Dear single speeders: Gimme' a brake!
09-07-07, 01:09 PM
#1
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Dear single speeders: Gimme' a brake!
— Just bought a Bianchi "Pista" and am curious of a few brake options for it as a single speed, (as I am too old, too scared and bad knee'd enough to ride as a fixie).
Should I:
A. Use a front hand brake only
B. Use a front and back hand brake (of course, I'd have to get the back drilled to support a brake there)
C. Use a front hand brake + a coaster set-up
NOTE: I live in Seattle and half of my riding involves a few crazy hills, and though I don't ride as fast as my crazy fixie pals, I ride fast enough to worry about burning out a coaster and/or flipping over a hand brake only set-up.
ANOTHER NOTE: Yes, I just read EVERY single post about coaster breaks on here.
STILL ANOTHER NOTE: My name is Aaron and I'm the "newbie". Thanx in advance and hello all from the Pacific Northwest!!!
: )
Should I:
A. Use a front hand brake only
B. Use a front and back hand brake (of course, I'd have to get the back drilled to support a brake there)
C. Use a front hand brake + a coaster set-up
NOTE: I live in Seattle and half of my riding involves a few crazy hills, and though I don't ride as fast as my crazy fixie pals, I ride fast enough to worry about burning out a coaster and/or flipping over a hand brake only set-up.
ANOTHER NOTE: Yes, I just read EVERY single post about coaster breaks on here.
STILL ANOTHER NOTE: My name is Aaron and I'm the "newbie". Thanx in advance and hello all from the Pacific Northwest!!!
: )
09-07-07, 01:43 PM
#3
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b and c are your best choices the cb will work fine by itself but if poorly maintained it is a good idea to have a front brake
for a good coaster look into velosteel they are great you can get em from kogswell
for a good coaster look into velosteel they are great you can get em from kogswell
09-07-07, 01:49 PM
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b or c. b will probably be cheaper but c will be unique and you won't need to modify your frame.
a is fine too, just make sure you know how to stop your bike without a brake in case you ever find yourself needing to. The "fred flintstone" will not cut it.
a is fine too, just make sure you know how to stop your bike without a brake in case you ever find yourself needing to. The "fred flintstone" will not cut it.
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09-07-07, 01:57 PM
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Braking--Front, Rear or Both?
Since your bike has two brakes, one for each hand, if you want to stop as safely as possible, you need to pay attention to how you use each of them.
Conventional Wisdom
Conventional wisdom says to use both brakes at the same time. This is probably good advice for beginners, who have not yet learned to use their brakes skillfully, but if you don't graduate past this stage, you will never be able to stop as short safely as a cyclist who has learned to use the front brake by itself.
Maximum Deceleration--Panic Stops
The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear brake cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.
Won't I Go Over The Bars?
The rear brake is O.K. for situations where traction is poor, or for when your front tire blows, but for stopping on dry pavement, the front brake all by itself provides the maximum stopping power, both in theory and in practice.
If you take the time to learn to use the front brake correctly, you will be a safer cyclist.
Many cyclists shy away from using the front brake, due to fear of flying over the handlebars. This does happen, but mainly to people who have not learned to modulate the front brake.
The cyclist who relies on the rear brake for general stopping can get by until an emergency arises, and, in a panic, he or she grabs the unfamiliar front brake as well as the rear, for extra stopping power. This can cause the classic "over the bars" crash.
Jobst Brandt has a quite plausible theory that the typical "over-the-bars" crash is caused, not so much by braking too hard, but by braking hard without using the rider's arms to brace against the deceleration: The bike stops, the rider keeps going until the rider's thighs bump into the handlebars, and the bike, which is no longer supporting the weight of the rider, flips.
This cannot happen when you are using only the rear brake, because as soon as the rear wheel starts to lift, there is not more braking force generated by it. Unfortunately, though, it takes twice as long to stop with the rear brake alone as with the front brake alone, so reliance on the rear brake is unsafe for cyclists who ever go fast. It is important to use your arms to brace yourself securely during hard braking, to prevent this. Indeed, good technique involves moving back on your saddle as far as you can comfortably go, to keep the center of gravity as far back as possible. This applies whether you are using the front, rear or both brakes. Using both brakes together can cause "fishtailing." If the rear wheel skids while braking force is also being applied to the front, the rear of the bike will tend to swing past the front, since the front is applying a greater decelerating force than the rear. Once the rear tire starts to skid, it can move sideways as easily as forward.
If you don't believe me, perhaps John Forester can convince you...see his Entry in the rec.bicycles FAQ on Front Brake Usage. (Unfortunately, the maintainer of that site has a habit of breaking links, so you may need to go to the rec.bicycles FAQ index to find the article.)
Learning to Use The Front Brake
Maximum braking occurs when the front brake is applied so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off. At that point, the slightest amount of rear brake will cause the rear wheel to skid.
If you ride a conventional bike, the best way to master the use of your front brake is to practice in a parking lot or other safe space, applying both brakes at once, but putting most of the effort into the front brake. Keep pedaling as you brake, so that your legs will tell you immediately when the rear wheel starts to skid. Practice harder and harder stops until this happens, so that you will learn the feel of stopping fast, on the edge of rear-wheel liftoff.
Some cyclists like to ride a fixed-gear bicycle, that is, a bicycle that does not permit coasting. When you brake hard with the front brake on a fixed gear, the drivetrain gives you excellent feedback about the traction situation at the rear wheel. (This is one of the reasons that fixed gears are favored for winter riding.)
If you ride a fixed gear with only a front brake, your legs will tell you exactly when you are at the maximum brake capacity of the front brake. Once your fixed gear has taught you this, you will be able to stop any bicycle better, using the front brake alone.
If you find the fixed-gear concept intriguing, I have a major article on Fixed Gears for Road Use on this site, and also a page of Fixed-Gear Testimonials from happy converts.
When to Use The Rear Brake
Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time, but there are instances when the rear brake is preferred:
* Slippery surfaces. On good, dry pavement, it is generally impossible to skid the front wheel by braking. On slippery surfaces, however it is possible to do so. It is nearly impossible to recover from a front wheel skid, so if there is a high risk of skidding, you're better off controlling your speed with the rear brake.
* Bumpy surfaces. On rough surfaces, your wheels may actually bounce up into the air. If there is a chance of this, don't use the front brake. If you apply the front brake while the wheel is airborne, it will stop, and coming down on a stopped front wheel is a Very Bad Thing.
* Front flat. If you have tire blowout or a sudden flat on the front wheel, you should use the rear brake alone to bring yourself to a safe stop. Braking a wheel that has a deflated tire can cause the tire to come off the rim, and is likely to cause a crash.
* Broken cable...or other failure of the front brake.
* Long mountain descents, when your front brake hand may get tired, or you may be at risk of overheating a rim and blowing a tire. For this situation, it is best to alternate between the front and rear brake, but not to use them both at once.
When to Use Both Brakes Together
Generally I advise against using both brakes at the same time. There are exceptions, however:
* If the front brake is not sufficiently powerful to lift the rear wheel, the rear brake can help, but the best thing to do is to repair the front brake.
Typical rim brakes lose a great deal of their effectiveness in rainy conditions, so using them both together can reduce stopping distances.
* Long or Low bicycles, such as tandems and long-wheelbase recumbents have their front braking limited by the possiblity of skidding the front wheel, since their geometry prevents lifting the rear wheel. Such bikes can stop shortest when both brakes are applied.
Tandem caution: when riding a tandem solo (no stoker on board) the rear brake becomes virtually useless due to lack of traction. The risk of fishtailing is particularly high if a solo tandem rider uses both brakes at once. This also applies to a lesser extent if the stoker is a small child.
Since your bike has two brakes, one for each hand, if you want to stop as safely as possible, you need to pay attention to how you use each of them.
Conventional Wisdom
Conventional wisdom says to use both brakes at the same time. This is probably good advice for beginners, who have not yet learned to use their brakes skillfully, but if you don't graduate past this stage, you will never be able to stop as short safely as a cyclist who has learned to use the front brake by itself.
Maximum Deceleration--Panic Stops
The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear brake cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.
Won't I Go Over The Bars?
The rear brake is O.K. for situations where traction is poor, or for when your front tire blows, but for stopping on dry pavement, the front brake all by itself provides the maximum stopping power, both in theory and in practice.
If you take the time to learn to use the front brake correctly, you will be a safer cyclist.
Many cyclists shy away from using the front brake, due to fear of flying over the handlebars. This does happen, but mainly to people who have not learned to modulate the front brake.
The cyclist who relies on the rear brake for general stopping can get by until an emergency arises, and, in a panic, he or she grabs the unfamiliar front brake as well as the rear, for extra stopping power. This can cause the classic "over the bars" crash.
Jobst Brandt has a quite plausible theory that the typical "over-the-bars" crash is caused, not so much by braking too hard, but by braking hard without using the rider's arms to brace against the deceleration: The bike stops, the rider keeps going until the rider's thighs bump into the handlebars, and the bike, which is no longer supporting the weight of the rider, flips.
This cannot happen when you are using only the rear brake, because as soon as the rear wheel starts to lift, there is not more braking force generated by it. Unfortunately, though, it takes twice as long to stop with the rear brake alone as with the front brake alone, so reliance on the rear brake is unsafe for cyclists who ever go fast. It is important to use your arms to brace yourself securely during hard braking, to prevent this. Indeed, good technique involves moving back on your saddle as far as you can comfortably go, to keep the center of gravity as far back as possible. This applies whether you are using the front, rear or both brakes. Using both brakes together can cause "fishtailing." If the rear wheel skids while braking force is also being applied to the front, the rear of the bike will tend to swing past the front, since the front is applying a greater decelerating force than the rear. Once the rear tire starts to skid, it can move sideways as easily as forward.
If you don't believe me, perhaps John Forester can convince you...see his Entry in the rec.bicycles FAQ on Front Brake Usage. (Unfortunately, the maintainer of that site has a habit of breaking links, so you may need to go to the rec.bicycles FAQ index to find the article.)
Learning to Use The Front Brake
Maximum braking occurs when the front brake is applied so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off. At that point, the slightest amount of rear brake will cause the rear wheel to skid.
If you ride a conventional bike, the best way to master the use of your front brake is to practice in a parking lot or other safe space, applying both brakes at once, but putting most of the effort into the front brake. Keep pedaling as you brake, so that your legs will tell you immediately when the rear wheel starts to skid. Practice harder and harder stops until this happens, so that you will learn the feel of stopping fast, on the edge of rear-wheel liftoff.
Some cyclists like to ride a fixed-gear bicycle, that is, a bicycle that does not permit coasting. When you brake hard with the front brake on a fixed gear, the drivetrain gives you excellent feedback about the traction situation at the rear wheel. (This is one of the reasons that fixed gears are favored for winter riding.)
If you ride a fixed gear with only a front brake, your legs will tell you exactly when you are at the maximum brake capacity of the front brake. Once your fixed gear has taught you this, you will be able to stop any bicycle better, using the front brake alone.
If you find the fixed-gear concept intriguing, I have a major article on Fixed Gears for Road Use on this site, and also a page of Fixed-Gear Testimonials from happy converts.
When to Use The Rear Brake
Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time, but there are instances when the rear brake is preferred:
* Slippery surfaces. On good, dry pavement, it is generally impossible to skid the front wheel by braking. On slippery surfaces, however it is possible to do so. It is nearly impossible to recover from a front wheel skid, so if there is a high risk of skidding, you're better off controlling your speed with the rear brake.
* Bumpy surfaces. On rough surfaces, your wheels may actually bounce up into the air. If there is a chance of this, don't use the front brake. If you apply the front brake while the wheel is airborne, it will stop, and coming down on a stopped front wheel is a Very Bad Thing.
* Front flat. If you have tire blowout or a sudden flat on the front wheel, you should use the rear brake alone to bring yourself to a safe stop. Braking a wheel that has a deflated tire can cause the tire to come off the rim, and is likely to cause a crash.
* Broken cable...or other failure of the front brake.
* Long mountain descents, when your front brake hand may get tired, or you may be at risk of overheating a rim and blowing a tire. For this situation, it is best to alternate between the front and rear brake, but not to use them both at once.
When to Use Both Brakes Together
Generally I advise against using both brakes at the same time. There are exceptions, however:
* If the front brake is not sufficiently powerful to lift the rear wheel, the rear brake can help, but the best thing to do is to repair the front brake.
Typical rim brakes lose a great deal of their effectiveness in rainy conditions, so using them both together can reduce stopping distances.
* Long or Low bicycles, such as tandems and long-wheelbase recumbents have their front braking limited by the possiblity of skidding the front wheel, since their geometry prevents lifting the rear wheel. Such bikes can stop shortest when both brakes are applied.
Tandem caution: when riding a tandem solo (no stoker on board) the rear brake becomes virtually useless due to lack of traction. The risk of fishtailing is particularly high if a solo tandem rider uses both brakes at once. This also applies to a lesser extent if the stoker is a small child.
09-07-07, 02:14 PM
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Braking--Front, Rear or Both?
Since your bike has two brakes, one for each hand, if you want to stop as safely as possible, you need to pay attention to how you use each of them.
Conventional Wisdom
Conventional wisdom says to use both brakes at the same time. This is probably good advice for beginners, who have not yet learned to use their brakes skillfully, but if you don't graduate past this stage, you will never be able to stop as short safely as a cyclist who has learned to use the front brake by itself.
Maximum Deceleration--Panic Stops
The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear brake cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.
Won't I Go Over The Bars?
The rear brake is O.K. for situations where traction is poor, or for when your front tire blows, but for stopping on dry pavement, the front brake all by itself provides the maximum stopping power, both in theory and in practice.
. . . .
Tandem caution: when riding a tandem solo (no stoker on board) the rear brake becomes virtually useless due to lack of traction. The risk of fishtailing is particularly high if a solo tandem rider uses both brakes at once. This also applies to a lesser extent if the stoker is a small child.
Since your bike has two brakes, one for each hand, if you want to stop as safely as possible, you need to pay attention to how you use each of them.
Conventional Wisdom
Conventional wisdom says to use both brakes at the same time. This is probably good advice for beginners, who have not yet learned to use their brakes skillfully, but if you don't graduate past this stage, you will never be able to stop as short safely as a cyclist who has learned to use the front brake by itself.
Maximum Deceleration--Panic Stops
The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear brake cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.
Won't I Go Over The Bars?
The rear brake is O.K. for situations where traction is poor, or for when your front tire blows, but for stopping on dry pavement, the front brake all by itself provides the maximum stopping power, both in theory and in practice.
. . . .
Tandem caution: when riding a tandem solo (no stoker on board) the rear brake becomes virtually useless due to lack of traction. The risk of fishtailing is particularly high if a solo tandem rider uses both brakes at once. This also applies to a lesser extent if the stoker is a small child.
09-07-07, 02:31 PM
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Obviously not trying to pass it off as my own because seriously, everyone knows its from him.
If you post a link people wont click it, and also now when people search, it'll be there.
09-07-07, 02:39 PM
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All the more reason to give attribution
except the new guy.
Sorry--not trying to give you are hard time or anything but when someone takes the time to put something like that together and you cut and paste it in toto---you should at least acknowledge who the author is. Its just good manners and a good way to avoid copyright suits.
Sorry--not trying to give you are hard time or anything but when someone takes the time to put something like that together and you cut and paste it in toto---you should at least acknowledge who the author is. Its just good manners and a good way to avoid copyright suits.
09-07-07, 02:50 PM
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09-07-07, 03:11 PM
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— Just bought a Bianchi "Pista" and am curious of a few brake options for it as a single speed, (as I am too old, too scared and bad knee'd enough to ride as a fixie).
Should I:
A. Use a front hand brake only
B. Use a front and back hand brake (of course, I'd have to get the back drilled to support a brake there)
C. Use a front hand brake + a coaster set-up
NOTE: I live in Seattle and half of my riding involves a few crazy hills, and though I don't ride as fast as my crazy fixie pals, I ride fast enough to worry about burning out a coaster and/or flipping over a hand brake only set-up.
ANOTHER NOTE: Yes, I just read EVERY single post about coaster breaks on here.
STILL ANOTHER NOTE: My name is Aaron and I'm the "newbie". Thanx in advance and hello all from the Pacific Northwest!!!
: )
Should I:
A. Use a front hand brake only
B. Use a front and back hand brake (of course, I'd have to get the back drilled to support a brake there)
C. Use a front hand brake + a coaster set-up
NOTE: I live in Seattle and half of my riding involves a few crazy hills, and though I don't ride as fast as my crazy fixie pals, I ride fast enough to worry about burning out a coaster and/or flipping over a hand brake only set-up.
ANOTHER NOTE: Yes, I just read EVERY single post about coaster breaks on here.
STILL ANOTHER NOTE: My name is Aaron and I'm the "newbie". Thanx in advance and hello all from the Pacific Northwest!!!
: )
If you are riding singlespeed and not fixed, I would highly recommend going with a trad. two brake seat-up. Coaster hubs are prob the next new rage, but I dont think there are many affordable coaster hubs out there.--could be wrong though. Simplist and safest is to run 2 brakes. If you are not running fixed, you cant control the back tire and running with one would be just nuts imho.
As far as mounting, I've seen some people with track bikes fashion some sort of plate on which the brake mounts that attaches to the seatstay crossbeam(where a reg. brake would mount).
I generally disfavor putting holes in my frames
09-07-07, 03:22 PM
#13
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Yeah, I agree with that.
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09-07-07, 03:25 PM
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09-07-07, 03:45 PM
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I just had Trinity build me up a shimano coaster hub to deep v. The hub only costs 20 bucks or so. Even the "good one," the kogswell, only costs 40.
09-07-07, 03:52 PM
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I'd like a coaster hub, and a front brake with MTB lever. Then a 2nd rear wheel for fixed.
Darn I'm still looking for a conversion piece, then I can start.
Darn I'm still looking for a conversion piece, then I can start.
09-07-07, 03:54 PM
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I find I like the combination of a front brake, plus a coaster brake on the cruiser bike I have.
For safety reasons I’m trying to talk my wife into having me put a front brake on her cruiser with a coaster, but she’s really not into it right now.
For safety reasons I’m trying to talk my wife into having me put a front brake on her cruiser with a coaster, but she’s really not into it right now.
09-07-07, 03:57 PM
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Putting a front brake takes a lot of the fear and knee pain out of riding a fixie. Maybe you should just give it a shot before you start drilling the frame 
09-07-07, 04:02 PM
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I realize you didn't list this an option, but I'd either go with C (despite that getting a pista frame and then running a coaster seems somewhat sacreligious to me, just my opinion) or the unmentioned option, a front brake and a gentle fixed ratio... the front brake used in conjunction with the fixed will greatly reduce the amount of strain you're putting on your knees.
But then, I don't have your knees and haven't ever ridden in Seattle... Boston though, which isn't entirely without hills.
{edit} ah, I didn't see the post just above mine, I second that...
But then, I don't have your knees and haven't ever ridden in Seattle... Boston though, which isn't entirely without hills.
{edit} ah, I didn't see the post just above mine, I second that...
Last edited by tinydr; 09-07-07 at 04:02 PM. Reason: saw another post...
09-07-07, 04:19 PM
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Awesome, this is exactly what I have. The coaster wheel is great when I get tired of pedaling, which yes, sometimes I do.
09-07-07, 04:23 PM
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Thanks for thinking of my rights, normally I get pretty P.O.ed about this sort of thing.
This article is a bit of an exception. I believe it is the most important thing I ever wrote, and from the feedback I've received it has already saved a number folks from serious injury, or even death.
Consequently, I'm not as concerned with maintaining "possession" of this article as some of my other stuff, though I would always prefer to be credited. If it can help prevent a crash and an injured cyclist, my copyright doesn't mean that much.
Sheldon "https://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn" Brown
09-07-07, 05:51 PM
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: )
I just got the bike today and it is set up as a fixie with front brake... I'll cruise 'round that way for a few days and see how/if I dig it. Then, I am happy to have so many options if I'm not feelin' it.
09-07-07, 06:02 PM
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I ride a new pista and it doesn't have rear brake holes. I use a front brake only and don't see a huge problem with it. I do feel safer while it's in fixed gear mode vs ss.
09-07-07, 06:07 PM
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— Thanx everyone, so amazing that you all have the experience and opinions to share with me!
: )
I just got the bike today and it is set up as a fixie with front brake... I'll cruise 'round that way for a few days and see how/if I dig it. Then, I am happy to have so many options if I'm not feelin' it.
: )
I just got the bike today and it is set up as a fixie with front brake... I'll cruise 'round that way for a few days and see how/if I dig it. Then, I am happy to have so many options if I'm not feelin' it.
Many cyclists interested in simplifying consider going to a singlespeed freewheel as a way to "test the waters" with the idea that if they turn out to like that, they might later convert to fixed gear.
This is generally the wrong way to approach it, in my opinion.
I STRONGLY recommend starting out with fixed gear. If it turns out to be a problem, you can easily convert to freewheel later if you want to...but my bet is you won't want to if you give fixed gear a good try (typically takes a couple of weeks of regular riding to get past the strangeness, but then it's quite addictive!)
Most folks who set up their bikes with a fixed/free flip flop wind up using the fixed gear side pretty much all of the time. The freewheel option is mainly useful for when you have taken a longer than usual ride, and need to get home even though you're all tuckered out.
Sheldon "Misses Fixed Gear Riding" Brown