Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - ... but I try not to use it

Lately I've noticed an alarming trend on FGG: bike owners reporting that they own a brake but they try not to use it. :eek:

If these people are cycling on velodromes, why do they have a brake at all? If, however, they are rolling in traffic, why the hell are they self-conscious about a brake? It could save them or someone else from serious injury. :cry:

I have a brake (a Paul lever displayed prominantly on the top of my drops). I squeeze it frequently. It makes me feel good.

i dont criticize anyone who chooses to ride brakeless; however, for the life of me I cant figure out why people feel they need to explain to others how they WANT to ride brakeless, but for some reason or another dont/cant.

actually, I do know why.

i like to call it "******baggery"

i dont criticize anyone who chooses to ride brakeless; however, for the life of me I cant figure out why people feel they need to explain to others how they WANT to ride brakeless, but for some reason or another dont/cant.

actually, I do know why.

yea, everyone knows why. I call TROLL on the OP.

i have a brake but only use it for emergencies. like people suddenly changing their walking path for no reason at all. i dont use it because my legs like to get stronger by stopping me. ..

Yo ... troll, no. But I'll happily confess to ignorance. Is it a macho thing?

yea it's not the worst thing in the world to try and train yourself to do something better or differently, is it? i mean who needs to trackstand at stoplights? you're not clipped in super-tight and you have legs.

it's fun to know you can in both cases i guess

better to have a brake and try not to use it than to not have one when you don't have the skills.

eh, I have a brake on one of my bikes. I don't try to not use it, but I often forget that it is there because I am used to brakeless. All said and done though, I would much rather wear through a set of 5 dollar brake pads than a 50 dollar tire.

kinda reminds of this excerpt from a d12 song "I'd rather pack the heat and not need it
Rather then need one and not have it, thats why I married this glockmatic"

Jebus! It isn't like you can't stop without a brake... now riding a SS brakeless is a different story.

Call me crazy, but it is probably better to ride brakeless than helmetless in my world. Most often I have a brake, but sometimes I'll try a different handlebar and skid around town for a few days.

To the OP: Some people ride brakeless in the street. Good for them. Others would like to do this, but have the wisdom to realize there is a learning curve involved. They keep the brake, but they try not to use it. Ta-da!

I have a brake, but I only use it when I want to slow down or stop, not for accelerating.

I went brakeless because my brakes broke. Best excuse for brakeless next to not having a drilled fork.

that's the one that i use

I have a brake, but I only use it when I want to slow down or stop, not for accelerating.

poseur

I usually forget that I'm trying not to use it. I cut it down though, made it smaller, so that really cool people wouldn't notice it quite as much.

My bike has two brakes: A front hand activated one and a rear leg activated one. I use both.

Al

poseur

Please remember - your words can hurt.

I rode brakeless for years and after a recient accident(not because of no brakes) I had to put one on. I'm all better now and I am finding I like the brake. But then I live in the mountains too so now I can go down long steep hills and not kill myself stopping where as before I was confined to the flatter areas.

But still when something jumps in front of me my first reaction is the brakeless stop.

i don't think the poster of this thread was attempting to say that not riding brakeless is lame or anything, but that it's sort of funny when people try to defend their brake by saying "well, i mean, you know... i want to go brakeless, but <insert weak reason>" instead of just saying "look, i have a brake on and dammit, it's safer that way." trying to be cool or something.

on my old bike i ran a brake but really did try not to use it so that i could sort of ease into brakelessness. that said, i do have to agree with the original poster, there does seem to be a high level of self-consciousness around brakes on FGG lately.

so even though i've been there, i don't know that i would have felt the need to explain myself so much. i feel like, "so you've got a brake. that's cool, i totally understand."

people are funny, we think things always have to be one way or the other, but what in life is really that simple? some people ride with brakes, some don't, and i don't think anyone should have to justify this or most decisions to anyone else. *****, i don't ride for the gallery, i ride for me.

hee hee. that sounded really corny, but i meant it all the same.

To Shants and High Pants ... I could not have expressed it better myself.

Now let's ride, carefully.

I guess I am one of those rare people who actually ever use their flip flop (sometimes I just like to cruise) so I have 2 hand brakes and most of the time those leg activated ones (they shave so many grams).

Listen up:

-It's more fun when I don't use my brake.
-I want to make sure I know how to skid/skip/resist rather than always relying on a brake. What if it fails.
-Someday I might have a track bike and want to ride in a velodrome - better to learn now.
-Again, skidding is fun.
-I use cheapo tires so I don't have to worry about buying another crazy expensive piece of rubber that I'm going to skid through anyway.
-I firmly believe that having a brake makes my bike safer.

Enough reasons?

Listen up:

-It's more fun when I don't use my brake.
-I want to make sure I know how to skid/skip/resist rather than always relying on a brake. What if it fails.
-Someday I might have a track bike and want to ride in a velodrome - better to learn now.
-Again, skidding is fun.
-I use cheapo tires so I don't have to worry about buying another crazy expensive piece of rubber that I'm going to skid through anyway.
-I firmly believe that having a brake makes my bike safer.

Enough reasons?


I think the point of this whole thread has been that people don't need to justify whether or not they use or have brakes to anyone.

irony

a. Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.
b. An occurrence, result, or circumstance notable for such incongruity.

Listen up:
...
-Someday I might have a track bike and want to ride in a velodrome - better to learn now.
...
Enough reasons?

You probably shouldn't be skipping or skidding in a velodrome unless you're doing infield donuts.

You probably shouldn't be skipping or skidding in a velodrome unless you're doing infield donuts.
But what if someone stops quickly in front of you?

But what if someone stops quickly in front of you?

Then you get permission to beat the **** out of them for having a brake on their bike at the velodrome.

Then you get permission to beat the **** out of them for having a brake on their bike at the velodrome.

I don't have a brake on my track bike for that reason — too lazy to take off then put on again. so I ride brakeless on my way to the track, but most other times I'm on my commuter which is front-braked.

sweet banana jesus, who cares? at first these arguments were interesting, and now they're just dividing lines. if you don't like the fact that people do things differently than you, then go live in a cave.

I'd like to live in a cave, do you know where I might find a nice one? Maybe with a mountain view and some sweet single track for my mountain bike?

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the idea that a helmet is a better safety object than a front brake. Helmets only help if you actually get into an accident (and even then they are no guarantee) while a front brake helps you stop faster than you can by skidding therefore giving you more room to avoid unfortunate contact with whatever obstacle is trying to ruin your day.

That said, go ahead and ride with or without a brake, with or without gears, naked or clothed, in full hipster garb, or whatever, just try not to harm other people. What you do with your own damned self is your own damned bidness.

It means they take advantage of the fixed gear by usually stopping with their legs, and use the brake when the legs aren't enough.

In the car I use my brakes pretty sparingly -- With proper throttle control (manual transmission of course) and proper pacing for the traffic conditions I can usually cruise along behind someone who's brake lights are blinking on and off without using my own at all. Sort of like the freewheeler's pedalpedalpedal! coast, compared to our pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal... It's about control. *shrug*

I'd just like to echo the thoughts of the OP. This isn't about riding with or without brakes, its about feeling the need to justify having one, as if its some kind of mortal sin. I think if somebody is feels the need to justify having a brake they should really think about why they are riding fixed in the first place...

well said WB

Eh? I didn't get that. Ok, whatever. I just assumed when people like myself say they've got a brake and try not to use it, it's just so they can give other forum users all possible information about their particular fixed gear issue.

So many assumptions.

Jeez, it's like justifying a justification...

EDIT: And by the way, I didn't mean to imply that I would be skidding around a velodrome. However, it is important to know how to properly regulate one's speed without a brake. This becomes easier with practice. How does one practice? That's right, by staying off the friggin' brake.

If these people are cycling on velodromes, why do they have a brake at all?

That ain't allowed, I expect they're all on the street. You have to pop it off to set it on a track.

And by the way, I didn't mean to imply that I would be skidding around a velodrome. However, it is important to know how to properly regulate one's speed without a brake. This becomes easier with practice. How does one practice? That's right, by staying off the friggin' brake.

I would say that regulating speed (adjusting just enough to keep from rubbing wheels on the track) versus braking (stopping the bike completely) is different. The idea of anyone on the track having a brake on their bike freaks me out; but not having a brake when I'm riding on the street freaks me out, too. In an emergency on the street, I want to be able to stop on a dime. On the track, I definitely don't want my feet to stop moving. To me, they are very different styles of riding.

I would say that regulating speed (adjusting just enough to keep from rubbing wheels on the track) versus braking (stopping the bike completely) is different. The idea of anyone on the track having a brake on their bike freaks me out; but not having a brake when I'm riding on the street freaks me out, too. In an emergency on the street, I want to be able to stop on a dime. On the track, I definitely don't want my feet to stop moving. To me, they are very different styles of riding.
In this regard I went on a 55mi ride with multi-geared roadies and found it a pure pleasure to regulate my speed and following distance with legs alone. It really helped smooth out the line. But I did appreciate having a front brake one time when a leader yelled out 'stopping' at the last minute for a light turning red. ;)

Al