Late Braking And 'Backin' It In'

Miles turns a corner.

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Learning how to brake effectively is a massive part of riding a bike. It’s a skill that takes a long time to learn and can be the difference between keeping the bike upright or not.

Riders with a very high level of front-brake control can brake later and harder, and with a little bit of technique some can drift the back wheel sideways into a corner to get the bike turned early. ‘Backing it in’ is spectacular, a lot of fun and it can be a very effective way of controlling a bike into corners in specific situations.

For sure, many new bikes come with ABS, which is a nice safety net for beginners but also for experienced riders in emergency braking situations. But having your own internal ABS system tuned to a high level is a very important part of riding, especially high-performance riding.

Most people learn how to skid the rear wheel early on and have a bit of fun in the process. The front is another story, and many people’s first front-wheel lock up turns into a pretty sudden stack. Bikes loose stability very quickly when the front wheel locks. The handlebars start turning, balance deteriorates and it can be a very sudden impact with the ground soon after.

Developing skills