Q: It is subconsciously caused by the memories of an endo as a kid after grabbing too much front brake, but I instinctively reach for my rear brake when the trail gets sketchy. Now I’m trying to rid myself of this habit. Here are my ideas: 1.) Switch my levers. 2.) Remove my back caliper and lever for a while. What do you think?
- Robert, who’s considering cutting his own brakes

A: Neither of those ideas will work. Swapping levers or removing a brake will cause you to crash. Guaranteed.

You will need to work on your technique. This may require a few rides that are really non-rides. Go to a dirt lot or a stretch of singletrack and just practice coming to a stop using only your front brake. Once you feel how effective it is, the rear brake will become less important. Then, start using both brakes. Really concentrate on a light touch to the rear brake and a stronger pull on the front.

The sound of your tires on the trail gives a lot of clues as to how close you are to skidding. Listen and learn the sound of your knobs giving up and the tire sliding. The breaking point of your traction will vary with dirt conditions, your speed and tire selection. This is something that is learned from experience.

You mention that you are experiencing these issues when things look like they are going wrong. Grabbing a handful of either brake in a panic is going to give you problems. That’s why switching your levers won’t help. This seems to be as much an issue of general riding technique as braking technique. By now, you may have an idea of which sections of trail on your rides are giving you problems. Anticipate these sections and come into them slower than you normally would. Learning to control your brakes at a slower speed will help you as you gradually increase your speed through familiar stretches of trail.