SIMPLE Riding Hack You Can't Ignore (NO Equipment Needed)

[@AndyPatterson71]

Great content Matt. For myself using the brakeace at home in Taranaki where it's generally tight, greasy damp clay trails and not that fast, my rear is very dominant. Pulling a handfull of front on wet clay never ends well. But when I race in Rotorua the front then becomes more dominant to aggressively slow down from much greater speeds on your hero dirt. And the faster I ride in Rotorua the more that front bias increases. With the Rockets MTB Development Team due to our wet clay environment (perhaps causing some front brake fear) I have to run drills on a real steep fast chute to a 180 turn with breaking point constraints, and we then see who has front brake fear. I have high speed video of some riders bearly compressing the fork and more importantly not looking for the optimal place to pull that front brake hard, that's part of the issue, not looking for that spot to hook that front brake up. So from a technique perspective. What works for the individual in what context and why is always the nemesis of anyone saying how to do something. Environmental contraints can cause technique bias and as a sport scientists we need to be aware of that aspect as well.

[@mtbphd]

Thanks Andy. And great point - the clay you guys have sure is slippery, and that definitely affects brake balance. 2-1-None would look a lot different there than here in Rotorua. Thanks for sharing your firsthand experience here!

[@hein_mcleod]

I've been doing the 2-1 since forever! Never knew it's called the 2-1 method...

[@mtbphd]

Nice, not sure why I hadn't thought about doing it this way before. Think there are a few names for it too

[@lincolnblack3140]

I'm guessing this is similar to trail-braking used in motorcycle riding?

[@mtbphd]

@@lincolnblack3140 kind of, except this technique is more specific to corners with a downhill slope

[@jonthesailorman]

Holy cow, this is cutting edge mtb content! I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but this solidifies my thoughts better than I ever could have. Going to check out your podcast 👍

[@mtbphd]

Heck yeah 🙌 thanks for the feedback 🤜🤛

[@jonathanangieri153]

Thanks for doing this stuff and a super extra thanks for your podcast. I binge- listened to every episode multiple times when I found out you had one. This video really helped me understand just what you Demys MTB guys were talking about regarding this technique. Patiently waiting for another one of these to go along with your pod. Me and a buddy have talked about splitting a BrakeAce to help with cost.. Id love to try that system out.

[@mtbphd]

That's awesome - thanks for the feedback! 🤜🤛

[@drwilloconnor]

I like to combo early and late for a full braking experience.

[@mtbphd]

Just in case the first one didn't do the trick 🙈

[@3dflyer87]

Yesss! MTB PhD gold!

[@mtbphd]

We back!

[@3dflyer87]

@@mtbphd thank you so much for the amazing content! Every single bit of information that you put out is an absolute gold mine of information to improve my riding!

[@mtbphd]

​@@3dflyer87🙏🙏🙏

[@kjracz15]

So, it's called 2-1-none... This is something that I learned by myself. During gravelly no-berm downhill, to quickly reduce my speed on turns, I tend to grab on both brakes, but because it's gravel, my biike can easily washout, so I let go of the front brake while keeping up the rear to still slow down, then let go of the rear and let the remaining momentum propel the bike. The only thing left to figure out really is timing.

[@mtbphd]

Nice! Yeah I think there may also be some other names too

[@mtbboy1993]

Braking on ice: Riding on ice braking early is a must, you have to, but if not ice then I always brake late. So you have to get used to braking early if you have an icy winter. Studded tyres is a must, but they still require you to brake early and not be hard on the brakes, you might skid if you are about to come to a stop where as you would not on regular conditions. And hwen doing a wheelie be gentle with the pedal stroke or you spin.

[@mtbphd]

We are at peak summer here in NZ right now. The only ice I'm thinking about is ice cream!! :D

[@mtbboy1993]

@@mtbphd I'm in Norway. So it's ice and snow time.

[@phil5073]

Just a newbie in mtbiking, this is a little to be off topic... Let's say he has only 180 and 203... How should should you modulate brakes in steep rocky corners and what rotor setup shoud you use? A) 180F/203R - front modulation B) 203F/180R - front modulation C) 180F/203R - rear modulation D) 203F/180R - rear modulation

[@mtbphd]

Welcome to MTB! I'll have to say it depends. But keep in mind that a lot of beginner and even intermediate riders don't use the front brake at all. I have another video looking at my fiance's braking and she didn't even touch the front

[@phil5073]

@@mtbphd appreciated, thank you

[@mountainbikeacademy]

@@phil5073 you asked this question on my channel too lol. A better question if you're a "newbie" would be "how does my input make the bike stop? - There's front braking - There's rear braking - There is using both front and rear plus - you can use both brakes. practicing with just one at a time on some flat ground or a gradual decline that's safe and predictable will teach you the action/reaction of using each one. And get a coach if you can!

[@phil5073]

@@mountainbikeacademy thank you, i hope it didn't offended you if I asked it to many people that is really capable as you. i really lookup to you guys. Ride safe.

[@mountainbikeacademy]

@@phil5073 not at all! Just forgot to reply on my side :) keep pushing forward 💪🏻

[@islandershome7126]

Nice video, lot off perfect information. Braking is extremely corner dependent. In berm, it almost does not matter. Berm is just tilted dent. The main problem there is to not ride over the edge, grip is not en issue. On a flat turn, is braking critical. And there I suggest not to brake with rear only, in phase 1. Typically, rear tire is less aggressive and it has less optimal contact patch. (bike geometry, angle of fork..). In flat, do most aggressive braking while you are still straight. As you start using your grip to turn (leaning) reduce braking accordingly. Just before the most demanding place (low grip, max lean...) let the brakes totally. If everything work out correctly, don't touch them until next feature.

[@mtbphd]

I think you nailed it 👌👌👌

[@viperdemonz-jenkins]

just let the backend slide tap the back brake to get grip and hammer it. just be carful if grass or ruts in trail can buck you hard I know this from experience dislocated AC joint back in 1998, and I still ride like that today.

[@mtbphd]

Send it!

[@roddas26]

Is that still shot Rotorua?

[@mtbphd]

A mate took that one nearby

[@roddas26]

@@mtbphd nice forrest, looks like some of the trails in Rotavegas

[@j.albertogratacos2076]

MTB Phd, could you do a video to bust the myth that in mtb the front brake does 70% of the work? I have heard many arguments defending this myth like comparing mtb to dirt bikes, which have smaller rear brakes, but they actually do most of the braking with the engine. Or they defend the myth comparing mtbs with cars and street motorcycles. In these, yes, the front rules, but the weight is static since the driver does not move around. I do understand that in certain occasions the front rules, especially if you need to stop, but in mtb it's often more about controlling speed in loose dirt. For downhill and singletrack, which proportion would you say is more accurate?

[@mtbphd]

Thanks for the comment - that would make a great video. We talked about this a lot on Demystifying MTB and we have lots of data, some science and heaps of commentary to back it up! open.spotify.com/episode/5yvyi8mTBcy4JrckHDZ3zx?si=d-rAjGDaQDypcwCaMMp3sQ