Originally Posted by mihlbach

This is one of my coaster brake bikes. It is not a fixed gear, but, technically it is a rear brake-only bike. I would not ride it in steep mountains without adding a front brake, however the coaster brake works just fine in most situations, even in the chaos of NYC. Is the stopping power as good as a mechanically tuned front brake? Certainly not, but it will stop you abruptly if you throw your weight behind the saddle and learn how to effectively modulate with back pressure. A coaster brake can readily lock the rear wheel, but it also offers good modulation, and is a much more effective braking system that it gets credit for. A coaster brake is much more manageable than a brakeless fixed gear and its a lot of fun to ride. I have another SS mountain bike that is set up with a coaster brake only and it is a blast to ride on singletrack, primarily because it converts an otherwise very easy trail into a much more challenging experience.

I ride bikes with normal braking systems too, but have several decades experience riding bikes with only a rear wheel braking mechanism (BMX racing, coaster brakes, fixed gears).The main safety concern with only a rear brake is the ease with which the rear wheel can lock up under hard panic-braking. If you panic in an emergency-stop situation with only a rear brake, you can easily lock the wheel and slide out. Coaster brakes are great because they maintain the same ultra-clean look that makes brakeless fixed gears look so great and also they are just challenging and fun to ride. But if I were to install some type of hand brake on either this bike, or a fixed gear, I would put the brake on the front. If you are riding fixed and not comfortable enough to ride it brakeless, then the only logical option is a front-mounted brake. A rear brake is just redundant since you can already modulate speed thru the rear wheel via your drive train. You won't need to use the brake except in situations where you need to stop very abruptly, and when you are in that situation you will want to have the brake on the front.