Braking Capabilities..

[oj88]

If a bump or pothole gets you by surprise and there's not enough distance to brake to a full stop, firmly step on the brakes anyway to bleed off as much speed as possible and let go just before you hit the bump/pothole. That will usually prevent or lessen suspension and wheel damage.

That said, you should only do it if there's nobody tailgating you. If it's a trailer truck, forget it! You stand a better chance just running over the bump/pothole than to get rear-ended with solid steel.

Then there's also those rare potholes that you can practically "skip" or fly over when going fast enough. Braking in this case, might even be detrimental. Experience will teach you which road imperfections requires you to slow down and which ones can be taken at a faster speed.

What you do depends on your environment.