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  • mechanical_vandal,

    i don't really want to get into a big bunfight over this but i just can't see why you'd do it other than to make a bike look like a fixed?

    yes of course it's your bike and you can run it how you want but i just don't understand the logic of your "why not?" argument. it's not like we're talking about some kerrazy modification that has other benefits to performance at the detriment of safety. all taking the front brake of a ss does is make it worse at stopping. that's it. it's like cutting the seatbelts off or disabling three of the four brakes on yr car. why not? it's your car? the only thing the modification does is make you significantly more likely to get hurt or hurt others.

    i can understand riding a track bike on the road because that's the way they exist, sans brake and most* people who do ride without brakes are capable of stopping and controlling their bikes with their drive train and only do so when they are sure of this. personally i'd feel vulnerable without a front brake.

    *obviously there are some people who blatantly should not not be riding brakeless. as there are some people who should not be riding full stop.

    i can also understand taking the back brake off a fixed gear road bike as it's pretty much redundant if you're able to control the braking of the back wheel with your drive train plus you've got the front brake for added back-up and for subtly adjusting weight distribution.

    what i can't understand is actively removing the already existing back brake from a freewheel bike leaving you with no control over braking yr back wheel. it just makes no sense to me.

    as far as i understand it with fixed brakeless in an braking emergency you're going to be able to brake hard/skid and steer the back of the bike with your legs while at the same time steering with the front to avoid trouble. with a front brake only fixed you're able to do all of the above plus the extra security and control of a front brake.

    but with a front brake only and no means of arresting that back wheel your only option in an emergency is yank the front brake and quite likely go face-first over the handlebars.

    to be fair from your other posts i see you ride brakeless bmx so i'm sure you've got pretty decent bike control and may well be able to avoid that fate but still... i don't get why you wouldn't just leave the back brake on?!

    sorry to go on - but your grumpy persistance in arguing your point (along the lines of "why not") has made me wonder what's really going on here.

    dooks.

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