Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Reason #374,962 you shouldn't ride brakeless

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/EvanChambliss.htm

"this once-beautiful bike had an early 70's raleigh frame. last night i got in a wreck coming down a hill, this girl ran a red light. i hate cars."

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/EvanChambliss-1.jpg

Would he have been able to stop with a brake? Who knows, but it's feasible to suggest he may have been able to avoid collision, or at the very least slow the impact.

how about "one more reason for drivers not to run red lights?"

if she ran a red light? i dont see how this makes any sense

and a smashed raleigh is hardly anything to cry about

Reason #374,962 you shouldn't go bombing down a hill into an intersection so fast that you can't avoid the idiot that does something stupid in front of you whether you have brakes or not.

don't bomb a hill if you can't stop, brake or brakeless.

Edit: FD beat me too it.

^^^ yep. either dont go so damn fast down a hill, pay attention to intersections and dont assume everyone will stop, or only ride in a controllable manner which would allow you to slow and go around said idiots if need be. Brakes wont ensure idiots wont get into accident.

This thread surely isn't going how the OP intended.
And +1 on everything so far.

Reason #374,962 you shouldn't go bombing down a hill into an intersection so fast that you can't avoid the idiot that does something stupid in front of you whether you have brakes or not.

+ all *sorts* of 1.

using OP's logic. We shouldnt drive over 10 mph. Because going any faster increases the time it takes to slow down when someone does somthing stupid that you have no control over.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/EvanChambliss.htm

"this once-beautiful bike had an early 70's raleigh frame. last night i got in a wreck coming down a hill, this girl ran a red light. i hate cars."

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/may/EvanChambliss-1.jpg

Would he have been able to stop with a brake? Who knows, but it's feasible to suggest he may have been able to avoid collision, or at the very least slow the impact.

what do u know u freewheel driving punk

I used to store my bike on the roof of our barn.
It got hit by lightning whenever there was a storm.
A friend suggested I install brakes on the bike to keep it from getting damaged when the lightnig hit it.
I thought that was a silly idea until I read this thread.

Enjoy

I used to store my bike on the roof of our barn.
It got hit by lightning whenever there was a storm.
A friend suggested I install brakes on the bike to keep it from getting damaged when the lightnig hit it.
I thought that was a silly idea until I red this thread.

Enjoy

hahahahahahahhahha!

ok, recorded in the "reason you shouldn't ride brakeless book" as reason #374,963

edit: also recorded in the "reason you shouldn't store your bike on the roof of your barn brakeless book" as reason #1

That bike looks ****ed up. Glad to see you are still typing and sound like you are alright. Did you file a report and all that buisness or did she just take off? Really though ride more safely, looks like you walked away lightly. Green lights don't mean anything in terms of your safty. Feel better, good luck with aquiring a new ride.

That bike looks ****ed up. Glad to see you are still typing and sound like you are alright. Did you file a report and all that buisness or did she just take off? Really though ride more safely, looks like you walked away lightly. Green lights don't mean anything in terms of your safty. Feel better, good luck with aquiring a new ride.


*pssst* thats not the OP's rig

*pssst* thats not the OP's rig

effff, misread the "he" for an I.......well in that case, what a ****in stupid hi**t** cant lea..........

last year two of my friends got smacked by two different cars almost simultaneously. the first was the get away car, blasting a stop sign and the second was the cop chasing him...

stop signs, red lights, traffic laws don't mean ****. keep your head up out there and be of the mind set that everyone is out to kill you...

the problem with riding brakeless is that you can't carry your open beer or freshly baked pie or other items needing flat transpotation. usually, one hand on the pie and one hand on the brake works great. skidding with pie in hand is not such a great idea.

my only peeve with brakless is when the dispatcher is breathing down my neck, i'm trying to navigate a downhill in traffic, and somehow communicate on my radio one hand on the bars with out crashing. usually i jsut pull over so he can tell me to go in the direction i'm already headed in...godammned dispatcher!! i should tell him i ride brakeless-fixed, maybe he'll leave me alone.

"eason #374,962 you shouldn't ride brakeless "

"..this girl ran a red light."

Yeah, everybody knows that when you install brakes you get a +5 idiot driver protection (but -3 Charisma).

Seriously, if this person was bombing a hill, brakes on a wheel wrapped in a 23c tire wouldn't have done much good. It would have just made a long skid patch or caused a flip.

The thread title should read: "Be carefull of idiot drivers that run red lights when bombing hills" or "Another reason not to bomb hills"

I wouldn't like riding brakeless because I'm partial to riding as fast as possible and braking where necessary as opposed to having to skid/skip/resist at the crest of every steep hill with an intersection near the bottom.

please, there's nothing more that can be said about this topic.

just ride safe.

i always found one of the nicest tings about riding fixed is being able to control your speed wit ZERO hands on the bars, if that be the case


btw, ive seen plenty of pictures of wheel-braked bikes that have been in crashes...
so what does that mean ?





my only peeve with brakless is when the dispatcher is breathing down my neck, i'm trying to navigate a downhill in traffic, and somehow communicate on my radio one hand on the bars with out crashing. usually i jsut pull over so he can tell me to go in the direction i'm already headed in...godammned dispatcher!! i should tell him i ride brakeless-fixed, maybe he'll leave me alone.

please, there's nothing more that can be said about this topic.

just ride safe.

+1 ... just try not to get killed. the number one rule in life. (if you like your life that is)

and something more, in the early 90s a friend of mine once followed me through a light, we were riding fast, I had green/yellow, he had red, he got hit. He recovered after a short hospital stay and didn't ride again that I know of.

i always found one of the nicest tings about riding fixed is being able to control your speed wit ZERO hands on the bars, if that be the case

man, you got some strong-ass legs if you can slow down to a snail's pace, going downhill and no handed. i guess it's the potential for maybe having to stop suddenly with only one hand on my bars while talking on the radio that urks me. but most of all its just my cranky and paranoid, stressed-out dispatch that stresses me, i ride 48x16 by the way...

thats not what i was saying
i kno what you're saying

i just mean riding fixed brakeless or not it's nice to have the ultimate speed control with your legs

besides, stopping suddenly downhill by grabbing a brake with one hand on da bars isnt going to be too smooth either




man, you got some strong-ass legs if you can slow down to a snail's pace, going downhill and no handed. i guess it's the potential for maybe having to stop suddenly with only one hand on my bars while talking on the radio that urks me. but most of all its just my cranky and paranoid, stressed-out dispatch that stresses me, i ride 48x16 by the way...

Don't nobody in cars ever see bikers even when they are on level ground in broad daylight going 10mph with a flashing light on their head. You always gotta assume the cars don't see you, and be ready to get out of their way wether they have the right of way or not. In a brute force competition the 2 ton car always wins over the 200 pound bike and rider. You gotta outsmart them, outmaneuver them and outbrake them. Whatever equipment you chose, know how to use it, and be ready to save your own ass. Then again no matter how clever, fast, or skilled you are, sometimes there is a bumper out there with your name on it.

I disagree with whoever said a smashed Raleigh is nothing to cry about. Look at the wrap around seat stay. that's one of the Holdsworth built Raleighs, and I for one have a soft spot in my heart for those. that was a nice frame, and it's a shame it got wrecked. I hope the rider came out in better shape than the bike.

i just mean riding fixed brakeless or not it's nice to have the ultimate speed control with your legs

yeah, that's what i thought you were saying... just got to love that tension in the drive train, makes me feel alot safer...

^^^ yep. either dont go so damn fast down a hill, pay attention to intersections and dont assume everyone will stop, or only ride in a controllable manner which would allow you to slow and go around said idiots if need be. Brakes wont ensure idiots wont get into accident.

And have absolutely no fun whatsoever whilst riding a bicycle.

On Friday I was on my way to work. I was following a police car. Well, sort of drafting behind a police car. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Probably not, but it sure was fun. We were both going 25 mph when the copper starts to slow down. I figure he's going to pull me over for being able to keep up with an automobile going the speed limit. So I move to the right in anticipation of having to stop.

Suddenly, he makes a right hook into a driveway in order to effect a U-turn so that he can chase after a naughty cager going the opposite direction. He cut right in front of me. My split-second initial thought was "Why is this cop trying to run me off the road. I braked. I skidded. My feet came unclipped, and I came to a dusty stop and he peeled off in the opposite direction.

If it weren't for my brakes, the West Sac PD might be buying me a new bike right now.

What exactly is the cycling reason for riding brakeless? Does not having brakes make your bike go faster? And how is that so?

What exactly is the cycling reason for riding brakeless? Does not having brakes make your bike go faster? And how is that so?

you could probably do a search to see lots of opinions why. they range from "my bike has no brake holes" to "they're ugly" to "real men don't use brakes" to "cause i feel like it" to "it makes me ride better" to "it's the way that god intended."

God Not Again...

Is that Mercier track bike any good?

What exactly is the cycling reason for riding brakeless?

while i'm not entirely sure that this is a genuine question, rather than provocation, i'll bite.

the "cycling" reason for riding brakeless involves riding on a track. when people are riding within inches of each other, there is not enough room to identify the fact that the person in front of you is braking and to act accordingly. if you were to hit the brakes on a track, you'd quite possibly cause a serious accident. furthermore, if there is an accident, there are fewer things to get caught on if the bike has no brakes. many if not most tracks require that there be no brakes, lights, reflectors, bottle cages, etc. for that reason.

as far as riding brakeless on the street, i don't. so i'm no help to you there. but just cause i don't like it doesn't mean i need to justify or judge others' decisions. i also rock a kickstand. so there.

What exactly is the cycling reason for riding brakeless? Does not having brakes make your bike go faster? And how is that so?

Nobody wants to admit it, but we are really weight weenies :eek:

I was following a police car. Well, sort of drafting behind a police car.

enough said.

cops DO NOT, repeat DO NOT give a flying
**** about traffic laws...

^^^ yep. either dont go so damn fast down a hill, pay attention to intersections and dont assume everyone will stop, or only ride in a controllable manner which would allow you to slow and go around said idiots if need be. Brakes wont ensure idiots wont get into accident.

I can't let this one go.

All I can interprete "controllable manner" to mean is to slow down. The whole reason I spend time and money fiddling around with, and riding bikes is TO GO FASTER. Are you saying that I should ride brakeless so that every time a person is about to pull out of a parking lot, I need to slow down because they might pull out in front of me? Or worse, I need to keep my speed slower than I'm capable of riding so that I can ride brakeless?

And your last line -- "Brakes won't ensure idiots wont get into accidents." Absolutely true. So true, in fact, that a good case can be made that brakes will do a good job of preventing non-idiots from getting into accidents. So if you are not an idiot, then you should use brakes. Right?

And have absolutely no fun whatsoever whilst riding a bicycle.

I dont remember saying anything about riding slow or not having fun. I suggested riding in a controllable manner. These limits vary from person to person and there is probably a direct correlation to saddle time. If you get out in traffic on a brakeless fixed gear bicycle and are riding outside of your limits you are an idiot and the chances of getting into an accident sharply increase. If you are going at a pace or putting yourself in situations you arent sure your skills can get you out of then you will get hurt sooner or later. We already have enough cell-phone toting SUV driving bad motorists and taxis to deal with, why willingly put yourself in more danger in the name of "fun?"

brakes are fine, get over it! go draft some more cops you bad ass....

enough said.

cops DO NOT, repeat DO NOT give a flying
**** about traffic laws...

Hey, it was fun while it lasted. But I wouldn't have done it if I was riding brakeless. I would have been sauntering along at 12 mph because of all the dangerous things lurking in the shadows waiting to snare my brakeless ass and turn it into a twisted heap of chromoly steel and dri-core polyester.

I ride brakeless because it makes me look cool.

and sometimes i unclip and bomb hills and if i have to stop i jump into the bushes. its totally rad

you bomb the ft. lauderdale hills?

You live near the Bush family?

Enjoy

I dont remember saying anything about riding slow or not having fun. I suggested riding in a controllable manner. These limits vary from person to person and there is probably a direct correlation to saddle time. If you get out in traffic on a brakeless fixed gear bicycle and are riding outside of your limits you are an idiot and the chances of getting into an accident sharply increase. If you are going at a pace or putting yourself in situations you arent sure your skills can get you out of then you will get hurt sooner or later. We already have enough cell-phone toting SUV driving bad motorists and taxis to deal with, why willingly put yourself in more danger in the name of "fun?"

But here's the thing. If a rider is capable of attaining a certain speed, that speed is a reflection most likely of their experience. Bikes are not like motorcycles where you can purchase power, and go faster than your abilities. Speed on a bike has to be earned. If a rider is going down the road at 20 mph, chances are that in order to go that fast, he or she has spent enough time in the saddle that their bike-handling skills are better than someone who rides a lot slower.

What I'm saying is that a person who is "outside their limits" on a bicycle is rare because the first "limit" most people reach is one of physical stamina rather than skill.

BTW, I've always believed that riding fast is safer than riding slow. The greater my speed in relation to the motorized vehicles on the road, the less likely one of them will hit me.

Some people like to type just to hear the clickety-clack of the keyboard.
I ride brakeless to hear the whistle the wind makes as it flows through the brake holes.

Enjoy

Speed has nothing to do with experience.
Speed with control, does.

Sarcasm is the new sincerity.

Enjoy

disclaimer: I use a brake.


But here's the thing. If a rider is capable of attaining a certain speed, that speed is a reflection most likely of their experience. Bikes are not like motorcycles where you can purchase power, and go faster than your abilities. Speed on a bike has to be earned. If a rider is going down the road at 20 mph, chances are that in order to go that fast, he or she has spent enough time in the saddle that their bike-handling skills are better than someone who rides a lot slower.

right. bombing down a hill on a mountain bike is "earned." I don't buy it. There are a lot of dumbasses who go far too fast, don't know how long it will take them to stop (even with their brakes) and end up smashing into **** or flipping over the bars. I don't buy your argument, and I don't think that your incident with the cop car would have turned out any differently had you been experienced at ridingt without brakes. I think any experienced brakeless rider could stop just as fast as anyone with a brake.


BTW, I've always believed that riding fast is safer than riding slow. The greater my speed in relation to the motorized vehicles on the road, the less likely one of them will hit me.

I tend to agree. But then again, you have to be prepared to stop fast, and it's hard to stop as fast as a car, with brakes or not.

In the end, it's a matter of taste--some people like it, and they're doing just fine. It's clearly something that requires skill, practice, and cajones, and many people think that it's unwise. Then again, it's none of your business whether people feel like riding brakeless or not. You don't think it's cool. Leave it be, c****t.