I ride with brakes on both wheels. I do long distance rides, and using a fixie brakeless is simply not an option for long distance road riding (100 miles or more), particularly when I have baggage aboard. Long mtn descents in particular need brakes (perferrably 2) to keep the speed down to a reasonable cadence without overheating the front rim. Given the cadence defined speed limit, more braking is required on long fixed descents--thus more heat to the rims than on a coastie.

Dave