You are reading a single comment by @deleted and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@deleted
One brake will suffice only in the following two circumstances:
(1) The cycle has a "fixed wheel" drive, i.e. no freewheel, i.e. to pedal backwards makes it go backwards. In that case one brake, acting on only the front wheel (or front two wheels if it has that many), will suffice. Resisting the forward rotation of the pedals, although nowhere near so effective as a proper back-pedal or coaster brake, is assumed adequate to slow down the back wheel.
(2) The cycle has its pedals fixed directly to one wheel, without any intervening gears or chain. In that case no proper brakes are needed at all. This exception allows the continued use of antique cycles such as “penny-farthings”.