When you are riding in the city and the light turn red, do you down shift to slow down and stop or squeeze the brake?

Both.
I'll drop 1 gear to let the engine help some then use the brakes until I get below 20 mph before clicking down to first.

It depends. If I'm close to the intersection and need to stop quickly, I pull in the clutch and squeeze the front brake. If the light's already red and I'm coming up to it, I downshift thru my gears before braking.

Good advice above, but I would add that you need to check what's behind you. Folks behind you may not be able to tell you're slowing down if you don't use your brakes at all.

I use engine braking and downshifting all the time to scrub speed, but if there are vehicles behind me I touch the brakes a bit, just enough to show the light, and/or tap the brakes a few times in quick succession to catch the eye of the guy behind me and show my intentions/actions.

Apply both brakes. Get used to using both brakes all the time (except in very low speed turns such as parking lots at under 5 or so mph) Some day you may need maximum braking and if you use both brakes normally you'll use both brakes without thinking when you need to. Applying the brakes also has the advantage of turning on your brake light so the person behind you knows you are slowing or stopping. Downshift at normal shift points so you are ready to go if the light changes green or the person behind you looks like they are not slowing. You'll also want to be in first gear when you come to a stop. You can downshift and let out the clutch and use engine braking but still use the brakes to light up the brakelight.

Originally Posted by simbatheman1

When you are riding in the city and the light turn red, do you down shift to slow down and stop or squeeze the brake?

"All in (clutch/brake lever), All down" (shifter/brake - foot).

If you're going quickly, brake first, then downshift as you slow.

P

Timc and JonF give excellent advice above. I've been riding for 20+ years and always use both brakes to stop all the time. It's second nature now. I use rear brake only when doing slow speed manuevers like in a parking lot.

Something else to consider to add to your visibility when stopping would be a brake light modulator. I have one called BRAKE that flashes my brake light for two seconds. Since I added it, I've noticed cars behind me giving me more room. My wife tells me it really catches her attention when she's following me.

Originally Posted by Serpentine

Both.
I'll drop 1 gear to let the engine help some then use the brakes until I get below 20 mph before clicking down to first.

...ditto

I seem to be alone on this one, but coming to a stop(usually an intersection)I keep my clutch squeezed and hold it in while I downshift through the gears, using only the brakes. It's a little tricky, though, because if you wait 'til your stopped and then shift down through the gears some of them wont line up, and if you shift down through the gears too soon while your still going faster than they normally operate at, they will clunk and whine because the gears shouldn't rotate that fast, so you have to cycle down through them as if your going to use them, but don't. Hey, on the bright side, at least your in the right gear at all times in case you need to take off. The sportbike I own just seems to have the gears too closely matched to make it worth doing. Letting out the clutch four or five times just to help slow yourself from 40mph to 15mph, or whatever, seems redundant. And the rear wheel can lock up if you don't do it just right. Seems like the clutch bares the brunt of that whole process, and that's the last thing I want to wear out on my bike. Using the brakes instead, while coasting at idle saves gas and put less strain on the bearings in the engine and tranny.
Either way, it doesn't really matter that much. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer here. Do what you like to do. It's a sport, have fun. Mix it up!

This is a good thread to bump back to the top. Proper braking is a skill that has to be practiced daily.

JonF speaks as an MSF RiderCoach , oh wait a minute, he is one.

As for Ninja#Dude and The Serp meyster, they've got a good point about getting to the lower gears before stopping. It is more difficult to shift gears when at a stand still. And if you need to make a quick take off because the vehicle behind you can't stop on time you're ready to take off.

Sooo... which to use, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. TimC said it well when he suggested checking on traffic first (and that includes behind, front and side) before you make your decision.

Yossarian, I would suggest that you might want to practice using both brakes as JonF suggested, even if you don't need them when slowing down quickly. The best way to make a quick stop is to use both brakes without locking either one. If you get used to using both brakes when coming to a simple stop, when you need to use more brakes you will have the muscle memory to get you out of trouble.

Whatever you guys do, practice daily using both brakes so that, like boad, it will become second nature.