Rear brake too strong, locking up and skidding
03-01-13, 06:22 PM
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Rear brake too strong, locking up and skidding
To start, I have SRAM Red (1st gen silver). I recently got my rear brake cables replaced, lubed, and tuned and the lever motion is so much smoother than before. The lever is snappy and returns to place without sticking.
This is a good thing, but maybe stopping power is now TOO good. I am able to lock up the rear wheels much easier, and I noticed that it may also fishtail a bit because of it. Even the slightest hard tap, rear wheels dead stops. I have noticed the skidding on down hills and emergency stops (and yes, I have crashed because of it).
I have even resorted to pumping the rear brake lever as if it were ABS. Are there any adjustments that I can do to reduce this stopping power?
This is a good thing, but maybe stopping power is now TOO good. I am able to lock up the rear wheels much easier, and I noticed that it may also fishtail a bit because of it. Even the slightest hard tap, rear wheels dead stops. I have noticed the skidding on down hills and emergency stops (and yes, I have crashed because of it).
I have even resorted to pumping the rear brake lever as if it were ABS. Are there any adjustments that I can do to reduce this stopping power?
03-01-13, 06:28 PM
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Are you saying the brake locks up and doesn't release, or it seems too strong when using only slight pressure?
03-01-13, 06:28 PM
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Im running Zipp 404s Firecrest CC with Zipp Platinum Pro pads (silver ones)
03-01-13, 06:30 PM
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EDIT: I can feel the forward momentum in my body, and most of the time I can control it, but there are some instances where I skidded, and once fell.
Last edited by d8168055; 03-01-13 at 06:34 PM.
03-01-13, 06:46 PM
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03-01-13, 06:50 PM
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Yeah, don't squeeze so hard. Also may want to get a little more weight over the rear wheel, when braking, to help maintain traction. It sounds as if you're relying on your rear brake to be your primary stopper. If so, don't do that. Your front brake has so much more stopping power, it's not even funny.
Last edited by knowledgdropper; 03-01-13 at 10:08 PM. Reason: typo
03-01-13, 06:53 PM
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You could run your brakes with the front on the right where your strong hand is and rear on the left.
03-01-13, 07:10 PM
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03-01-13, 07:38 PM
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You clearly do not understand the concept of weight transfer. Either that or you are trolling.
03-01-13, 07:48 PM
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Lock up the front brake at speed and enjoy the results, now lock up the rear brake at speed and notice the difference, well, don't, trust me, locking the front brake will cause you to simply go over the handelbars, locking the rear brake will make you slide, but my point is... apply the brakes equally and let your BRAIN apply minute pressure front or rear when needed.
Now clean your front brake cable.
03-01-13, 07:52 PM
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I brake mainly with the front, especially for stopping, but use the rear a bit so it doesn't feel neglected.
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03-01-13, 08:30 PM
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Certain exercises can lead to incredible forearm grip, in one arm only. Practice alternating hands. Stop before you go blind.
03-01-13, 08:42 PM
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If you are using the front brake hard, the weight comes off the back wheel and it will skid much more easily. Get your butt back on the seat and shift your weight back so you have some traction to resist the braking action. Sometimes the cure for a skidding rear wheel is to modulate the front braking to keep the back tire in better contact with the ground. Grab a big enough handful of the front brake and the rear won't matter at all (heading for an endo).
03-01-13, 08:42 PM
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03-01-13, 08:51 PM
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If you are having to stop quickly you shouldn't be using your rear brake as it becomes essentially useless in a full panic stop. Under full braking there is very little weight on the rear wheel so applying brakes to the rear wheel will usually result in a skid.
03-01-13, 09:07 PM
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You may want to check two things, and both can be checked without even removing the wheel from the bike. The first thing is to check that the wheel is in true, do you notice it moving back and forth between brake calipers? An out of true wheel can be grabby. The other thing to check is the consistency of the rim width. It the rim is bulging out at any point or inconsistent in width then it will pulsate really bad. You will need your brakes really close to the rim to check this and just give the back wheel a spin.
Also make sure your brake pads are toed in, that can help modulate the feel a lot more.
Also make sure your brake pads are toed in, that can help modulate the feel a lot more.
03-01-13, 09:31 PM
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Why would you use the rear brake?
03-01-13, 09:35 PM
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03-01-13, 10:56 PM
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Yes.
From Sheldon Brown's "Braking and Turning" page:
Maximum Deceleration--Emergency Stops
That's why a rear wheel locks up and fishtails when both brakes are sqeezed hard in an emergency stop.
From Sheldon Brown's "Braking and Turning" page:
Maximum Deceleration--Emergency Stops
The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear wheel cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.
That's why a rear wheel locks up and fishtails when both brakes are sqeezed hard in an emergency stop.
Last edited by rm -rf; 03-01-13 at 10:59 PM.
