Emergency Stopping

I'm riding a Surly Steamroller...a lovely ride, great handling and control, however I can't stop as quickly in an emergency as i can on a v-braked hybrid(Slam on breaks. lock arms and weight backwards ). I have one brake and ride 48 - 17 gear. I am just able to skid back wheel but still takes me too long to stop...

Any tips?

get a brake for your back wheel until you are more confident - it's what i'm doing (well, mine came with two brakes and i haven't taken the back one off yet; i've now been riding fixed for about 2 weeks)

Thanks d0cA... i've been riding about 8 months and generally feel confident, but have never been able to stop as quickly as on my hybrid. I wonder if i am either not strong enough or just havn't twigged how to do it properly. I don't really want to add a back brake.

Be more assertive with the front brake. But not on corners.

Will being stronger on the front brake make the back wheel jump up ? If so how can i minimise that risk?

Put your weight back I spose... i've done a fair few endo-type emergency stops and I stopped damn quick and kind of safely - more luck than judgement I imagine; main lesson for me there was that I was cycling too fast for the situation/location.

i do endos some of the time, as long as you learn how to position your wiehgt, put it to the back, and dont pull on the break all the way you can do a kinda skid endo at the same time, its sort of like skiping with the back wheel, also if you push the back wheel out when your skidding then you will slow quicker.

just get a stick..

i'll try the skid endo dj sounds fun.. is it a skid sideways if fron brake is on?

i've got a stick but don't know how to use it aidan.

skydancer i'll try the skid endo dj sounds fun.. is it a skid sideways if fron brake is on?

i've got a stick but don't know how to use it aidan.

when your going really fast,get the stick and throw it in front of your wheel...its sure to stop you

hockey stop, or skip. i can stop way faster with 2 skips than i can with a skid. then again i'm one to skid for distance and to be a prick.

glow

That's one mutha of a chain round his waist!

its quite normal...what lock have you got?

i usually ride with a chain like that around my waist and a u-lock in my back pocket. it really isn't that bad and after a few minutes you get used to it.

i agree
they feel heavy to lift but once on you waist you dont notice them
im just scared of what could happen to your hips in a crash?

I'm not in the city so not such big theft problems.
Although some "Scallies" (we're talking Liverpool's finest) were poking around my ride last week outside work.

Usually use a big D lock.

SMEEAR i agree
they fell heavy to lift but once on you waist you dont notice them
im just scared of what could happen to your hips in a crash?

I'd be thinking about internal organ damage too!

SMEEAR i agree
they fell heavy to lift but once on you waist you dont notice them
im just scared of what could happen to your hips in a crash?

if i keep it in my bag my shoulders kill me, yet i can do 50mile rides with it around my waist no problem.
i was riding a critical mass once and this german lady rides up to me and flat out says "you will break your ribs" and i have NO idea what the fuck she was talking about, and then she pointed to my chain.
i usually don't wear it low on my hips, i tend to keep it above my hips - almost resting on top of them. the few times i've gone down with it on the worst that's happened has been my love-handle-area getting pinched in between the chain and a bit of a bruise.

ChrisNW Usually use a big D lock.

On your bike or the scallies?

stompy [quote]ChrisNW Usually use a big D lock.

On your bike or the scallies?[/quote]

Obviously the scallies, otherwise someone would just pick them up and run off with them! Honestly stompy what a silly question.

Courier-bag strap ended up permanently dislocating my collar/shoulder bone when i crashed 2 years ago. But i was going ridiculously fast...

It doesn't bother me now, but in 30 years?

I hope everything turns out alright.

lpg Courier-bag strap ended up permanently dislocating my collar/shoulder bone when i crashed 2 years ago. But i was going ridiculously fast...

It doesn't bother me now, but in 30 years?

I hope everything turns out alright.

how tight was the strap over your shoulder that it caused you to dislocate it? would this have happened if you were bagless?

oh no not the whole bagless topic again
some people ride with two bags, some people ride baggless. lets all just get along
bags or bagless its still a bike

Well you don't see all those Tour de France riders with bags so it must be a bad idea