• Sorry to hear you were knocked down, I was knocked down earlier this year whilst commuting to work. In my case no amount of brakes would have made a difference, the driver drover straight into me. Was the reason you were knocked down due to you inability to stop or were there other factors involved? Being hit does bring your confidence down but I found it's just a steeper learning curve, a case of assessing what went wrong and how to avoid it in future. I'm still riding track bikes everyday, rain shine and in rush hour. It took a while to build back up to the amount and confidence I was riding before but I think now I'm a far more aware and generally a better rider because of it. Rather than adding another brake which won't do a great deal on a commute unless you legs are minsed as the front brake does probably 70+% of your braking, the rear is just there to keep the back end in check. If you would personally feel more confident with a rear brake then go for it, if thats what you need to do in order to get back on the road then so be it. Aesthetics aren't everything, there is no point having a bike that looks great but your too petrified to ride it.

    On the flip side, have you considered doing some cycle training? I think this would be a better idea overall than simply adding a rear brake, a cycle instructor will coach you and enable you to ride in full confidence.

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