Braking Fingers

[wkid_one]

What do you use?

I use my two middle fingers as a carry over from my mountain bike.....never got used to using my index and big finger as I can't modulate the brake properly??

Dan

[Shade]

I use my last 3 fingers, and leave my index finger around the throttle for when i get back on the gas.

[bondagebunny]

leave any fingers behind the brake lever - all 4 fingers over brake - and brake from out side in ie little finger first - longest part of lever gives best leverage.
not leaving fingers behind is a simple safety thing - If the bike is dropped the bars are the wisest part and hit the road first and that will cause at best broken fingers.
Using out side fingers takes a fair bit of training of ones self, but is worth it if you can be bothered to try.

[bungbung]

Yep, I use all fingers for braking. You can roll your thumb along the side of your hand for throttle control while leaving all fingers on the lever (blip for downshift etc.)

[madandy]

I use index and middle.No probs with braking power, modulation or rev blipping. It worked well on my road racing bicycle(105 STi) as well as my mountainbike(XT servo-wave(two finger levers)).

I guess, really it's what we all learned to do as youngsters on our pushies and first m/bikes. Personal preferences and all that.

[Motu]

Jeez - a poll and a thread,talk about overkill!!

I do the lot - first 2 fingers on brake,rear brake and lots of engine braking...chopping down and tossing in is my style.

[Yamahamaman]

modulation or rev blipping. It worked well on my road racing bicycle(105 STi)

I don't know anything about the 105 STi - is it 2 stroke or 4 stroke and how many cylinders? :confused2

[wkid_one]

Jeez - a poll and a thread,talk about overkill!!

I do the lot - first 2 fingers on brake,rear brake and lots of engine braking...chopping down and tossing in is my style.

I actually asked Spankme to delete this thread as I accidently pushed enter when doing the poll

[Skyryder]

leave any fingers behind the brake lever - all 4 fingers over brake - and brake from out side in ie little finger first - longest part of lever gives best leverage.
not leaving fingers behind is a simple safety thing - If the bike is dropped the bars are the wisest part and hit the road first and that will cause at best broken fingers.
Using out side fingers takes a fair bit of training of ones self, but is worth it if you can be bothered to try.

Right on. Not only is the leverage better but from the outside of the palm this is where the strength is. Take a look at your palm and you will see a shaft of muscle:hypothenar group. http://eduserv.hscer.washington.edu/...atlas/122.html

This is what gives the strangth when gripping in conjuction with the thenar group that controls the thumb . If for any reason you have to brake harder than anticipated everything is in place.

Skyryder

[Coldkiwi]

of course, on modern sportsbikes, you don't need the full power of the average hand to bring the whole show to a screeching halt. Frinstance, I was quite happy just using the first two fingers for my braking into the hairpin at pukekohe. So long as I had the span adjusted far enough out that I wasn't squashing my index and pinky when the brake was fully applied I had no problems.

I ride the same way when lane splitting so i can control throttle without having to move my hand away from the brake if I have to stop for one of those adrenaline junkie moments!

[pete376403]

Does that mean the old vintage bikes were better in that the brake lever used to pivot at the outer end of the bar - therefore the strongest fingers would get the most leverage? Suppose that really matters when the brake pads are leather

[merv]

I do the lot - first 2 fingers on brake,rear brake and lots of engine braking...chopping down and tossing in is my style.

Same here, I find I gotta have some of my fingers like the last three on the throttle grip so you can blip the throttle on the down changes under braking. The rolling action bung talks about doesn't give me the control I'd want (especially not bumping along gravel roads) and I don't worry about what bunny is saying because if it comes to a crash on the right side you'd be better to get your hand away from the bar altogether before it hits the deck - either way you don't want your hand mashed under any part of the bike. No use worrying about braking if the bike is already on its side. The last bit is slightly different on the dirt bike with the wide bars you tend to crash differently and can avoid having the bars tuck under by hanging on and holding them straight and decking it straight down on the bar end.

[wkid_one]

of course, on modern sportsbikes, you don't need the full power of the average hand to bring the whole show to a screeching halt. Frinstance, I was quite happy just using the first two fingers for my braking into the hairpin at pukekohe. So long as I had the span adjusted far enough out that I wasn't squashing my index and pinky when the brake was fully applied I had no problems.

You shouldn't be adjusted the span of the brakes to stop that - you should be bleeding them. Being able to pull the lever right in suggests you have too much water or air in your system

On both the VTR and R1 I had a total of about half to an inchs play on the brakes from off to full on.....if you can pull it back to the throttle - best get'm sorted.

I use middle two as this is how I did it downhilling the MTB

[wkid_one]

Right on. Not only is the leverage better but from the outside of the palm this is where the strength is. Take a look at your palm and you will see a shaft of muscle:hypothenar group. http://eduserv.hscer.washington.edu/...atlas/122.html

This is what gives the strangth when gripping in conjuction with the thenar group that controls the thumb . If for any reason you have to brake harder than anticipated everything is in place.

Skyryder

Braking isn't about strength of your hand. Using your little finger means you have to adjust your lever right in as you little finger is not only the shortest but also as the lever diverges from the throttle towards the end of the lever - you actually have LESS leverage. Try lifting a 10kg weight with your arm fully extended - then try doing it as close as possible to your body. Same principal applies in the brakes. Yes, whilst your others fingers are closer to the fulcrum on the lever - they are significantly stronger and can apply more force than the outside two fingers. I would rather trust my braking to my strongest and longest fingers (force and leverage) than the smallest and weakest?

As for braking a finger - this is why MotoGP gloves actually strap the little and next to little finger together. As the riders brake with their index and big fingers - as per this pic.


Hard to see - but the 3rd and 4th finger are joined.

[Milky]

I always used to brake with inside two fingers on a racing bike - one with pedals - but since getting onto the wonders of cable operated discs and drums I have started using the full set of fingers... I find I can blip perfectly well in most situations, but if it is very bumpy I have a little trouble. It seems to me that most of my force comes from my ring/middle finger area, maybe due to my hand size and non adjustable reach on the lever more than anything...