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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

How many fingers on the brakes?

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Old 05-21-11, 08:46 AM
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Silvercivic27
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How many fingers on the brakes?
How many fingers do you use for the brakes and under what circumstances?
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Old 05-21-11, 09:15 AM
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rogerstg
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0 to 3 depending on my perceived potential need.
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Old 05-21-11, 09:15 AM
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DonDenver
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I never touch the brakes...I let my wheel wobble rub the pads
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Old 05-21-11, 09:28 AM
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spock
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Originally Posted by Silvercivic27
How many fingers do you use for the brakes and under what circumstances?
Under no circumstances!!! You use brake pads for that. I mean you could try it with fingers, but the leverage wouldn't be enough to be effective at slowing down the bike and may I recommend some gloves...

Being literal aside, It's mostly 3 to press and a thumb for leverage
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Old 05-21-11, 09:44 AM
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DataJunkie
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1. You take a guess.
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Old 05-21-11, 11:59 AM
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Jed19
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I set up my brakes so as to be able to use two fingers to stop at all times. I pay particular attention, as in check b/4 every ride, to my front brake especially.
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Old 05-21-11, 12:02 PM
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LesterOfPuppets
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2 from drops, 3 from hoods. (per lever) (under any circumstances where I need or want to slow down)
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Old 05-21-11, 12:13 PM
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inkspot
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2 mostly, drops and hoods.
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Old 05-21-11, 01:22 PM
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ThinLine
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Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets
2 from drops, 3 from hoods. (per lever) (under any circumstances where I need or want to slow down)
+1
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Old 05-21-11, 01:23 PM
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mutantdunk
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2 or 3 on the hoods unless I'm out of the saddle climbing and then it's 1 with the rest of my hand wrapped around the hoods.

On the drops, zero to one normally. 2 on a hairy, downhill turn.
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Old 05-21-11, 02:21 PM
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mac61
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How fast do you want to stop ---- seriously though i use 2 most of the time as i ride quiet streets and judge my stops well ahead.
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Old 05-21-11, 03:00 PM
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Val23708
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2 drops, 2-3 on hoods depending on how hard i want to stop...

also since i can shift and brake at the same time (SRAM) sometimes when i slow down for a light i shift into the proper gear to take off so that would be 2 on the brake lever and 1 (ring finger) on the shift lever
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Old 05-21-11, 03:49 PM
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fishymamba
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2 Drops 3 Hoods
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Old 05-21-11, 04:01 PM
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Gluteus
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Brakes are for sissies.
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Old 05-21-11, 04:52 PM
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AndyK 
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2 hoods, 2 drops. Modern brakes are awesome!
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Old 05-21-11, 04:53 PM
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mustang1
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Originally Posted by inkspot
2 mostly, drops and hoods.
+1
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Old 05-21-11, 05:17 PM
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ericm979
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On the drops, which I use for any serious descent, 2 for the front brake and 1 for the rear.
On the hoods its whatever I think I need.
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Old 05-21-11, 08:04 PM
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I usually have my pointer and my thumb out for my brakes. Since I don't have levers on my hoods, I try to pinch the breaking surface of the wheel as I go down the hill. It's not bad except for technical descents that I need to concentrate on the roads curvature and speed management.
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Old 05-21-11, 08:12 PM
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surgeonstone
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Two. Not one- save in passing to two. Three is right out.
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Old 05-21-11, 09:07 PM
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Sanman023
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i use my coaster brakes...
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