StrangeWill

^Only if your weight is shifted forward, at no time should you be using the traction of only one tire.

While it is right that you get a huge amount of braking, you'll never get 100% unless you're riding your front wheel like a unicycle. As long as that wheel is on the ground you have some sort of friction and braking power available to you.

However, the need for a rear brake isn't exactly huge, being as you do a lot of stopping with the front.


Generally I use my rear for slowing descents slightly. I'll mix with front more and more depending on how much more braking I need. You could easily do it with a front brake only. However I have this idea that if I lose traction due to bad road conditions (dirt, water, etc), having the back slide is going to be much easier to control than having the front slide.

Then again, in theory while that may be nice, in reality it would be quite rare.


Anyway, I've gone over the bars once, panic situation that if I had more experience I would have avoided, gripped the front brakes hard as hell, considered it a lesson learned. I was also down low and quite forward on the bike, if I was sitting in a more normal cruising position I would have never gone over the bars. Whats really fun is in this position you're going FACE FIRST with your arms under the bars.