Originally Posted by dutret
I doubt however there aren't times that you are unable to apply pressure smoothly enough to keep your rear wheel from breaking free. If so you should have a rear brake for those occaisions.
see, thats where I lose you. Becuase you can modulate just as well and even better!(with a lot of practice) with your pedals than you could with your rear brake.
And to me the limiting factor on the rear brake losing traction on the trail is always a combination of surface conditions and weight shifting, and Not the inability to control braking modulation via the pedals.
I have always thought that subtle variations in leg speed modulate as well as a rear hand brake.