How to Stop a MTB ebike with no brakes?

[tomtom123]

i was just wondering, even though probably would never happen, but just to be prepared, say you running your ebike and somehow both brakes are not working, how do you stop the bike?

i doubt skidding like on a fixie would do any good. I've read that you can also jump your foot between the rear wheel and frame to stop it.

anyone know some other ways to do it? i wanna practice it, JUST IN CASE never say never :|

 

[Drunkskunk]

Aim it at the nearest tree.

I think you have a better chance of being hit by falling space debris. So what are you doing to prepare your self for falling meteors?

 

[gogo]

Think quickly? It's at least good to mentally prepare yourself if you don't actually practice some technique.

When I was eleven the kickstand on my Schwinn coaster wedged itself against the crank as I hammered it backward. Instead of engaging the brakes, it actually made me go a wee bit quicker because that amount of back-pedal freed up the gears in my two-speed hub. It had happened before, so I knew it was stuck hard. I was going downhill into a parking lot and had the choice of sideswiping a car and then hitting the curbing in front of a mound of landscaping, or just smacking into the curb. I took the curb, quickly followed by the gooseneck into my crotch. The bike landed on top of me with the jagged broken axle inches from my face. A kind witness retrieved my front wheel and asked if I was ok. I'm not.

 

[Dauntless]

Great line in 'Fletch 2' when Chevy Chase is taking the car with no brakes into town: "Plan ahead."

You can:

1) Point the bike uphill. Not always convenient, but. . . .

2) Drag your foot on the front tire. Works much like a hand brake, without the pain free.

3) Run down a fixie rider. Or you bump him in the back and your speed is transferred to him, like those kinetic steel balls. There could be one less fixie on the road. Do the world a favor. . . .

 

[neptronix]

In 15+ years of bike riding, i've never had cable operated brakes go out. I wonder what would cause them to fail anyway.

 

[liveforphysics]

I've failed cable bicycle brakes by wadding up and tearing off the rotor. I've failed hydros by boiling the fluid. I've failed all types by enough heat too quickly.

Shoe behind the front fork crown, try NOT to get it caught and wedged in there. Your shoe bottom will melt if you're at very high speed before you get your speed shed. I use it as emergency stopping or fooling around, some folks use it as the primary/only brake.

 

[TwoWayStreet]

Might as well think about and prepare to stop a car when all four brakes fail.

What does this have anything to do with a MTB ebike? How about a regular bike, a motorcycle, an 18 wheeler, a wheelchair or anything that moves?

 

[dogman dan]

There is a reason you go out and learn how to lay er down. Or make other similar moves that involve the bike being sideways. It might be that you throttle out of the trouble.

Often enough, working brakes still aren't enough and it's time to take aggressive evasive action. Sometimes, it's just a matter of deciding that you'd rather hit whatever with feet than with head. So you better be able to swap ends at will.

You didn't think you were going to replace your car with anything two wheeled, and not get these skills did you?

If you don't get these bike handling skills, then you will just end up riding in a straight line to your doom someday.

The number one maneuver that has saved my bacon many times, is steering the skid of a locked up rear wheel. The front wheel is braking for all it's worth, but NOT locked up. That way you still get to change directions as much as possible. But you can still throw the bike into a sideways skid with the rear brake non functioning. Not high siding doing it, that's the thing you must practice.

What can I say, if you never crashed, how can you be any good at it?

 

[Lebowski]

I once was in a Velomobile where the owner forgot to tell me where the brakes were ... I did a Fred Flinstone

 

[tomtom123]

Might as well think about and prepare to stop a car when all four brakes fail.

What does this have anything to do with a MTB ebike? How about a regular bike, a motorcycle, an 18 wheeler, a wheelchair or anything that moves?

well difference in a car where no brakes work, you're f*cked. In a bike, you still have control as long as you know what you're doing or the techniques, which is why i wanna know . Chances of both brakes messing up are unlikely, but who knows, plus it's fun practicing new bike skills.

 

[friendly1uk]

Cars have at least 2 separate braking systems? Although of later years they have started to omit the emergency brake.

Fitting new cables can lead to failure. I fitted some skinny teflon coated one's a bit back, and the cable clamps didn't want to hold them. When I needed them most, they slipped. I was a little surprised the calipers wouldn't hold the thinner wire, It seemed an 'any size fits' clamping method. The answer was to hook the free stub of wire back on itself. Just a bit of realignment to make slipping through a bit harder. A second wire through the same clamp was next on the list, but the fold worked.

 

[nechaus]

Smash the reverse function lol

Braking, I find it hard to ebike without brakes
I can work with dodgey brakes, but completely failed,


Either run it out,
go up a hill,
foot on tyre, I normally wear good shoes when riding
drag feet on the ground..

Whats worse.. Crashing, possible hitting you head and bleeding inside the brain?
Or letting your feet get chewed up from the ground ?


I just use brakes and be done with it, If you can afford to ebike, you can afford to buy some brakes....