Frontal lobotomy?

Black Langster <> spotted this mornonmg heading north from Finchley, 3/4 lenth denim shorts with turn ups, key chain, pony tail, tatoos, bullhorn bars, etc.

OK that drew my eye, then I see the guy is coasting... and he only has a front brake. Surely this is a recipe for going arse over tip if you need to brake suddenly.

Does anyone here ride that way? Seems mental to me!

There is a brakeless singlespeed POS mtb permanently locked outside the Evans in Chiswick - must be the errand bike..

shannon, I think the general consensus is that 1 brake plus freewheel equals facial scarring at some point in the rider's future. It doesn't seem to stop people doing it though. And let's face it, there is absolutely no practical reason to have only 1 brake on a single-speed bike, it is almost universally done to look cool - to emulate the look of riding a fixed wheel bike.

People who ride that way should harden the fuck up, stop pretending to be a crazy hip-hop star when they just aren't at all, and get a fixed wheel. It might save them from serious injury, and their loved ones from tears or moneys spent repairing said individual's face. And plus riding fixed really isn't that scary. I'd be far more scared to ride a SS with only one brake.

All that needs to be said on the matter, in my opinion.

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than have a frontal lobotomy

Thanks, ASM, I think that does indeed close the book on this one.

ha! the speedway demon machine has 0 brakes and is freewheel.
death!

And a pair of handlebars that will make you a eunuch very quickly if its anything like the one I have.*

I went back onto my geared racer the other day, and that's only got one brake. I'd ridden it for a year before making the first fixed and I honestly can't understand in hindsight how or why I rode it with only one. Partly because of the transition back to freewheel, but partly cos with only one brake I have a very conscious fear of faceplant. I used to ride it 10 miles home p!ssed from west drinks, with a front brake that didn't work in the rain. I've since shown it some love and bought it two new brakes.

• that bikes still only got one front brake, but with the gearing, it requires a heart attack level of exercise to make it go above 5mph.
  

chatting to a bmx rider the other day, no brakes and freewheel. 'parrantly they stop* by putting one foot on the back tyre

• slow down progressively over several km...
  

I keep seeing someone on a very small singlespeed Bianchi Pista on my commute. Those frames are drilled for a front brake only - seems a bit stupid to me!

BMX fashion is all about the brakeless.
I'm apparently old school becuase I still run a brake (Only the one mind)

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than have a frontal lobotomy

can't argue with Tom Waits

well, no brakes on a bmx is understandable, i'll give you that.

shannon, I think the general consensus is that 1 brake plus freewheel equals facial scarring at some point in the rider's future. It doesn't seem to stop people doing it though. And let's face it, there is absolutely no practical reason to have only 1 brake on a single-speed bike, it is almost universally done to look cool - to emulate the look of riding a fixed wheel bike.

People who ride that way should harden the fuck up, stop pretending to be a crazy hip-hop star when they just aren't at all, and get a fixed wheel. It might save them from serious injury, and their loved ones from tears or moneys spent repairing said individual's face. And plus riding fixed really isn't that scary. I'd be far more scared to ride a SS with only one brake.

All that needs to be said on the matter, in my opinion.

I rode sSS with only a front brake when I first bought my bike and then only for 2 weeks while I got used to a completely new bike ( never ridden fixed before ). I then flipped it over ( flip flop hub ) onto fixed and never went back. Maybe thats what he was doing?

possiblement. However I've talked to a few people now who ride one-braked who have absolutely no intention of going fixed ('it's too dangerous').

I've even heard people asking re. mountainbikes 'I saw some guy riding with only a front brake the other day and thought it looked really good (i.e. minimal), do you think I ought to too?'

Now that is really dumb. I can't understand people like that.

I rode sSS with only a front brake when I first bought my bike and then only for 2 weeks while I got used to a completely new bike ( never ridden fixed before ). I then flipped it over ( flip flop hub ) onto fixed and never went back. Maybe thats what he was doing?

Nah. I've seen this guy before a few months back. He's no noob. It's a black Langster, bet he's had it since new, which would be 2006/7, I think.

I keep seeing someone on a very small singlespeed Bianchi Pista on my commute. Those frames are drilled for a front brake only - seems a bit stupid to me!
why? it is a track frame.

why? it is a track frame.

I meant that I think its a bit stupid to be riding it with a freewheel and one brake...

About 9 years ago brakeless in bmx used to be unique, everyone was all back brake and two pegs with a straight cable.

Now it's almost unique if you have a brake. I guess things go in cycles. But what do I know?

I've even heard people asking re. mountainbikes 'I saw some guy riding with only a front brake the other day and thought it looked really good (i.e. minimal), do you think I ought to too?'

Now that is really dumb. I can't understand people like that.

That's stupid. One rear brake is good for dirt jumping but mountain bikes should have two for all other disciplines.

Apart from fixed off roaders which are doable on nobrakes, more sensible with one and overkill with two.

I've been ted shredding (tm) for a bit today....

I have only a front brake on my MTB.

okay that got some attention, the thing is here, I'm changing my MTB into a town/cruiser bike, so one brake would be sufficent enough to stop you when summat pop up on the road while going slowly/comfortably.

still a bad idea? (07 Kona Smoke with those cruiser bar, brook saddle, rear rack, etc.)

I ride my BMX witha rear brake because it'd be a nightmare to ride it brakeless tog et anywhere, but I have ridden mates brakeless bikes in skateparks and it does feel gooooood. Get your flow on!