PULL A SKID

While you may fear having your tires lock up and the feeling of sliding, Canadian cycling magazine contributor Peter Glassford of Smart Athlete suggests it’s a legitimate skill that you should learn and get good at controlling, especially if it’s not something you learned as a young rider.

“At the shop I worked at years ago, there was a kid who would come in every couple weeks with his rear tire worn completely down to the threads,” he remembers. “So many of us don’t get that amount of practice with hard braking and controlling our bike and body while sliding.”

Usually avoiding skidding is the objective when riding, but as you may have experienced in driver’s ed, working on your skid will help you regain control. Glassford says this same principle applies when your wheels lock up on a ride or race in a choppy corner or during hard braking on loose surfaces.

Glassford suggests practising skidding, or hard braking, away from the trails and busy roads. “In the name of good trail advocacy and safety, practise skidding in grassy fields, so you don’t leave marks on the trails,” he recommends. “Start by walking beside your bike, grab the rear brake as hard as you can and feel how the wheel locks up and slides. Then, most important, back off a little bit to get the wheel to stop sliding. This modulation of the brake is critical.

“To begin skidding on the bike, start going slowly, ideally with flat pedals and shoes, in a standing, ready position – cranks level, heels dropped and elbows out. Then apply your rear brake for just an instant to feel the sensation of the rear wheel locking up and sliding. As you gain confidence, add a bit more speed and hold the brake longer.”

When in doubt, find a young rider to coach you on progressing your skid form.