Donkey brake

A hard braking technique where you drop into a deep squat, shifting your weight far back. Maximum deceleration. Maximum risk of buttplant if you overdo it.

When it’s used

Emergency stops and limit testing. Not a daily riding technique. Some riders practice it to understand their wheel’s braking capacity. Others discover it involuntarily when something runs into their path.

The risk

Sit back too hard and the wheel shoots forward from under you. That’s a buttplant. At low speed, it’s funny. At high speed, it’s a backward fall onto asphalt.

555 take

Know how to brake hard. Practice at low speed in a safe area. But don’t make donkey braking your default stop - smooth, progressive braking is safer and more controlled in almost every situation.