Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Who uses brakes?

Do any of you guys use brakes on your fixies?

I have a front brake, but I don't use it unless I have to.

I have no brakes atm
... and a freewheel

last one did, new one doesnt.

me

not anymore.

"Breakin's a memory"

Front and rear. Big downhills on my rides. Enjoying the knee-pain-free life.

i don't. sometimes i think i should. not for safety, but to make things easier (i.e., less effort when i'm tired, easier on knees). but i figure you don't get stronger by making things easier.

I run a front brake currently, but it only takes about a minute to swap out bars if I'm going on a ride where I don't need it.

Whatever floats your boat

yes, in my road bike :p

front brake.

I run the freewheel a fair amount so my bike has front and rear. The rear however does not get used very much as I have a nice little dent on my rim that makes braking a hassle in the rear.

front brake on the conversion, no brakes on the track bike

yes...been hit once, don't need to again (I like being able to stop on a dime if I have to). Having a brake also allows me to ride a little more agressively through town, knowing I can stop if I have to.

IMHO no brakes is for the velodrome...or long bike paths where there's no traffic...but there are others who feel differently.

I also dig the brake for when I am riding my track bike on rides, not just around town. After a few hours, I am usually thankful that I don't have to use my legs/knees to slow down while decending. It makes for much more enjoyable rides.

It's your life, your body - do what ever the heck you want with it. I for one, want to still be riding when I am 70 (or older)!

i have a front brake which i use alot because i have knee pains sometimes if i don't.
that and i feel its safer and less dangerous then to not have one, but what the hell do i know?

*raises hand*

Yes. Front brake on my fixie conversion. I like it that way.

front brake!

normally, front brake. except on rides out of the city.

and the velodrome, of course.

I have a front brake.
I can ride for a week and not use it, and then I'll need it four times in fifteen minutes.

I see my dependency on my front brake as a skill and awareness issue.
I would like to think that someday I will safely ride with no brake; but, then again, maybe not.

I see no good reason not to have brakes. I got 2, and I like 'em.

I see no good reason not to have brakes. I got 2, and I like 'em.

nothing to attach them too :D

I see no good reason not to have brakes.
actually, i thought about this recently, and here are a few good reasons:

1. i ride at the track and get sick of switching out the brakes/handlebars.
2. my fork isn't drilled.
3. i hate the look of brakes on my track bike.
4. i ride in low traffic areas and don't really need one.

of course, all these reasons are only good if the rider is good at stopping without a brake. like i said above, i prefer to ride with a brake.

Will be running a front brake shortly on my conversion, just to be safe. Been getting along fine without one for the short time I've been riding, but then again, I'm riding on some crap ass suzue jrs and sure as hell would feel safer with a front brake. Better to have and not need than to need and not have, right?

front brake :)

(I like being able to stop on a dime if I have to).
It's your life, your body - do what ever the heck you want with it.

I use my hand brake all the time, and with any luck, my fixed mountain bike will have a disc brake. I use my legs to modulate my speed and/or stop where appropriate.

Re: it's your life - the last time I rode behind a fixed rider with no handbrake, he couldn't stop or at all control his decent down a relatively moderate descent, either because he was going too fast, because of the road conditions (snow and ice), or because he wasn't experienced enough to control his bike, or all three.

For me, "it's your life" ends when there are other road users that may be affected negatively by your decisions and/or actions, and if I may proselytize, that's the case whenever riding in a city or in any area with anything resembling traffic.

yep. front brake on a pista. hahaha.
(call me a dork but I need to walk when I'm retired or no longer employable.)

been fixed for one week and loving it. the brake made it about 50% more enjoyable.
but I can see how more experienced fixed riders can get by without. seven days in
and I'm already testing myself when _not_ to use it.

HL

Just to answer the question, yes.

I run a front brake.

I'm not ready to go brakeless, and not sure if I will anytime soon. I'm not the most aware person in the world... even when I am descending hills at high speeds. My mind ALWAYS wonders : /

front bake- recently got fixed after riding with a freewheel for the last few years- so it makes sense to use one esp in the city.

Front brake, but I've only used it one or two times this month - I get lazy sometimes.

Front brake, yes. I treat it like the helmet adage. Wear it, but don't use it.

i run a front brake, only becuase my bike's weird, harder to skid/skip on it. maybe the geometry. since its a conversion.

Do any of you guys use brakes on your fixies?
yep, until my injured calf recovers.

Front brake, yes. I treat it like the helmet adage. Wear it, but don't use it.
I like the way you think.

i have a front brake. i ride in city traffic and there have been two occasions this winter when it has allowed me to stop faster than i think i could possibly have thrown my weight forward and locked up my rear wheel.

Hell yes

I am one of those guys who ride with a front brake but rarely use it. I have it mounted on the right side.

damn. mad amounts of people make excuses for riding with a brake. it's not a bad thing, you know. it's the same on FGG--people always say "front brake for emergencies" or talk about how their commute has hills, hence their mild gear ratio. like everybody is holding themselves up to some ridiculous standard of stiff gears, no handbrakes, and huge saddle-to-bars drops, riding through the alps.

my brake goes on and off. on for long rides makes me feel safe. off for local commuting, but there's really no reason for me to have it off, regardless of how much i use it.

i run a front brake, only becuase my bike's weird, harder to skid/skip on it. maybe the geometry. since its a conversion.

more likely your gear ratio

Two fixed bikes with brakes. I hate putting all my eggs in one basket.

front brake. left side. use it when i have to (mostly when my knees are tired).

ps--you guys that go sans brakes--can you will me your frames if they're not too fukced up? pm me about arrangements. :D :)

i have a front brake. i ride in city traffic and there have been two occasions this winter when it has allowed me to stop faster than i think i could possibly have thrown my weight forward and locked up my rear wheel.

Not to mention that even if you could bypass the shifting of weight it would still take you longer to stop. So I'd argue your front brake has allowed you to stop faster every single time you've used it.

By the way, if you do have a brake on you should grab it every now and then even when you don't have to in order to make sure that it's still functional if and when you do need it.

frontie for real!

I heart my knees

I have a brake. Use it somedays, otherdays not all. What people chose to ride is their business.

But I threw my chain last night, first time in years and thats why the brake stays on. Ain't nothing like suddenly losing your primary mode of stopping to make you glad you have another.

Sure I got have bailed, stuck my foot in between the frame and rear wheel or turned 'up track' but I didn't need to worry cause I got me a brake.

This thread though has come up about 50 times. Last time there was a poll:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=163413

I have a front hand activated brake and a rear leg activate one. I use both all the the time.

Al

front brake only, witha baby blue bmx lever flipped to the left side. used rarely and usually only in haste.

I run a front brake. I actually have two brake/cable set-ups, one cross lever on my road drops and one bar-plug lever on my bullhorns. I use it to save my legs- it's about 4 times more draining on my legs and general energy to have to use ONLY my legs to stop.

Front brake on the surly. My knees and I are best friends.