The rear brake is much more likely to cause a fall. When you apply the brake the bike tips forward and the rear wheel rises up. It easily looses grip and can lock up. That causes a skid and next thing you are on the ground. Or just smashed into whatever you are trying to avoid. The front brake does not do this because the tipping forward pushes the front wheel into the ground. You get more grip and more braking potential. With a little practice you can stop the bike quickly and easily. You will never go back. But you have to grip the handlebars and tense your arms a bit to deal with the force.

ygra 8y ago
Depending on how the bike's mass distribution looks like. If the rear isn't very heavy, braking hard on the front will flip over the bike and you. For me it's anon-issue most of the time, as I have panniers which increase the rear weight so that doesn't happen, but when I don't have them I sometimes forget to adjust braking force. Might also not be an issue for e-bikes, as those are generally heavier and probably less likely to raise the rear wheel while braking.
- 7952 8y ago
  Perhaps. But it won't make any difference if you are not gripping properly. You still have a deceleration which your body needs to deal with.
- tomglynch 8y ago
  As a cyclist (I commute daily + ride recreationally offroad and race) I disagree. By keeping your weight back you can slam the front brake without flipping.
  - Symbiote 8y ago
    That surely a on the mass of the rider. I'm less than 60kg, and can start to flip a bike if I try.
buschkowitz 8y ago
Using the rear brake will not cause your rear wheel to lift up, unless you are using the front brake at the same time. Ideally, for an emergency brake you want to use 70% front brake, 30% rear brake, get off the saddle and move your bum as far back as possible. Safe riding everyone.
- 7952 8y ago
  It does though, regardless of which brake you use. I think this is because the forces are applied at the contact point on the road. It is like applying brakes to the left side of a car, it is going to turn left. The effect is less pronounced in a rear wheel because the braking is naturally limited by the tipping. Shifting weight might help a bit, but you still need to grip.
frereubu 8y ago
It happened so quickly that I didn't really get time to think about it - the car pulled out right in front of me with very little space. In hindsight I'd say the choice was to go head-first into the car or over the handlebars. I'm not sure there's much to choose between those two.
mcv 8y ago
If your braking is tipping the bike forward and lifting your rear wheel up, aren't you already in the process of going over your handlebars? In any case, I've never had this problem with my back-pedal brake, which brakes only the rear wheel.

by 7952 8y ago

ygra 8y ago

Depending on how the bike's mass distribution looks like. If the rear isn't very heavy, braking hard on the front will flip over the bike and you. For me it's anon-issue most of the time, as I have panniers which increase the rear weight so that doesn't happen, but when I don't have them I sometimes forget to adjust braking force. Might also not be an issue for e-bikes, as those are generally heavier and probably less likely to raise the rear wheel while braking.

7952 8y ago
Perhaps. But it won't make any difference if you are not gripping properly. You still have a deceleration which your body needs to deal with.
tomglynch 8y ago
As a cyclist (I commute daily + ride recreationally offroad and race) I disagree. By keeping your weight back you can slam the front brake without flipping.
- Symbiote 8y ago
  That surely a on the mass of the rider. I'm less than 60kg, and can start to flip a bike if I try.

buschkowitz 8y ago

Using the rear brake will not cause your rear wheel to lift up, unless you are using the front brake at the same time. Ideally, for an emergency brake you want to use 70% front brake, 30% rear brake, get off the saddle and move your bum as far back as possible. Safe riding everyone.

7952 8y ago
It does though, regardless of which brake you use. I think this is because the forces are applied at the contact point on the road. It is like applying brakes to the left side of a car, it is going to turn left. The effect is less pronounced in a rear wheel because the braking is naturally limited by the tipping. Shifting weight might help a bit, but you still need to grip.

frereubu 8y ago

It happened so quickly that I didn't really get time to think about it - the car pulled out right in front of me with very little space. In hindsight I'd say the choice was to go head-first into the car or over the handlebars. I'm not sure there's much to choose between those two.

mcv 8y ago

If your braking is tipping the bike forward and lifting your rear wheel up, aren't you already in the process of going over your handlebars? In any case, I've never had this problem with my back-pedal brake, which brakes only the rear wheel.