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

Ive found most of 'these people' think the setup makes a lot of sense and is better than a rear.

Just like all those fixers who ride without foot retention.

But indeed they are stupid.

Interesting I was literally just about to make the same thread title, for a different reason though. Coming down Holland Park Avenue and I look to me left, Oh look a fellow fixer spinning it up down the hill, oh wait a minute, he's coasting, with a front brake only? He's absolutely breezing it, a van pulls out, he pulls brake and endos HARD and flies about 10m forward through the air after going over the bars and scrapes the road for about the same. I help him up make sure he's alright, mainly bruises and road rash but it could have been so much worse, he missed the van by about 1 metre and could have flown through the air straight into it.

yeah fixed without foot retention is pretty stupid also, unless you don't plan on exceeding 10mph!....even then still stupid. Personally I use double straps and 4 gate clips, I ride brakeless but get awesome leverage from that pedal setup and have absolutely no problems stopping from high speed.

I'lld happily ride a SS with only a front brake, unless there was a huge mountain descent, or there was ice on the road.
The trick is, being able to use the front brake without going over the bars. Any good rider will be able to brake (front) and steer at the same time ( and stop more efficiently than if they only had a back)
Front brake FTW, it's not rocket science, just basic physics.

I think that it's only a matter of time before someone has a bad accident with an illegal setup like that and causes a lot of problems for all fixed/ss riders. Personally there's no way I'm going to trust my front teeth/forks/life to just one brake cable or just one chain.

I've had chats with people before about bikes, and "those bloody single speed bikes" have cropped up, before I have to explain that, actually, I ride a fixed gear.

I'lld happily ride a SS with only a front brake, unless there was a huge mountain descent, or there was ice on the road.

Or gravel, or dry dusty dirt, or dusty concrete...or any of the other things that make stopping in an emergency with only a front brake more dangerous than using a rear, you're also basically saying you would be happy with a front brake only unless you were descending a mountain (or maybe going fast at any other time) front brake only is more dangerous and means you have to ride slower to compensate for inferior braking/maneuverability.

No, I'm saying that on my geared road bike (while riding round London) I never use my rear brake. I'll admit that I am no longer the fastest thing on two wheels, but my original post stands.

front brake only is more dangerous and means you have to ride slower to compensate for inferior braking/maneuverability.

Utter tosh from someone who rides brakeless.

try slowing down dramatically while cornering heavily with only a front brakes, I have a fucking hairy moment when the rear wheel literally lift and almost lost control of the bike.

for SS - rear brake or front and rear, there are reason why cruiser, town bike, etc. have rear-only bike (usually coaster).

i play polo on the aforementioned setup....generally i can brake better while having control of the ball....and stop just as fast as the brakeless fixies. the major fault i am aware of is brake fail = slam into brick wall. hills & ice are a different story, and they are generally avoided during polo.
the trick is having the right brake tension to avoid going ass over tea kettle.

fixed gear everyday bike ftw

I have a fucking hairy moment when the rear wheel literally lift and almost lost control of the bike.

Then you were riding without your limits. Ride slower, your back brake could not have possibly helped you in this situation.

I now ride fixed but i used to ride s/s front brake. I did so for years on many different bikes, bmx, road, mtb and with cantilevers, v brakes, and disc brakes and:

1. I can assure you i was not trying to imitate a fixed 'look'. The 1st bike i setup with just a front brake was a bmx and i took the rear brake off as i did not like gyros and wanted to be able to spin my bars so i ran a front brake with the cable going through the steerer. The 1st time i setup a road bike like that i had no idea that people rode fixed wheel bikes on the road, i doubt i even knew what a fixed wheel bike was. I know that may not be the case for every s/s front brake rider out there but don't just presume that everyone riding that setup is doing so to achieve a 'look'.
   
2. In all the years that i rode freewheel s/s front brake setups i can hand on heart, honest to god say that i never caused the rear wheel to so much as leave the ground under braking without meaning to. The time i rode like that included several years of commuting as well as riding bmx as a sport/hobby and general leisure cycling.
   
3. Just as i never had the rear wheel leave the ground without intending it to i never had a single problem with lack of grip on the front wheel.
   
   

This set up may be indicative nowadays of a certain type of rider - wannabe who doesn't have the skills/desire to commit to riding fixed and who doesn't have proper control of their bike - but please don't tar everyone that has a bike set up like this with the same brush.

Then you were riding without your limits. Ride slower, your back brake could not have possibly helped you in this situation.

point is, it's those situation that using both front and rear simulateously usually helped, rather than using says, 90% braking on front, you could lower it to 70% on front and 30% on rear to control your speed, especially since you can able to apply more traction to the rear wheel by moving your body back a bit.

Then you were riding without your limits. Ride slower, your back brake could not have possibly helped you in this situation.

I agree, I run a front on my fixed and my geared bike has a rear, which I never use as it's generally jammed with shite. I've never gone over the handlebars except a head-on with a car. I used to ride sports motorbikes and never used the rear brake on those either. The only point I can see of a rear brake on a SS is if your front fails.

doesn't sound healthy. i ride fixed but with a front brake, in most cases i don't need the front brake except for in an emergency or 'too fast down hill' situation. that said, i was part of the early 2000's 'no brakes on your bmx' phase and that seems utterly ridiculous now, only way to stop was jam your foot in the back wheel haha.

as long as you 'know' your brake and you're a good rider, front only is pretty safe i reckon.

@ mech van; Possibly the most sensible, well considered, post in this thread.
@ ed; How does "moving your body back a bit" alter the fact that 90% of your braking power is going to happen at the front wheel?

point is, it's those situation that using both front and rear simulateously usually helped, rather than using says, 90% braking on front, you could lower it to 70% on front and 30% on rear to control your speed, especially since you can able to apply more traction to the rear wheel by moving your body back a bit.

If you can shift your weight backwards to get more traction from a rear brake then why can't you shift your weight backwards to counteract the front brake trying to lift the rear wheel?
Sounds like you fail at basic bike control.

If your on a road bike with a reasonable 'roadie' position moving your weight back whilst grabbing a big handful of brake lever is not an option, brake control all the way. Though for inexperienced riders 2 x brakes on SS is probably best.

ahh I used to do a lots of MTB, usually rely on the rear brake while off-roading than front.

Most of my riding is offroad and I use my front so much more than my back.

I agree, I run a front on my fixed and my geared bike has a rear, which I never use as it's generally jammed with shite. I've never gone over the handlebars except a head-on with a car. I used to ride sports motorbikes and never used the rear brake on those either. The only point I can see of a rear brake on a SS is if your front fails.

Seriously? You rode sports bikes and never used the rear brake. Mid corner in the wet it's your only option!

Fruit bat, im with you all the way brother. You get these idiots on here telling you what you can and can't do on your fixie or ss like their opinion matters.
If you can control your braking you shouldn't go over the handle bars. Bottom line a brake is needed whether it is front or back is down to personal choice.

Seriously? You rode sports bikes and never used the rear brake. Mid corner in the wet it's your only option!

I was always an utter wuss in the wet TBH, once slid down the road at 80+ on a GPZ900R after giving it too much rear brake in the wet too.

I'd like to see you 1 brake SSpeeders ride the Malvern hills!

Unless your all running discs you'd be eating hedge.

:-)