The Ultimate Brakeless/Front/Rear/How many brakes? thread

I wouldn't say that it's a 'braking system' as such--it's a transmission system that can be used to brake, much as it can be used to propel the bike forward. But I don't want to nit-pick, it's only a question of definition.

You might not define it as a braking system but the article certainly does and implies that the law also defines it as one.

My girlfriend has been riding it fine with 1 brake although she does only ride this bike in the dry. Only time I find front brake only to be a problem is in slippery conditions and to be honest, having chrome rims, the brake isn't great in the wet anyway. I don't know that a rear one would help much. + It could be fitted with a rear brake if needed but would need new levers.

Chris, it is illegal to ride with only one brake because it's dangerous and you say that the one brake doesn't work very well anyway, my advice is; don't build bikes to sell and you might want to consider how much you care for this "girlfriend" you mention.
Meant kindly, Digger.

My advice is read the underlined.

Chrome rims are shit in the wet and more than likley most of the bikes Jenny is going to look at will have chrome rims and will be no safer in the wet than this one.

eddie murks

Nob

So it is orange then?

Nob

are you serious???

Exactly

It makes me laugh that you guys are all kicking up such a fuss about a single speed bike with just a front brake when half the people on this forum ride brakeless.

Jenny, I hope you don't think I would try to sell you a bike that is dangerous. My girlfriend has been riding it for ages and it's fine. As I said above, you'll always have issues with brakes working on chrome rims in the wet so something to look out for. Hope you find yourself something nice and don't take what anyone on here says as gospel a lot of it is just opinion.

Chris, the 50% of the forum who do ride "brakeless" actually do have one brake - the rear wheel. This is much safer than riding single speed/freewheel with one brake. But Bikeradar is that way ------>

you're misquoting me, but i do agree that level of fuss about your bike is unexpectedly and quite inadequately high in this thread

i suggest we all just stop discussing that

Here's a fact then. You have absolutely no fucking clue what you're talking about when it comes to safe braking systems on a bike and you clearly care very little about your girlfriends safety. Ignorance is no excuse.

Good enough?

Half the forum ride brakeless? Which forum survey gave you that answer?

My advice is read what this gentleman wrote..

Chris, it is illegal to ride with only one brake because it's dangerous and you say that the one brake doesn't work very well anyway, my advice is; don't build bikes to sell and you might want to consider how much you care for this "girlfriend" you mention.
Meant kindly, Digger.

Chris, the 50% of the forum who do ride "brakeless" actually do have one brake - the rear wheel. This is much safer than riding single speed/freewheel with one brake. But Bikeradar is that way ------>

You sir, are talking absolute bollocks.

Braking with the rear wheel is nowhere near as effective as braking with the front. Assuming you can brake correctly and can read the road properly (therefore see potential extra slippery bits) a front brake is much, much more effective.

To be honest, riding around London with one brake is fucking stupid anyway, so the above is pretty irrelevant.

I think the point he's making is that it's "safer" in the sense of more reliable, since chains fail a lot less often than brake cables, especially brake cables installed by the sort of people who send their other haves off on one-brake singlespeeds (and think that wet vs dry weather is somehow relevant).

The thing I really don't get is why a singlespeed rider would object to installing a rear brake. London must have a vast surplus of back brake calipers and left brake levers by now (I know I do).

I guess we could argue the merits or each, but like I said, I don't understand people who ride with only one brake (be that brakeless fixed, or SS with a front brake, or those fucking weird people who ride SS with only a rear brake...)

Don't get me wrong, there are pros to both front and rear brakes, so how about using both?

eddie murked only had one break on his hour record fixie. fact.

Fucking hell M, we're not all ambidextrous ;-)

Hippy is is possible to merge half a thread?

There is nothing that is not possible for Hippy.

Except for eating salad.

Half the forum ride brakeless? Which forum survey gave you that answer?

My advice is read what this gentleman wrote..

Okay I maybe half is a bit over the top but there are pleanty of brakless riders on here

and think that wet vs dry weather is somehow relevant).

Have you not been reading? The chrome rim makes the brake less effective the wet.

Also on any bike there's the possibility of the front wheel sliding out when braking hard in the wet but not so much a problem in the dry.

You sir, are talking absolute bollocks.

Braking with the rear wheel is nowhere near as effective as braking with the front. Assuming you can brake correctly and can read the road properly (therefore see potential extra slippery bits) a front brake is much, much more effective.

To be honest, riding around London with one brake is fucking stupid anyway, so the above is pretty irrelevant.

This (We don't live in London)

Have you not been reading? The chrome rim makes the brake less effective the wet.

Two poor brakes will give better braking performance than one poor brake wet or dry. Fact!

Go and apologise to your girlfriend for endangering her life and never ever post about brakes again until you have even half a clue on what you're talking about,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/aug/25/cycling-without-brakes?showallcomments=true#end-of-comments

Sorry bout the long link, im a bit of a duffer on matters IT.
The Grauniad Bike Blog has a feature on riding brakeless, with a choice list of comments below. You might notice the name 'Borntoolate' down there .... Ahem....

(i posted this as a thread, but it has been kindly shunted into here by those who know better)

Australia has banned the sale of new fixies?

No

• arsehole
  

@sparky
didnt realise it was you. have commented on the article.

@mobidog
want to put your threatened ego to the test? tell me your commute and bike, and lets see how you stop copmpared to my MAFAC Racers, shall we? (That was a joke BTW, on the fact of the 'brakeless' debate being so driven by threatened egos),

Two poor brakes will give better braking performance than one poor brake wet or dry. Fact!

Go and apologise to your girlfriend for endangering her life and never ever post about brakes again until you have even half a clue on what you're talking about,

Disk brakes will give better braking performance than most other types of brakes but it doesn't mean we all need them.

The brake that's fitted works really well in the dry and she doesn't ride it in the wet.

So do you want to tell me why she needs a back brake?

erm.......safety?

Jesus.... Can we get some forum arseholes in here ASAP.

What happens when the brake cable snaps

• arsehole
  

erm.......safety?

Please explain. She can stop when she needs to. What's not safe?

See above

• arsehole