Braking Technique in Cycling

Moderator A ground-up bicycle braking lesson - front versus rear brake roles, modulation, body position, all built into a cone drill progression. Squarely on topic.

Reviewer Well-structured drills that build the skill step by step.

Reviewer Real depth - explains the why, not just the what.

Moderator About as squarely on-topic as braking technique content gets - covers finger position, brake modulation, body bracing, and heel drop as an integrated system, all specifically for mountain bike braking.

Reviewer Really solid, covers the fundamentals properly and explains why.

Moderator Thorough coverage: lever setup, finger count, front/rear balance, cornering and climbing braking. All squarely braking technique.

Reviewer One of the best all-round braking lessons in this batch.

Moderator Explicitly frames itself as a 101-through-advanced braking lesson - front vs. rear brake balance, body weight shift, braking before corners not during, and when NOT to brake out of nervousness.

Moderator Squarely mountain bike braking - one-finger lever position, using both brakes without skidding, and real modulation drills. Exactly this sub-skill.

Reviewer Clear reasoning plus real drills you can go and practice.

Reviewer Builds real understanding, not just tips.

Moderator Directly and thoroughly about when and why to use front versus rear brake - physical demonstration of weight transfer, on-bike drills isolating each brake, and application to trail riding. Squarely the sub-skill.

Reviewer Explains both the why and the exact setup steps.

Moderator Squarely about braking technique - one-finger braking, why it matters, and exactly how to set up lever position and reach to achieve it. Directly on topic and actionable.

Reviewer Real coach fixing real mistakes in real time - lever setup, front-brake drills, body position. Excellent.

Moderator Whole video is a braking-focused coaching session: lever/hand setup for one-finger braking, front-brake-only drills, diagnosing skidding/modulation loss, body and foot position while braking. Squarely on topic.

Reviewer Great concept here - brake before the technical bit, not through it - explained clearly with a way to practice it.

Moderator Entire video is about braking technique for MTB racing: lever setup, on-off braking vs dragging, when to use each, front brake practice. Core topic throughout.

Reviewer Clean, well-organized braking lesson - hits all the fundamentals.

Moderator Squarely about braking: front vs rear brake effectiveness, body position when braking hard, reading grip levels, avoiding braking in corners, group braking etiquette.

Reviewer Practical drills you can go try this weekend, not just theory.

Moderator Front/rear brake balance, practicing stopping distances at different speeds, body position on steep descents, and braking before rather than during corners - a full braking curriculum.

Reviewer Tight, accurate, no fluff — exactly how to coach braking.

Moderator Bang on the skill. Front vs rear brake bias, 70% from the front, why grabbing the front sends you over the bars, braking from the drops, back-then-front sequencing, feathering rim brakes to avoid heat. Exactly braking technique.

Reviewer Accurate, well-prioritised, practical — top-tier intro.

Moderator Bang on. Front-brake primacy, both levers with a bias, weight back, releasing on a skid (the ABS analogy), surface choice and cornering — this IS braking technique, soup to nuts.

Reviewer Good practical rundown - setup tips plus the grip/braking balance explained simply.

Moderator Whole video is about braking technique for MTB: lever setup, both brakes together, smooth application, modulation to avoid lockup. Squarely on-topic.

Reviewer Practical, well organised, easy to put into practice.

Moderator Directly addresses common braking mistakes — grabbing vs covering the lever, one-finger technique, foot/elbow position, front-brake avoidance.

Reviewer Quick, clear, actually shows you the difference. Good stuff.

Moderator Squarely about mountain bike braking through corners, with a clear side-by-side comparison of three braking approaches.

Reviewer Precise, technical, and clearly explained for its length.

Moderator A specific, well-defined bicycle technique - maximum/emergency stopping with proper weight transfer and front/rear balance. Squarely on topic.

Reviewer The traction/braking tradeoff explanation alone is worth it.

Moderator In-depth mountain bike braking theory and application - neutral braking position, traction-vs-braking tradeoff, cornering brake technique, modulation. Squarely and thoroughly on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Solid clear explanation of the mechanics, just wish there were drills to practice it.

Moderator Video is entirely dedicated to front-to-back braking technique on a bike: front brake first, weight shift over front hub, then rear brake, weight rebalance. This is the whole video, nothing else is discussed. Textbook +2.

Reviewer Useful, practical advice, if a bit casual in delivery.

Moderator Squarely mountain bike braking - common mistakes (grabby braking, wrong brake for the terrain, neglected maintenance) plus front versus rear brake characteristics. On topic throughout.

Reviewer Lots of usable wet braking advice.

Moderator Squarely about braking technique in the wet, exactly the sub-skill. The very tail drifts toward dirt roads but the body of it is all braking.

Reviewer Broad, accurate, good all-around primer.

Moderator Covers mountain bike braking broadly and specifically - brake types and their tradeoffs, body position under hard braking, practice drills, surface/tire matching. All squarely on the sub-skill.

Reviewer Solid fundamentals to build braking confidence.

Moderator Squarely mountain bike braking - front vs rear brake roles, modulation, practicing on different surfaces. This is the skill, no detours.

Reviewer Good trail-braking concept, wrapped in a lot of filler chat.

Moderator Entirely about trail braking (braking into and through corners) - a specific, named braking technique, well on topic.

Reviewer Right level of simple for a true beginner.

Moderator Direct beginner braking instruction as part of a learn-to-ride series - which brake does what, and the basic push-brake-feet-down sequence. Squarely on topic for the most basic level of the skill.

Reviewer Solid confidence-building basics, accurate and clear.

Moderator Textbook braking-technique content - weight shift, feathering vs slamming, rear wheel skid risk. Squarely on topic for a rider building confidence on a bicycle.

Reviewer Practical, well-explained braking; modulation and hips back.

Moderator All about disc-brake technique: finger count on the levers, hips back, modulation, and nudging braking points later. Squarely braking technique.

Reviewer Good beginner checklist, brake before the turn, front for power, rear to feather, but it's quick and doesn't show you how to practise it.

Moderator Three mountain-bike braking tips: do your braking before the turn and release into it, use both brakes (rear to feather speed, front for the real stopping power), and go easy on the front in slick conditions. Squarely about braking technique; the last tip is just to run decent brakes.

Moderator Breaks down a rear-brake lock-up crash and what to do instead: roughly 80% front and 20% rear, set up corners early, modulate the front lever with the rear adding stability, and trail-brake into corners, releasing at the apex. Squarely about braking modulation, framed around crash footage.

Reviewer Correct and sensible: lean on the front brake, brake early and smooth, use the rear for stability. More explanation than drill.

Reviewer Right idea, can't confirm how deep it actually goes.

Moderator Caption is specifically about the core challenge of fixie braking -- no freewheel, so you resist the pedals with your legs. That's the real, defining technique for this bike type.

Reviewer Good tips but delivery is a bit rough and disjointed.

Moderator Covers front/rear brake ratio downhill (30/70), braking before vs in turns — real braking-technique content, just choppier delivery.

Reviewer Great simple beginner demo for why the front brake does most of the work.

Moderator One of four beginner skills covered, but it's a solid dedicated segment on braking fundamentals (front vs rear brake, the lift-test demo) before moving to other skills.

Reviewer Good actionable braking cues inside a broader descending lesson.

Moderator Broader descending-skills video but it has real braking-specific content woven in - don't drag the brakes, brake before the corner not during it, stay relaxed through the hands and arms.

Reviewer Good, correct braking advice -- just not the main focus of the video.

Moderator Cornering technique, but with an explicit and correct braking rule embedded: brake in a straight line before the turn, never mid-corner. That's real braking guidance, just inside a broader lesson.

Reviewer Solid, specific braking tips - just niche to fixed-gear riding.

Moderator Has a clear dedicated segment on fixed-gear braking (legs as rear brake, front brake for real stops) within a broader fixie-riding video.

Reviewer Right core idea (resist the cranks to slow down), but 13 seconds leaves no room for emergency stops or front-brake use.

Moderator Short how-to on slowing a fixed-gear bike by resisting the pedals, pushing back against the cranks to scrub speed. Cycling braking technique, specific to fixies rather than the general front/rear-brake skill.

Reviewer Neat trail-braking idea buried in a lot of drill chatter - you get a taste, not a full lesson.

Moderator Trail braking / brake slide is mentioned and is central to the drill, but a large chunk of the video is about footwork, line choice, and cornering through cones - braking is one ingredient in a combined skills drill, not the sole focus.

Reviewer Knowledgeable mechanic, accurate and dense — strong on the tech.

Moderator Skill is Braking Technique. This is mostly disc-brake tech and maintenance — pad types, fluids, rotor types, caliper alignment. Only the final bit on feathering/cooling on descents is true technique. Components-leaning, partially on-topic.

Reviewer Correct, usable cues (weight back, low centre of gravity, elbows bent, roughly 70/30 front to rear): a solid starting checklist.

Moderator Short post on form for a hard stop: weight shifts forward under braking, so get your weight back, lower your centre of gravity, keep your elbows bent and use both brakes together, roughly 70% front and 30% rear. Directly about braking technique.

Moderator Practising full stops on steep, awkward trail sections. The rider's point is that most mountain bikers under-use the front brake and you can pull it hard if you keep the front tyre weighted. On topic for braking control on steep terrain, finishing with a plug for a set of brakes.

Reviewer Practising hard stops on steep ground and trusting the front brake is a good idea, but there's little how-to and it ends on a brake sales pitch.

Reviewer Clear, credible Park Tool brake check - good practical teaching.

Moderator Park Tool brake check - lever-to-grip test, pad hardening with age, disc pad thickness. Thats brake MAINTENANCE/setup, not braking TECHNIQUE (how to modulate and stop on the bike). Adjacent to braking but not the riding skill.