FRONT VERSUS REAR BRAKE

Your two brakes will be able to do very different things on the trail. This is because, as you pull them on, all of your weight will be tipped forward against the handlebars and front wheel. The advantage of this is that you can get a lot more traction from your front brake if you can trust the surface. However, locking your front wheel because of a loose surface, or because it’s rolling over something slippery, will mean that it will slide and that you can’t steer to correct it. The way to balance this is to come off the front brake and use more rear brake. You won’t be able to slow down as efficiently, but it is a lot easier to control a rear wheelskid than it is a front-wheel one.