AIDS Life Cycle -- first time!

[Trek420]

Do any of you put the extra brakes on the top of the bars for an extra option for your hands on such a long ride?

I don't. Sometimes called "stoppers" the extra brake levers are not so much for hand positions but to give you access to the brakes from the flat of the bar.

On my road bike my hands are usually on top of the hoods. I feel comfortable from there stopping the bike with the first two fingers on the levers in most conditions.

When climbing my hands are usually on the bar. I don't know if that's right but I feel as if my chest is more open and it's easier to breath. I don't worry much about reaching the brakes from there. I'm a slow enough climber that if I just stop pedaling ... I'll fall over anyway

But if I'm in that position on flats or downhill I can get to the lever easily though it takes some core strength.

Where you may be tempted to have "stoppers" is on our long screaming descents like the one after Evil Twins, and Quadbuster. These go on forever and are steep. The scenery is breathtaking there too. Pull over and look (if you can actually stop) you need your full attention on this descent.

But it was actually on a TE ride that jobob and aka_kim taught me how to descend in the drops. And from there you have very comfortable access to the brakes.

Do you have 'em? Wants some?

Totally unrelated thought: if it's in the same spot the rest stop BEFORE quadbuster is chock full of goathead thorns. Carry your bike in to bike parking, carry it out, and check your tires before you go.

Tailwinds TE gals and thanks for ridiing