I started off with a front brake as most people do but after a while saw myself not ever using it so I took it off. At first I didnt like riding brakeless because I didnt know how to skip or skid and I was relying on pure backpressure and the tendinitis in my knee didnt like that much. After learning how to skip Ive since given my knee a lot of relief and have been better at stopping fast. Im also not one of those balls to the wall pedal fast as you can types. I enjoy a slower riding pace where I can stop efficiently in any situation.