Originally Posted by
Ken Cox
My son rides a geared bike and a single-speed, which allows him to coast and reach down with his hand to tighten and untighten his straps.
He recognizes the greater safety of clip-outs; however, he doesn't perceive the straps as dangerous, but as only less-safe, or not-quite-as-safe.
He makes this compromise because he trains both by running and biking, and he wants to ride in the same shoes as those he uses for running.
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I wanted to address this. I ride fixed, with clips and straps, and I am fast and confident at reaching down and tightening/tucking or loosening my straps, at low-ish speeds. I wouldn't do this in the middle of an intersection, of course, but immediately after...I'm not saying that clips/straps is a good option for brakeless riding, I'm just saying it can be as secure as your son's set up, with a little practice.
I guess your environment is different, but if I wanted to cruise around the OSU campus, I would definitely have hit someone a couple times had I not had a front brake. People quite literally jump out of the bushes at you... And I'm not sure how you can trust drivers in your area not to make a sudden move without signaling...or to crash in front of you...
For your wide-open road, adrenaline pumping rides, go for your brakeless fork, but pick up a $60 nashbar carbon fork with a brake for every other time you want to ride...
I think the rear-brake idea is mute-point. If there's a secure retention system (aren't there more secure ones than spd's? nice eggbeaters?), there's nothing a brake can do that your legs can't.