Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Why I will never ride with brakes.

I don't know if this has been posted previously since this is my first day on here.

But I will never get brakes for my fixie. I've been riding for a long time and there is nothing like it. I switch to my regular geared road bike and find myself trying to pedal backwards. I don't feel like I have that "zen." Yes, that is probably cliche, I really don't care. When you do not have brakes you become more aware and in the moment. With brakes you KNOW you have the option of safely stopping. Without, there is always the increased risk of injury or- death. Now maybe I'm just crazy and not afraid of getting hurt!

Yes. This has been covered.

http://www.worldwar1.com/itafront/gif/bomb.gif

I will probably never remove my brakes. Why? Because as much as I enjoy the Zen of riding fixed gear, I'm in no hurry to reach Nirvana.

Death is right this thread is the bomb.

****** thread of the month.

you turd

people here love brakes man. run away.

probably true, since it has been declared that riding without brakes is "********."

probably true, since it has been declared that riding without brakes is "********."

No, a lot of people do it. This thread sure is ********, though.

Thanks for that little explosion of **** coming out of your brain ****dick.

No, a lot of people do it. This thread sure is ********, though.

+1

you must enjoy going slow on your bicycle.

I'd love to see a poll of people who've come off vs those who haven't and see their oppinions then..

I know the feeling you're talking about, I've always had a front brake for emergency (plus there are some steep hills here and I'm not a great skidder due to not being able to finance new tires more often than I do now!) but recently I changed back to drops and the bars are too fat.. I was riding along my street at my normal (quickish) pace and looked down and realised I'd no brakes attached to my bike whatsoever! so kinda calmed it down a bit.

And it's actually a good thing too, was a test spin and on it I discovered my Ebay bargain cranks had been eaten apart from over-tightening the pedals done by a previous owner. If I'd gone to try and stop hard my pedal would have snapped off, making a difficult stop even more dangerous!

My view is, try ride without a brake once or twice to really feel the Zen, but then stick on a brake so you don't get killed! Have to say it made me so much more aware (amplified by the jump of 10 gear inches to the drivetrain) and I'm glad I chose to use a brake in the end.

My 2c

ZEN! Can we retire "zen" please.

In fairness, it's cliché to fook, but it's the best description.. 'Sensation' more appropriate?

http://www.bereanbaskets.com/images/pio_un28008.jpg

troll

Don't ruin the concept of zen by using it as an excuse for your stupidity.
And, stay the fu<k away from me.

72 virgins await riders w/o brakes

learn to ride without brakes and you're fine. sounds like a lot of people on here belong in the road forum.

I hope your chain breaks.

I'm all for people riding without brakes if only to, another cliche coming, "thin out the herd."

http://www.bikecult.com/works/events/chad's%20pinarello.jpg
≠
http://davidzinger.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/zen-rock.jpg

In fairness, it's cliché to fook, but it's the best description.. 'Sensation' more appropriate?

As someone who studied Zen Buddhism and meditation for years, I doubt people using the "zen" term understand the concept beyond a marketing buzz phrase.

To the OP, go for it and ride without brakes. It's your skull and while I think it's idiotic, I won't stop you from doing it

learn to ride without brakes and you're fine. sounds like a lot of people on here belong in the road forum.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

learn to ride without brakes and you're fine. sounds like a lot of people on here belong in the road forum.

sounds like a lot of people here belong in the yoga forum

I hope your chain breaks.
+1

my 2 cents: once i learned to ride W/O brakes i didn't want to ride any other way (been brakeless since i was 17 and i'm 26). Oh **** moments? yea thats gonna happen. but you end up riding like a river and follow the path with the least resistance. it's like no other feeling.
Sorry i'll never comment on this again. nathan

I don't know if this has been posted previously since this is my first day on here.

But I will never get brakes for my fixie. I've been riding for a long time and there is nothing like it. I switch to my regular geared road bike and find myself trying to pedal backwards. I don't feel like I have that "zen." Yes, that is probably cliche, I really don't care. When you do not have brakes you become more aware and in the moment. With brakes you KNOW you have the option of safely stopping. Without, there is always the increased risk of injury or- death. Now maybe I'm just crazy and not afraid of getting hurt!

Don't worry man, there are a few of us on who here know what you mean. Too bad this forum is full of high school & college kids who are scared wannabe internet tough guy wimps (and older guys trying to identify with the latter so they side with them) who overcompensate for their shortcomings with brakes. This thread will go on for about 5 pages more with nothing positive. Enjoy your riding & don't let these jerks deter you. I really wish I could meet some of these guys in person.

If your brake cable breaks or comes free youre in the same boat cause you never learned to ride without it and will soil your L.L.Bean cargo shorts right before you hit the dumptruck.

Actually, a cabal of the finest french, japanese, english and italian bicycle engineers once joined forces back in the days of yore and after much postulating, calculating, prototyping and testing came up with a solution to that problem. It was the other brake.

Can "enlightenment" NOT be achieved if there is a brake attached to your bike? There's no law that says you have to use it, right?

After riding for about 3 months without a brake I found myself going down some pretty long descents where I didn't have enough strength to slow the bike down and was pedaling a lot faster than I wanted.

I'm riding much faster with a front brake but I'm one of those "older guys...".

Gale

Don't worry man, there are a few of us on who here know what you mean. Too bad this forum is full of high school & college kids who are scared wannabe internet tough guy wimps (and older guys trying to identify with the latter so they side with them) who overcompensate for their shortcomings with brakes. This thread will go on for about 5 pages more with nothing positive. Enjoy your riding & don't let these jerks deter you. I really wish I could meet some of these guys in person.

I love this. You've got a No True Scotsman fallacy, ad hominem attacks all over the place, and a deliciously childish veiled threat to top it all off. You're a real class-act.

I really wish I could meet some of these guys in person.

http://ettf.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/tough-guy.jpg
Where are those damn bike forums jerks!

Are the damn bike forums jerks the ones with the sunglasses behind him on his right?

If your brake cable breaks or comes free youre in the same boat cause you never learned to ride without it and will soil your L.L.Bean cargo shorts right before you hit the dumptruck.

There's a difference between having a brake, and using a brake.
One of those options is the same as riding brakeless with added weight.

But I do agree that knowing how to stop without using a brake is an important skill to master no mater what kinda bike your riding. But just having a brake on your bike doesn't mean you don't know how to do it. ;)

There's a difference between having a brake, and using a brake.
One of those options is the same as riding brakeless with added weight.



I dont know.. the people who have a brake but ride around trying not to use it is about the most jackass of all the possibilities here.

It seems ever time I go into the city I witness a bike crash, why is it ALWAYS a FG bike with no brakes?
saw a crash AGAIN last Tuesday, a guy on a FG going the wrong way on a one way (he was on the right side going against traffic) street decides he needs to zip over to the other side and meets up with a guy riding SS with 2 brakes going the right way! They both panic but the guy on the SS bunny hops onto the pavement and comes to a sweet stop by hitting his back brakes and swinging the bike around just in time to see the FG guy flip forward over his bike and slamming to the ground! Here the FG guy tried to lean forward and skid to a stop....while turning his front wheel to the right! :rolleyes:

Who the hell leans forward while trying to skid to a stop?

My brake and my helmet have a lot in common. I ride with them every day but rarely use them. I would not ride without them even though I hope I dont need them. I always say if you have enough of a brain to be worth a helmet and a brake then keep the helmet and the brake. If your brain is not worth the trouble of a helmet and brake then dont bother with either one.

Damn..you're wise.

Who the hell leans forward while trying to skid to a stop?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2229695149_fb27346ac9.jpg
http://www.xymara.com/evt-previews-fixedgear-intext01.jpg
this last one just makes me laugh
http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/49x16.jpg

you must enjoy going slow on your bicycle.

+1

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2229695149_fb27346ac9.jpg
http://www.xymara.com/evt-previews-fixedgear-intext01.jpg
this last one just makes me laugh
http://www.complex.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/49x16.jpg

Since youve just joined us...those guys arent trying to stop. :welcome

And yes...the last one is hilarous.
I was looking for that pic the other day. lol

THanks. :)

That pic screams Jackass. I love it.

I get the brakeless ethos, really, I do. My own personal reasons for my brake are 1) I like pricey tires, go figure. I don't mind sacrificing lifespan for road feel but I'd have a heart attack if someone tried skidding my vitt corsa's! 2) I find I am faster with a brake and able to take more chances on wet/poor traction roads or downhill in the rain - I could also just be a wuss. 3) I'm still haunted by the day a toddler ran out in front of me in battery park and I slammed on the front brake just in time NOT to run her over. I definitely don't have faith in my reaction time in freak situations like that to beat a finger-to-lever synapse firing with my legs, and I couldn't imagine having to explain my lack of brakes to the kid's mother.

Since youve just joined us...those guys arent trying to stop. [annoying emote removed]

And yes...the last one is hilarous.
I was looking for that pic the other day. lol

THanks. :)

That pic screams Jackass. I love it.

I'm aware they aren't trying to stop, thus the inclusion of the last pic, but newbies do look at those pics and watch the mash videos and do try to stop using that technique, I've seen it failed plenty times.

And yes that last picture is great, I especially love his facial expression, not even getting into the bike at all.

I get the brakeless ethos, really, I do. My own personal reasons for my brake are 1) I like pricey tires, go figure. I don't mind sacrificing lifespan for road feel but I'd have a heart attack if someone tried skidding my vitt corsa's! 2) I find I am faster with a brake and able to take more chances on wet/poor traction roads or downhill in the rain - I could also just be a wuss. 3) I'm still haunted by the day a toddler ran out in front of me in battery park and I slammed on the front brake just in time NOT to run her over. I definitely don't have faith in my reaction time in freak situations like that to beat a finger-to-lever synapse firing with my legs, and I couldn't imagine having to explain my lack of brakes to the kid's mother.

You could have swerved :)
Didnt you see MASH?
Swerving is cool.

I especially love his facial expression

skidding is serious business. requires intense concentration and a crooked ball cap.

You could have swerved :)
Didnt you see MASH?
Swerving is cool.

Ha, would loved to have thrown a whip all haard and such but there was nowhere to swerve to. I was gonna take out at least one ped on that narrow path, mucho turistas that day and I'm hoping to keep my lucky streak of not hitting a ped in nyc (nigh impossible) alive. *knocks wood*