It's definitely easier to spin fast with your feet attached. But if you have brakes, you can control your speed to where it's comfortable and work on spinning faster in a controlled way. There's no shame in using the brakes. If you are riding up and down steep hills, I highly recommend it. It's possible to get very smooth and comfortable descending at high RPM's, but it takes time, and you can always use your brakes to control your speed. That's what they're for.