coffinjewel

brakes are death

TMonk

still haven't seen that movie

coffinjewel

you truly aren't missing much, it's like the Fast and Furious of cycling

phobus

I live my life a quarter-mile skid at a time.

JeremyLC

If you enjoy bad film, then you definitely should see it. It's better than I wanted it to be, but still ridiculous enough to be fun.

steve-in-kville 

Don't want to.

steve-in-kville 

I actually like that movie. You gotta keep in mind its exactly that - a movie. Not a documentary.

Line of Sight. Now there's a documentary.

fixedweasel

Interesting responses here. Riding brakeless depends on the situation/bike/purpose. I have also been riding fixed for many many years and have bikes with and without a front brake.

Bikes without.............

Track Bike (racing....obviously)
All my grocery bikes
Fixed MTN on very mild singletrack/errands (clipped)

The last two use crazy/silly light gearing (easy to lock) and the speeds are very very slow

Bikes with.............

Commuter 44x17....light gear....the front brake is there but I never use it. If I need to stop, I skip skid or skid.
Training Bike 54x16/14......it has a front brake and is welcome on a hilly century for the downhills.

Here is the key...............

1) Like someone mentioned above, if you are going 5mph in a light gear (in my case grocery bikes), then you most definitely can stop extremely quick and can get away without a front brake.
2) With my commuter, the trick is to stay alert with your head up and be aware of potential obstacles/accidents. Slow/back pedal/resist accordingly. The front brake can save you but being aware is your first line.
3) If you train at speed in a big gear, then a front brake is only there to help you scrub the speed or stop/slow in a controlled situation. If anyone at all tells you that a front brake will save/stop you in an emergency, they are full of crap. If in a big gear and you are traveling at 20-25mph+ and hit the front brake in an emergency...........................you are going over the bars. The flywheel effect of that big gear makes it extremely difficult to lock at those speeds.* That fixed forced rotation along with the pads grabbing your front wheel will most definitely send you over. Make no mistake, riding at speed in a big gear is no joke and you have to treat it as such. I would even tell folks to run a front and rear if they could with those gears. Anything to help slow at speed, and yes, the rear brake will help you. This is one of the specific situations where fixed is way more dangerous than geared.





*this is huge as you never ever have that concern with a geared bike/coasting

UltraManDan

I ride 84 GI daily, cruising between 20-25mph on most commutes and can easily lock the wheel at those speeds and in excess of those speeds. I don't ride with a brake but I stay very alert and always anticipate as much as possible. Avoidance and route planning or "line of sight" is a lot more beneficial in preventing an accident then having a front brake, for me at least. If brakes were the holy grail of keeping you safe on a bike, then those on road bikes wouldn't see as many accidents, but they do.

I think the biggest takeaway here is "If you need to ask if you need a brake, then you need a brake."

czr

When it comes to purely braking/slowing the bike...would a fixed gear with no brakes do a better or worse job than a bike with only a coaster brake? Both bikes being the same otherwise.

REDMASTA

Depends on the person riding.

FBinNY 

Not better, but worse or about the same depends on the rider.

The coaster brake is simpler to use so anybody can achieve the maximum performance, while a fixed gear requires some degree of skill and strength to work effectively. Also, resist pedaling can be more tiring on long grades.

However, either can work effectively and manage seed control on grades, so it's fair to say they're equally effective.

kingston 

No question a coaster brake stops a bike better. I rode brakeless-fixed for years and while it's easy to lock up the back wheel and skid, it's a lot harder to apply maximum braking force without locking up the wheel. I still ride a coaster brake and don't consider it to be dangerous in any way. My fixed-gear has brakes.

79pmooney

FB, no irony there. An honest question from someone who has done his risk vs cost assessment and came to the entirely logical assessment that since he had little of value to protect, the cost of a helmet amounted to resources poorly utilized. At the same time, he is guessing your noggin is of higher value to you.

This from someone who wore a helmet. Not wearing one would have been, in the long run, far cheaper. Several thousand dollars for the service and no on-going costs.

Ben

79pmooney

[QUOTE=fixedweasel;20150872...

3) If you train at speed in a big gear, then a front brake is only there to help you scrub the speed or stop/slow in a controlled situation. If anyone at all tells you that a front brake will save/stop you in an emergency, they are full of crap. If in a big gear and you are traveling at 20-25mph+ and hit the front brake in an emergency...........................you are going over the bars. The flywheel effect of that big gear makes it extremely difficult to lock at those speeds.* That fixed forced rotation along with the pads grabbing your front wheel will most definitely send you over. Make no mistake, riding at speed in a big gear is no joke and you have to treat it as such. I would even tell folks to run a front and rear if they could with those gears. Anything to help slow at speed, and yes, the rear brake will help you. This is one of the specific situations where fixed is way more dangerous than geared.

*this is huge as you never ever have that concern with a geared bike/coasting[/QUOTE]

??? I have ridden a 42-12 down mountain roads at speeds races never see on flat ground, running Shimano DPs and Tektro V-brake dropbar levers. Stopping ability is very close to well braked geared bikes, perhaps a touch better since I have instantaneous feedback on rear wheel lockup. Ability to slow fast, as in seeing that I cannot make a blind corner at the last minute, is excellent; in fact as good as any bike of any type I have ever ridden.

If going over the bars is an issue, perhaps you are running brakes with too much power. I find I need less power on fix gears because I tend to be less subtle on them. More time in the drops, grasping handlebars with more authority. Using V-brake levers where that harder squeeze works out just right is a big help. (I started using V-brake levers to get hoods big enough that I could wrap my hands around climbing and not chew away all my skin under the levers. Finding the braking was improved a lot was a very pleasant surprise.)

Ben

FBinNY 

Uh, OK, though I have no idea what you're trying to say.

FWIW - My reference to irony related to the fact that someone riding brakeless felt empowered to lecture a stranger about helmets.

fixedweasel

That's great. I can also lock at those gears and even bigger. I run between 89-102 gear inches on the road when training. The question is/was stopping in an emergency. For most guys that don't run/train fixed with experience, they will most definitely go over the bars in an emergency stop, as will you running 84"s at 25 mph. If you have to stop suddenly because a car just pulled out in front of you, you will either hit the car or go over the bars trying. Yes, I agree, head up, be aware, etc, etc. We both run fixed at higher gears and know the routine. That is why I said, running fixed at higher gears is just more dangerous at high speeds as far as emergency stopping than running a freewheel with two brakes. You can most definitely stop a geared bike with 2 brakes quicker than running a fixed with a brake up front.* And the reason you see more guys get into accidents on road bikes is because of the numbers. You very rarely see anybody training or running fixed at high gears and speeds but I've seen enough of them here in Chicago get hit or T-bone a car at lower inches.


*at speed**
**this is just a fact

Carcosa

I can lock up my 50x12 at 160 rpm all day.

Sure that's 52 MPH. WANT SOME BRU?

neamatoad

that's an insult to the fast and furious series...

kburks1230

Sometimes you will need to stop within 10-20 feet. At 25mph I just dont see the ability to lock up the rear as being a good insurance policy against someone running a light from behind another car or a car blowing a blind corner at 40mph. I would also think that locking up your rear adds potential for loss of control at higher speeds.

I can stop within 8ft or so at 25mph with both brakes. I would like not to have both brake levers on my fixed bike but I havent been able to justify it yet. I live in south florida with lots of senior citizen new yorkers on the road. Bad combo in my opinion!

Bandera

A FG cyclist who fits a front brake favors long term investments while those who do not just shoot craps.

-Bandera

Yan 

Suggest you go brake-less.

It's obviously your heart's desire.

veganbikes

FBinNY 

This is out of line, and the OP should know that most of us who recommended (even those who strongly did) a front brake, don't feel the need to insult someone who opts to go without.

Yan 

Good for you. The rest of us prefer to state life-depending realities on the strongest terms possible.