Originally Posted by
jodphoto
I wish I had met Sheldon Brown. He is nonetheless a mentor for me. Not just a wellspring of information, but a bellwether of relevance, as well. If there are bicycles in heaven (of course there are), he's got a shop up there.
Most Excellent!
His work area, in the basement of Harris Cyclery, was quite the place. A small bench, crammed with tools, bike parts galore, more than you might imagine, and the walls covered with various quotes and arcane mathematical formulas, all written in sharpie. Yes, he was quite the gentleman.
Originally Posted by
autoteacher
BTW: The no brakes thing, WTH?
It's illegal and very foolish. There is only one place for a brakeless fixie, and that is a velodrome. Having said that, I think it's the Cool 20 somethings, who believe they are making a statement about how cool they are. you know, "stick it to the man", and all that. Yep, they're making a statement alright. "I'm a brainless moron!"
Others seem to feel that riding brakeless is "the complete fixed gear experience". Guess a trip to the ER should be added to that list.
A front brake is necessary, and for hilly Massachusetts, a brake on both wheels is required.
Don't forget, one of the nicest things about being over 50: You don't have to give a flying u-know-what about anyone thinks. Enjoy it!