Originally Posted by
Bill Kapaun
You get maximum braking when you DON'T skid.
You get maximum braking on the front since most your weight is transferring in that direction.
Practice your panic stops so you can perform one without a skid.
Panic is panic, which means that not a lot of thought goes into the reaction. The key to successful panic braking is, as Bill says, to practice, practice, practice to the point that your brain is wired directly to your grip muscles. Even then it's always iffy so rely on your road savvy to avoid the need to panic brake. PS: Glad that your incident only resulted in a bit of tire damage.
Makes you wonder why some fixie riders rely on the skid-stop technique for braking.