Stop real fast on a bike , will you fall?

Question

Ok so my boyfriend was explaining what a disc brake on a bike was to me. He said it helps you stop fast. Isaid if you stop real fast on a bike won't you fall off? He laughed at me acted like I was so stupid. He said "yeah you see that on the news all the time people getting hurt on bike b/c they stopped to fast " Then he laughed real hard at me. So my question is Is it that crazy of an idea to think that if you stop fast on bike that you might flip off?

Answer 1

its not crazy.  you might flip if you hit only the front brake really hard and really fast while going at a good speed.  so i dont think that it is crazy.  i once flipped doing an endo.

Answer 2

Your boyfriend doesn't really know what he's talking about.

Answer 3

the safest way to stop quickly, is to throw your weight over the back end of your bike. this will help keep your center of balance, and back wheel on the ground! also, feather your brakes! don't lock up on your rims. apart from doing an endo, due to too much force on the front brake, you could skid out with too much force on your back breaks! discs help to stop more efficiently on trails. the best thing is to not ride faster than you are able to safely handle your bike, including stopping..

Answer 4

"Endo" doesn't really stand for 'end-over-end'. Endo stands for "Endometrial", which is the type of brain damage you get if you don't wear a helmet.

You get about seventy percent of your stopping power from the front brake. Any more, and you will flip over the handlebars.

Recumbent bikes are less likely to flip over forward.

I like customizing my bikes so the seat is further back, like a recumbent bike, but not quite as low.

Answer 5

Well if you're going really fast and leaning forward and press your front brake, you'll do something called a stoppie, or an endo. If you're going too fast you'll flip over, and that hurts.

Answer 6

I beleive Newton's Law of Conservation of Motion, aka momentum applies here.  An object in motion tends to stay in motion.  Thus it is important to graduate your braking on a bike.  I being more of a road cyclist don't have to worry as much about this as a mountain biker.  A skilled mountain biker uses the correct combination of front and rear brakes and thinks ahead on obstacles to avoid flying off and maintain speed and keep handling ability.

Answer 7

Worst case is called an "endo" from "end over end".  Also know as a "face plant".

Follow the others' instructions to avoid it.

Sometimes we laugh before we think.  Your question is not crazy.

Answer 8

Yep, it is possible to flip if you brake too fast, IF you don't use proper technique. To stop fast you should slide your butt backwards, sometimes all the way off the back of the saddle. Simultaneously, lower your upper body and brace yourself against your handlebars. From that position, it'll take an awful lot to flip.

About braking: 70% of your braking is done with the front wheel. That's because as you decelerate, weight is transferred to the front. (Which is also why you may do an endo if you don't redistribute your weight.) As weight is transferred from the rear to the front, the rear wheel will be prone to start skidding first, because there's no weight on it to enhance traction. Because of this, you should apply most of your braking force to the front wheel - about 3:1. That means 3 fingers on the front brake lever and one on the rear lever.