As mountain bikers, we often hear the common phrase, "I know I brake too much." Some riders assume that the goal of using BrakeAce is to simply reduce braking. However, BrakeAce is about much more than that. It's a tool that provides valuable insights into your riding style, automatically identifying 3 Key Opportunities for improvement - your personalized low-hanging fruit to ride with more flow. In this blog post, we will delve into a conversation about the real purpose of BrakeAce and how it can help you boost your confidence, enhance your skills, and ultimately ride better.
We did a whole podcast on this topic and discussed real data, so check that out below.
Analyzing MTB Braking Data
The 3 Key Opportunities: When using BrakeAce, the app collects raw braking data from the sensors attached under your brakes. Hypersensitive strain gauges capture braking forces at 1000x per second, and send the data to your phone. It then analyzes this data based on three crucial factors: Duration, Modulation, and Intensity of every brake event. By examining these aspects, the app identifies 3 Key Opportunities for improvement specific to your riding style. These Key Opportunities may vary for each rider, trail, and riding condition, making them unique and tailored to individual needs.
Why It's Not About Braking Less
Contrary to popular belief, BrakeAce is not designed to encourage riders to brake less. Instead, it aims to provide valuable insights into your braking patterns to help you understand your riding habits and make targeted improvements. Braking less is not the primary focus; rather, it's about optimizing your braking technique and building confidence on the trails.
The Role of Confidence in Riding: One of the main benefits of improving your riding skills is gaining confidence. As the app helps you identify your key opportunities, you'll uncover areas where your confidence may be lacking. For example, light brake events known as brake checks often indicate a lack of confidence in anticipating trail features. By addressing these moments, you can improve your overall riding experience and boost your confidence, leading to better performance and enjoyment on the trails.
From Clumsiness to Confidence
To illustrate the power of BrakeAce, let's explore Kim's experience with the app. Initially, Kim was worried that BrakeAce would only criticize her braking technique. However, during a trail ride in Perth, she discovered the true value of the app. Riding on unfamiliar trails with varying conditions, Kim recognized her need to enhance her skills and gain confidence - and the exact places where this would net her the biggest overall gains.
Together with her partner, she embarked on a journey to improve her riding. They chose to use the 4-Step BrakeAce Method on a trail known for its tight corners, loose conditions and challenging sections. By analyzing Kim's braking data, BrakeAce automatically identified her 3 Key Opportunities for improvement. Instead of focusing solely on braking less, they aimed to ride with more flow and finesse, thereby increasing her confidence. We discussed the specific of the riding techniques she used to improve her riding in the podcast at the top of this article, so check that out to hear how she changed her braking zones, body position and improved her control on the bike.
Conclusion
BrakeAce revolutionizes the way we approach improving our riding skills. It empowers riders by providing valuable insights into their braking habits and helping them identify their personalized low-hanging fruit for improvement. By focusing on building confidence rather than simply reducing braking, riders can unlock their full potential and experience the joy and thrill of mountain biking. As they improve, new Key Opportunities will be unlocked. So, the next time you hear someone say, "I know I brake too much," remind them that BrakeAce is about so much more than that—it's about becoming a better, more confident rider.
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