krazygluon

I have no intention of turning this into the brakes/nobrakes thread of the week.

But I am curious, why on the ssfg bikes I see with only 1 brake, is it on the rear?

I do a bit of motorcycling and we always ride by the belief that the front brake does most of the work and is the one you'd rather have if you're only going to apply one.

Any reasons anyone knows of for why this doesn't seem to be the case for bicycles?

TejanoTrackie 

ask muckymucky

tgscordv6

A front brake has much more stopping power than the rear.

crackrocksteady

on the rear? Who puts their brake on the rear?

Motopecane

When you see SS and FG bikes with only one brake it is on the front not the rear. FG bikes don't need a rear because you resist momentum with your legs. SS bikes sometimes only have one but work better with 2 since you can't slow the bike with your legs.

Long story short if you're going to run only one brake the front one is the one you need.

krazygluon

Not to be snarky, but I know the physics of why you'd want a front...but I see a lot of stock bikes being sold with only a rear (see BD and the fuji SS on performance)

Motopecane

If that is true it seems stupid that bike reputable bike manufacturers wouldn't know better.

NikZak

bd aren't the most "reputable" bike manufacturer to be fair

ianjk

Street cred brah. Street cred.

FastJake

Could you post a link? I didn't bother searching too much but I couldn't find any. That's terrible if they're being sold that way. I wouldn't buy a new bike with only a rear brake.

Motopecane

^ +1 I couldn't find any either.

Scrodzilla

Isn't it a liability issue in some states that bike manufacturers must supply a rear brake with every new bike?

TugaDude

I don't know for certain, but you might be referring to some of the bikes on the BD site where they say the bike "comes with front and rear brake" but the front is installed while the rear is in the box. That is because the purchaser might not ever want to mount the rear brake, so this way the frame isn't marred by mounting the rear brake.

I just completed my Big Block fg/ss and only put a front brake on it. I bought a nice Shimano dual pivot caliper that has great stopping power. So far the weather has prevented much of a trial, but it seems to stop just fine on its own. A good front brake and awareness and anticipation will probably suffice.

TejanoTrackie 

Well, either that or some silly CPSC requirement that if only one brake is supplied, it must be a rear, so people don't lock up the front in a panic stop and endo.

TugaDude

That is a great point, sort of like reflectors.

Motopecane

I guess I can understand the people locking up a bike with just a front brake and flipping.

Then again when you think about it, if you're the kind of person that would do that you probably shouldn't be riding a SS or FG for that matter.

TejanoTrackie 

Actually, the two cheapest bd track bikes (Motobecane Track and Windsor Hour) are supplied with a rear brake only. This issue was brought up before, and the bd owner stated at the time that they were simply meeting government requirements or some such legal bs. Anyways, bd is not the brightest light in the universe of bicycles.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...cane/track.htm

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/thehour.htm

Motopecane

So what you are saying is that those cases are irrelevant and front brake is still more important. Keep in mind I am talking about in a SS application where you are going to pick just one.

TejanoTrackie 

Single speed (freewheeling) bikes should always have two brakes, (front and rear) regardless. The two bd bikes I listed are sold as fixed gears with only a fixed cog. All the bd bikes that are sold with a freewheel are supplied with two brakes.

striknein

In most states, a rear brake is required because the language of the law states that a cyclist must be able to lock up a bike's rear wheel in order to be "safe". While this isn't an issue for fixed gear bikes, most complete bikes are still shipped with a rear brake for the sake of compliance.

acoustophile

i know a lot of people who ride SS with only a rear brake. It's more practical than you'd think in the winter.

FastJake

This makes no sense. Just because the front brake is there, doesn't mean you have to use it when it's icy. Unless you want to argue less maintenance

muckymucky

sorry guys i know you were all at the edge of your seats. rear only so i can one-go-barspin the entire way on the golden gate bridge, of course.

TejanoTrackie 

mentiroso

muckymucky

lol just kidding. i think ive actually seen most setups being front brake only instead because the physics is only correct if you do it this way. personally i run the rear on most of my fixed gears is because 1.law says at least one brake, 2.usually my carbon forks arent drilled for a brake, 3.i still want to enjoy riding brakeless if i have the option of a rear being emergency only and leg still powers the stopping most of the time 4.its tradition now, ofcourse