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

I prefer the look of a bike without a back brake, I think it looks much tidier and less cluttered. Maybe thats a bad reason for what you think is poor safety. Well if anything bad happens to me you can all say you told me so. personal choice again I guess. Plus every day I see people riding that do things much worse, running red lights, taking mobile phone calls whilst riding, riding with Mp3 players on.

Thing is its possible you could injure other ppl too. Us saying "told you so" is hardly gonna make them feel any better.

Also the last point is just stupid. Beause someone is cycling like a massive tool does not make it ok for you to ride like a less massive tool. I'm not saying you are a tool but you get my point.

P!MP, seriously, why do you ask people if it's a bad idea to run a front brake only with a freewheel and when people tell you, you just tell 'em that you don't care anyway?
Believe me, with a freewheel you're much better off with 2 brakes and even then you may not have all the braking power you wish you had... and that 'scanning for trouble ahead', well, yeah, I've been there done that, but inevitably there's going to be one moment when you don't see everything and you're going to wish you had two brakes.
But if you prefer the looks of just running a front brake, go for it, but don't expect everybody to approve of it.

Yes there is always that risk I agree and the cable gets checked and replaced regularly.

Cables (even newly installed ones) can fail, so can the point they are anchored to, so can the fixings, so can the lever or the brake shoes or the brake shoe fixings or the cable housing - maybe very very rarely, maybe only once in half a decade or maybe just once in a decade ?

If this does happen you could - depending on the circumstances - be very badly injured, paralysed or worse you may injure someone else.

Your reasoning won't go down too well with the father of the 6 year old girl when you have just collapsed her eye socket and fractured her jaw as you both wait for the police and ambulance - regardless of your own injuries, additionally with only one brake on your bike (Illegal in the UK) you are leaving that scene in the police van and not the ambulance.

here is the word.

if you want the clean no back brake look, HTFU and ride fixed.

if not, don't be a unsafe prick.

wear a helmet! pref, full face.

... but the same applies to fixed plus NoBrakes. because you can use your legs to apply stopping force on the rear wheel. it's more effective to stop via a skid in a controlled fashion (by locking up the rear wheel with your legs) than it is to lock up the front wheel and thus go over the handlebars.

Personally I wouldn't agree with this point. I'd much prefer to put my faith in one brake on a SS than no brakes on a Fixed. But then thats just personal preference. The Science behind your argument though I do disagree with (or rather would need to see evidence before accepting).

Simple answer is (for me at least) stop giving a fuck about what your bike looks like. I'd rather go fast on an "ugly" bike with brakes than slow on a "hipster" bike with no brakes or missing one brake.

here is the word.

if you want the clean no back brake look, HTFU and ride fixed.

if not, don't be a unsafe prick.

Spot on.

Afair enough point Big Daddy, I hope that my riding style wouldn't lead me to that situation of injuring or hurting anyone else, but maybe it is already? All your points are taken in the spirit that they are given, I may even put the back brake back on.

Well thanks for the explanation, it's all clear now. You are very good at skid stopping and I am a mad bastard. How old are you? Seriously what is your age?

umm... actually i'm not that good at skid stopping, which is why i use a front brake on my fixed gear bike. i'm also terrible at stopping my road bike using only the front brake.

and i'm 27.

you're certainly an angry bastard.

so i don't think it's a good idea to ride a singlespeed with one brake? i'm not alone on this board in thinking that. how about a bit of HTFU?

seriously you asked for people's opinions, don't come fucking crying when they provide them.

am not crying about it Bad, just don't think you need to get agressive. I wasn't trying to be contraversial or even difficult I was asking peoples opinion. The idea of discussion is to listen to other peoples opinions and to reason out a view from that. Maybe you are all correct and I am wrong? But I am not a bad rider due to lack of a back brake. There are probably people out there that view fixed riders with the same regard as you are giving me. I just wanted some opinions thats all.

here is the word.

if you want the clean no back brake look, HTFU and ride fixed.

if not, don't be a unsafe prick.

brilliant!

maybe i just missed the bit where i got aggressive?

I would also like to say that I have ALWAYS asked EVERY buyer of my bikes if they want a rear brake if the advertised pictures only show one .............. contrary to popular belief on this forum ............ (a case of guilty even if innocent). Even when buyers decline I quite often throw one complete rear set up in the box anyway. .....

However ............ for the past two months every bike built, has had two brakes fitted, plus a free bubble wrap suit -a crash helmet -elbow -knee & shin pads, cricket pads - crotch box - American football shoulder pads - blank quasi legal last will and testament form - spare cables and and and... a baseball bat (dont ask).

so i reckon you're a mad bastard, but if you think you're safe, then who am i to argue.

From Urban Dictionary: "bastard"
australian, n,

1) illegitimate; mean;

2) endearing term to a person ( usually a male )

"Gday ya old bastard"! ( friendly greeting )
" He's a mean old bastard" !
(unpleasant greeting)
" Im happy as a bastard on Fathers Day" !
( extremely pleased colloq )

I wasn't insulting your parentage, P!MP.

Ahh but do they have the compliment of refectors required by the law?

EDIT: this was to Hacked2

would you not put PTFE tape on your pipe threads because it doesn't look quite as nice Mr Pimp?

It's inevitable that you are going to get strong reactions whatever your intentions in raising the subject

You're making yourself dangerous to me in an envrionment that already carries enough risks.

Try fixed or ramp up your speed on the ss

lets have a poll...see what the general opinion is. :)

Let there be killing.

what time does the body eating start?

what time does the body eating start?

Once we have cooked it in it's own shit, I will bring the vegetables.

Hey there's no need to call them vegetables, it was only a bit of harmless cyber-chastising

Ahh but do they have the compliment of refectors required by the law?

EDIT: this was to Hacked2

gnaaaaaaaaaaah bastards you got me again !!!

Phuk phuk phuk phuk

I am Crish Crap and I endorse this use of one brake

Aesthetics over safety - not sure.
On the road bike I do mainly use the front brake. Doesn't mean there's no reason for the other one, or else it wouldn't be there. On all road bikes. Why is SS any different?
I can see more of an argument for riding brakeless because it's more about experience and technique than leaving yourself at the mercy of the gods. Still wouldn't do that either though, I like to ride fast, and I can't skid for shit.
Less likely for a chain to snap than a brake cable though. You've got one way of stopping. As said above, if you want that look, go fixed. Hey, you might even enjoy it.
Each to their own though, until they plough into the back of me...

don't play games if you're broken hearted! don't try to finish what you ain't got started!!!

C is the Heavenly option*.

• No-one is going to get this reference, not even justMouse or Hops.