Do This Every Time You Ride!

Demo for quick stops while standing

Hard braking is the #1 skill for you to master.  It is not only a life-saving skill, but it is the quickest way for you to build confidence.  I was doing a demo on quick stops from a standing position the other day while teaching an off-road class, and my very first one would not have been a life-saving stop.  I missed the rear brake completely and even though I was using the front brake properly, my stop was quite a bit longer than it would have been had I been using both brakes.  Don’t have your first quick stop of the day be the one that maybe needed to save your life.  In other words, warm up your hands and feet and bring back that muscle memory by doing a few hard stops early in your ride.  That way, in the event you are caught off guard and must do a quick stop to potentially save your life, you are able to execute a life-saving stop.

A friend of mine shared where she had been practicing track stands a lot and got to the point where she could practically have lunch while holding the track stand.  Two weeks later she went to do one and she could barely hold the stand for more than 10-15 seconds.  Skills are perishable!  You must practice them often and in the case of a life-saving skill like quick stops, you must do it EVERY TIME YOU RIDE!