Bike
MTB
This is how to brake like an MTB pro
Looking to improve your downhill mountain biking skills? Discover how proper braking techniques can make you safer, more confident and much faster on the trails.
Braking is one of the most important skills in mountain biking. To ride faster and stay in control, you first need to master how to stop. Learning and understanding good braking techniques help you corner faster and handle any trail with confidence. We asked MTB pro athletes to share their tips on how to improve your braking skills.
01
Front brake stops, rear brake slows
This is a fundamental of slowing down any vehicle; the front brake(s) do the bulk of the actual stopping. Why? Well, when you attempt to slow an object down its weight transfers forward which increases front-wheel grip at the expense of rear-wheel grip.
Rear brake is great for skids, but the front does the bulk of any stopping
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Of course, your rear wheel still has an important part to play, but getting used to slowing down primarily using your front brake is a vital part of better braking.
02
Squeeze your brakes, don't grab them
Learning to quickly and accurately modulate braking forces through your brake levers is really important. Pull hard on either lever and there’s enough power in all disc brakes to instantly lock a wheel – the consequences of which are slightly more substantial when talking about the front brake.
Progressive brake modulation is vital on uneven, unpredictable surfaces
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
Practise progressively increasing pressure on the lever to help you slow down. Doing this means that you can learn to adjust your rate of deceleration and, should a wheel lock, you can intuitively ease off the pressure to free it up again.
03
Brake before you turn
You want to be off your front brake before you tip in to turns
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
Your front wheel is responsible for both slowing you down and changing your direction, so asking it to do both at the same time is pretty demanding. Corners should be used to generate speed as opposed to reducing it, so in order for your tyres and suspension to garner maximum grip when turning, your braking should be over and done with by the time you tip the bike in.
To practise this, find a slow-speed corner on your favourite section of trail. Use a riding pack or bottle as a braking marker and experiment with moving it towards and away from the turn. Start slow and build up your speed and confidence levels. In the middle of the turn you can use your brakes to make small adjustments but that should not include speed-robbing comfort drags. Remember, slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
04
Skids = slow
Laurie Greenland at Red Bull Hardline 2024
© Graeme Murray / Red Bull Content Pool
Pulling on a handful of back brake and skidding to a halt makes you look like the coolest rider on earth, doesn't it? Nope. Skidding wrecks tyres, wrecks trails and doesn’t actually slow you down that much. Drifting, the art of breaking traction through speed, is however cool and is resolutely not skidding. Learn drifting, not skidding!
If you feel that your rear brake is either on or off and locks up all of a sudden in the lever stroke, then it may need bleeding or some new pads fitting.
05
Tyre pressure has a big braking effect
Fairclough usually runs lower pressure than most
© Nathan Hughes
Tyre pressure can make a massive difference to your braking performance. Too high and locking up becomes easier, too soft and there’ll be a lack of support. The same goes for fork pressure too if you’re riding an air-sprung fork. Experiment with tyre and suspension pressures across the same section of trail to feel the difference they make.
Braking bonus pointers:
- Four piston brakes are now commonplace on most high-end trail and enduro bikes, and are a good upgrade if you regularly ride long, steep descents.
- Upgrading your brake pads is one of the most cash-efficient bike upgrades you can make. If you ride somewhere cold, try swapping to metallic pads instead of organic ones. They heat up quicker and so offer more initial bite right from the off.
- If your brake levers allow for reach adjustment, experiment a few clicks at a time. Too far from the bar can increase arm pump, while too close can equal pinched pinkies.
- Drop your heels to help your rear wheel dig into loose terrain under braking.
