Originally Posted by
lostarchitect
I think it's kind of dumb--if your chain brakes or slips, you have no way to stop--but to each their own, I guess. And yes, I HAVE seen a guy on a fixie break his chain and crash.
Of course, the exact same limitation applies to a bike with a coaster brake. And as for a bike with a a single brake and a freewheel -- if the brake cable breaks, they cannot brake.
The real issue is that without a brake, even the best fixie rider can't stop as fast as grandma on her bike with a coaster brake, and grandma stops about 3x slower as somebody on a bike with a good front brake. And most fixie riders can't stop as fast as the best fixie rider.