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

But it's not really complete without a link to the original blog/rant

http://recycledbogrollblues.blogspot.com/2009/07/london-cycing-campaign-enquiry-about.html

as a breakfast eating, guardian reading, islington resident i'd like the record to state that i didn't give a flying fuck about the whole brakless debate the last four million times it came up. the internets are full to bursting with brainless brakless hoohaa from both sides. does the world really need this article... again?

No, but Guardian journalists do, apparently. And AA Gill rides fixed these days so maybe the Sunday Times will pick up the thread and retaliate with a double spread to make the Guardian look like amateurs, then the Express will chip in on the Monday with the headline 'Kamakaze Cyclists Without Brakes Join War on Motorists'... from there it will just escalate with Prince Charles writing a subtle letter to the PM with his learned and erudite views, until finally the Obe Wan of cycling, (Mr J. Snow), takes the matter in hand and goes head to head with Peter Hill in a Pro/Anti brake jousting deathmatch to settle the issue.

We should bring back jousting to sort out all media based grievance.

Sunday Times did brakless last year sometime. In the style section, I believe.

It wasn't a terribly in-depth debate.

If Christ was on a bike, you can bet it would be a brakeless fixie skidder. Come judgement day, what would you say to Christ on a bike?

love it.

He lives in the independent enclave of Canonbury. It's his manor. Literally. He owns it.

I read The Times - primarily to really piss WiganWill off (I also have Sky for that very reason) but also because it has the best crossword. My younger daughter enjoys Caitlin Moran's articles as well which is nice.

I only own one small enclave of Canonbury.

Great another h_lm_t / RLJ /brakless thread. It's going here when I get back..
http://www.lfgss.com/thread1194.html

Caitlin Moran needs a brakless freewheel and a steep hill.

Her piece on Lady Gaga was a superb piece of journalism

Oi Sparky:

There really is no need to write the article. Someone has already done it... just cut and paste this: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2007/12/genuine-article-reporting-on-fixed-gear.html into the little blog box on the Grauniad website, insert a few house-style typos, and you're sorted.

That's hilarious :)

oh jesus. do we really need another debate about this here? and well fucking done for spreading the debate to islington breakfast tables. god...

London demographic fail, Islington is all Times and Telegraph these days. And the Currant Bun on the estates. Do keep up.

No, but Guardian journalists do, apparently. And AA Gill rides fixed these days so maybe the Sunday Times will pick up the thread and retaliate with a double spread to make the Guardian look like amateurs, then the Express will chip in on the Monday with the headline 'Kamakaze Cyclists Without Brakes Join War on Motorists'... from there it will just escalate with Prince Charles writing a subtle letter to the PM with his learned and erudite views, until finally the Obe Wan of cycling, (Mr J. Snow), takes the matter in hand and goes head to head with Peter Hill in a Pro/Anti brake jousting deathmatch to settle the issue.

For some reason this newswipe-style prediction made me chuckle.

Her peice on Lady Gaga was a superb piece of journalism

Lady who? You're very 'with it' aren't you clive?

The wonders of having daughters in their very late teens who occasionally speak to me.

my tuppence worth sparky, this article is just further proof, that riding fixed has jumped the shark, gained too much public prominence and am just waiting for the movie to appear ala bmx bandits, where the hero, A-Team style builds his new fixie heroically so he can outrun the bad guys.
Riding brakeless for whatever reason you do it is COOL, it just is! No amount of justification for lacking brakes gets past the fact that men whether young or old want to be COOL, and pulling long skids to slow down, with the back wheel whipping from side to side looks impressively cool. It is an ego thing, personally think you should do an article on why men will put themselves in harms way so that other watching men, and possibly women will stare openly whilst under their breath uttering COOOOLLLLL!!!

waiting for the movie to appear ala bmx bandits, where the hero, A-Team style builds his new fixie heroically so he can outrun the bad guys.

it's being made now. seriously. can't remember what it's called. bikesnob has featured it a few times recently.

premium rush

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1547234/

see sparky, there you go, jumped the shark

see article below for more movie star in blood trauma as he rides brakeless into back of taxi..

http://www.lavishchannel.com/taxi-joseph-gordon-levitt-taxi-wins/

YouTube- Joseph Gordon Levitt's Bloody Bike Accident on the Set of Premium Rush

I'd like to disagree with this, as I am also a breakfast reading, Gruniad reading Islingtonite, like dooks, but there is a massive flat of hipster types next door and they read the times =(

London demographic fail, Islington is all Times and Telegraph these days. And the Currant Bun on the estates. Do keep up.

oh god

where is the dead mummy image when I need it

it's being made now. seriously. can't remember what it's called. bikesnob has featured it a few times recently.

premium rush

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1547234/

Your argument is invalid?

Her piece on Lady Gaga was a superb piece of journalism

I agree, I enjoyed reading that.

oh god

where is the dead mummy image when I need it

did dooks just post it? I can't see it, just guessing.

I know you're being frivolous

Let me see if I have got this right. When you see that it is going to rain you lurk around where you know bikes will be parked, equipped with suitable tools, and then proceed to remove (in effect to steal) any mudguards that you can see, in particular off bikes that you know belong to old men and pregnant ladies. Correct?
Then you come back later in the day, at home time, when by now it is raining both cats *and *dogs, and you watch, with a sly chuckle, the dismay on the faces of these poor cyclists when they see what has happened. Next, clad in your seal"skinz" and "Gore"tex you follow them as they ride away, watching with glee as their feet and their bottoms become wetter and wetter.
As they make their miserable way home you enjoy riding alongside tapping your full and un-stolen mudguards with a long handled soup ladle and singing Singing In The Rain.
Just what is it that possesses you? Just what pleasure do you take from these acts of petty meanness? Isn't it time Skully (if that is your real name) that you simply grew up?

I agree, I enjoyed reading that.

i can't read that (in order to find out if you two are being sarcastic, although i strongly suspect that you are) because mr murdoch wants a quid off me for the privelidge. no great loss i expect.

[QUOTE=Gregorio;1591740]. And AA Gill rides fixed these days....

Enough reason to never ride fixed ever again

Premium Rush? What's that-Tesco Finest's version of Nitrous? A super-charged laxative? The exodus of Guardian-readers in their hybrid to any fairtrade country or commune that will have them post-tory election victory? I'm intrigued!