Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - brake on a fixie

so I decided to throw a brake on, I live in a VERY hilly neighborhood, with busy streets at the bottom of every hill... i figured it couldnt hurt.

I'm just worried about getting lazy with it... over using it and such.

anyone have this issue?

Hey...I run a brake for the same reason...there's not a flat sopt in Pittsburgh. But I find that I don't even use mine...it's just there in case.

troll

Unless by over using it you mean to a point of high temperature friction causing your front tire to engulf in flames...I don't see the problem.

It's there if you need it, if you feel you are getting lazy...don't use it. Willpower.

I'm just worried about getting lazy with it... over using it and such.

I don't get it either....

Perhaps the OP means that by having brakes he would not learn to really spin out those desents and instead just use the binders.
I have BOTH a F and R brake because around here there are often turns at the bottom of some of the steep hills. Using only a front brake might cause the bike and rider to understeer into the other lane. I use quite a bit of rear brakes on the sharp downhills to help rotate the back end of the bike. Since we can't lean over as far as a freewheeled bike I find this necessary to do this.
Lastly, on spinning out the downhills, I find it best not to think about pedalling and just relax and let it wind out and it also helps to look much farhter down the road too. I saw 36 mph on a downhill today and that was in a 74.3 gear inch drivetrain. Gerry

lots of people say that you can have a brake but "just not use it". this is almost inhuman. if you have a brake lever, it is 99% guaranteed in people that they will grab or even touch the lever instead of backpedalling or skidding or anything else. my first fixed was brakeless. i had filed vert dropouts so it wasnt the safest, but it worked and when the uber tight chain tension blew out my bottom bracket, i got a new old frame and i still use it today. i kept the brakes on it for a long while, and used them quite a bit, but eventually i said to myself, "heck, im goin brakeless". to be honest, it's a completely different riding style than using a brake. you just have to ride both to understand. if you dont really want to use your brake, take it off. if you want it on there to USE, then leave it on. that is pretty much all i can offer.

and believe it or not, you do go slower without brakes.

you do go slower without brakes.

x2

Troll indeed.

so I decided to throw a brake on, I live in a VERY hilly neighborhood, with busy streets at the bottom of every hill... i figured it couldnt hurt.

I'm just worried about getting lazy with it... over using it and such.

anyone have this issue?

No. Living in San Francisco I value my brakes almost as much as I value my unbroken bones.

I went riding for a few hours tonight with it on, and only used it once to slow myself down at the bottom of the hills here. (extremely steep mind you) didn't touch it once any other time, and rode just as fast as I ever did and only used leg power to slow myself otherwise.

I think i can keep it on and only use it in emergencies.

troll? :rolleyes:

thank god you only used once on an extremely steep hill. if you use it more than that per ride or if you use it on a moderately steep hill, all your cred goes out the window.

if you want to use it, use it. if you don't want to use it, don't use it. i see no reason to be worried that you'll use it.

I went riding for a few hours tonight with it on, and only used it once to slow myself down at the bottom of the hills here. (extremely steep mind you) didn't touch it once any other time, and rode just as fast as I ever did and only used leg power to slow myself otherwise.

I think i can keep it on and only use it in emergencies.

troll? :rolleyes:

You're joking, right?

It's a brake. It slows you down. Who are you trying to impress by not using it?

i think i'd die without a brake in NYC...flying down broadway with the stupid SoHo shopping tourists tying to get a peak at the traffice to see if they can cross...even half a second can help me decide whether to kill these stupid bag carrying fools or not...plus i don't like dieing. tried it, not for me.

i keep a brake on my bike only for life or death emergencies.
if i was the only one on the road i would go brakeless. but i can't watch out for every other idiot on the road.

Im all about the LDP (Long Distance Pace). Then you find out that a brake is really there just in case of situations that chance upon your lack of control.

Sincerely,
Fellow Troll

At least this isn't about "breaks"...cause i'd be going postal on somebody.

I have a brake on one of my bikes and use it all the time. I have no brake on another and don't plan on putting one on it. No shame.

i think i'd die without a brake in NYC...flying down broadway with the stupid SoHo shopping tourists tying to get a peak at the traffice to see if they can cross...even half a second can help me decide whether to kill these stupid bag carrying fools or not...plus i don't like dieing. tried it, not for me.

I concur.

My knees also suck and while they're gradually getting stronger, I'm not ready for the backpressure it takes to slow down super fast. I use my brake for now, and I use it a lot.

so I decided to throw a brake on, I live in a VERY hilly neighborhood, with busy streets at the bottom of every hill... i figured it couldnt hurt.

I'm just worried about getting lazy with it... over using it and such.

anyone have this issue?

If you're going to have a brake- use it.

Even if you want to have it there "just for emergencies", if its not something you use regularly, you'll likely
1-not actually use it during the emergency or
2-use it incorrectly, fly over the handlebars, and make a bikeforums post about "the dangers of brakes"

a little bit of front brake together with leg braking does wonders.
If you're worried about getting lazy- ride more.

brakes can be cumbersome if you ride a big butted woman around on your handlebars

brakes can be cumbersome if you ride a big butted woman around on your handlebars

that's so sexual!!
(sorry, somebody had to say it)


If you're worried about getting lazy- ride more.

again, it had to be said.

brakes can be cumbersome if you ride a big butted woman around on your handlebars

+Thundercats

brakes can be cumbersome if you ride a big butted woman around on your handlebars
Double butted?

+Thundercats

hooooooooooo

first of all... HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

secondly...

i did (and still sorta do) try to not use my brake. besides the mad cred it gets me, it was just something i enjoyed. knowing you COULD go brakeless but are smart enough not to. like the best of both worlds! those arent complete sentences. and i think im being sarcastic.

anyway... i realize i have a big bald spot on my tire one day and decide to get it changed while im downtown (8mi commute home and i didnt wanna risk a flat at night). so i figure i can just go the rest of the day using my front brake...no skids and little backpressure so i figured i wouldnt pop my tube. well...the problem with not using your front brake except for emergencies...is that you really dont know how its going to react.

it had probably been a few weeks since i used it and sure enough...going about 5 mph at 15th and sansom i grab my front brake to keep from hitting 2 pedestrians that stepped into the road. next thing i remember im sitting on my ass with one foot still in the toeclip and lots of people looking at me. i had gone right over the handlebars.

i hope someone can learn from my mistake!