Haha! :lol: Randy come on now, you should know its too expensive to keep replacing riding boots after a few rides as compared to brake pads which last longer and cost less. I'll stick to the brake pads.
Brian! Firstly, I'm indirectly quoting Simon Pavey from last Friday's Off-Road Course. Secondly, if your brakes can grab and hold the rotor quickly enough (effectively enough) then yes, there's no fork compression. Don't believe me? Try grabbing lots of front brake on ice. The wheel locks before the fork dives. (What a great thread!) Bruce
Bryan- are you having a bad day? you seem a bit wound up.... :wink: It is actually pretty easy to get the front skid on a dirt bike, without the forks compressing much; it can happen if the rider hasn't shifted weight forward while grabbing too much brake, or on some bikes that have grabby, or really strong front brakes. For the OP and others; As a rule of thumb, most of the time skidding the front wheel is counter productive. However it is a skill that is taught by most high level off-road riding instructors, such as Shane Watts etc. The reason they teach it is to know how to handle the bike if the front wheel accidentally skids, or for advanced riders; to purposely skid the front wheel when they need to. I mostly trail ride, but I do most of the heavy braking with my front, along with threshold braking with the rear, and sometimes purpose skidding with the rear. On slower trails I sometimes do most of my braking with the back. It depends on the situation. All braking on the front should be done while the bike is still vertical and should be finished before entering the corner etc., unless you are a very advanced rider that can control a skidding, or sliding front end. All proper braking involves actively using your body for proper weight transfer.
Wow, great information here! I had no idea how important the front brake really is, so I guess I'm going to have to practice with it on pavement and gravel to see how the bike handles. Not to sure about the weight forward thing though. Is it always necessary do this or only in certain situations? :?
Your weight should generally be neutral to slightly rearward. Applying the brakes will transfer weight forward. If you start out too far forward, you will not be able to hold your body in the correct position to maintain control.
I suggest coming out to our annual training day. We cover proper techniques for braking, cornering, acceleration, body position, weight transfer, obstacles, sand, whoops, etc. It's not expensive, it's good fun and well worth it.
I'm definitely in for the next one. In the mean time I'll have to see what youtube videos are available on this subject. Thanks
