Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 13,467
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4335 Post(s)
If the bike is missing parts and needs a fixie you should do that before riding.
Look on Track where everyone is doing the same thing with the same goal and mindset brakes are a bad thing but on the road where you cannot predict anything but yourself having a reliable way to stop is helpful. Skidding and running through tires is not stopping but destroying parts to look cool and slow down. It looks cool and if done well can slow you down nicely but if you wouldn't skid your tidy-whiteys don't skid your bike.
I enjoy having brakes on my bike and if I so choose I can not use them but they are there when I need them and boy howdy running on the road they are pretty useful.