chroot

The rear wheel becomes unloaded because the mass of the bike and rider has a tendency to rotate around the front wheel hub. It has nothing to do with which brakes you're using, and only depends upon the magnitude of the deceleration.

- Warren

watchman

You can link your brakes together to use only one lever, you could also easily set your brakes to give either the front or rear more braking force than the other if needed. For those who say braking only with front is dangerous or braking on a flat tire is a death sentence, then you should work on your braking skills. If you want to really learn what is possible while on the brakes, learn to ride a sportbike (motorcycle). Once you learn how to properly brake a motorcyle going into a corner at a high rate of speed, anything you do on a bicycle will seem like childs play.

Olebiker

Take your argument to the extreme and you will see that it does not hold up. If you brake ONLY with the rear brake, there is no tendency to rotate around the front hub.

Retro Grouch 

It's been commonly done with tandems for literally decades. I don't know about the flat tire issue. Do you have any actual experience or are you just theorizing?

C Law

It works in real life also. I have two mountain bikes set up, to ride xc NOT downhill, with front brake only. Works fine. Both with mechanical discs. The rear brake, especially descending on a MTB, provides little if no benefit because of the loss of traction. I use the front brake only on my road bike too. I have the rear hooked up but I can't remember the last time I needed to use it. Although, I am not descending mountain passes at high speeds. I am not an expert, just an avid rider with only 20 years of experience.

I don't think the argument is that using two brakes would be detrimental. I think the argument is that riding with one brake is nearly or as effective
How did you earn your road rash using only a front brake?

you make using a front brake only sound like it is a death defying act for only the foolhardy when in fact it is pretty easy to learn how to do and, even with two brakes, 90% of your braking should be done with the front.

For the OP, using front brake only would be fine for the road. Just get used to the setup before attempting high speeds. I would be more concerned with the lasck of feeling for steering purposes.

chroot

Of course there is. The rear wheel becomes unloaded the same way, regardless of which brake you use. The only difference is that, when using the rear brake, the loss of traction resulting from unloading the rear wheel (rotating around the front hub) also causes a concomittant reduction in braking force, thus providing negative feedback. This is the reason people tell you not to use the rear brake so heavily in the first place -- when you really need braking power, the rear brake cannot provide it. The rear brake may be safer in the sense that it won't send you over the handlebars, but it's less safe in the sense that it actually provides much less stopping power.

- Warren

merlinextraligh

You can set the brakes up so both calipers operate from one lever. Common tandem setup is both rim breaks on one brake lever, and a disc or drum brake on the other.

turtlendog

Depending on the environment:

Front brake alone.

Front brake and fixed.

Front brake and 3 speed coaster for the rear.

Olebiker

I don't think the argument is that using two brakes would be detrimental. I think the argument is that riding with one brake is nearly or as effective.
How did you earn your road rash using only a front brake? [/QUOTE]


I fixed up my old Gitane Tour de France as a fixed gear bike. At first I used two brakes, but my old buddy Wallace Spradling convinced me that I only needed a front brake. The first time I applied the brake in a turn, the rear wheel unweighted enough to swing the rear end around. When the rear tire hit the pavement I did a flying high side dismount at Fifth and Main in Louisville, Kentucky.

Not death defying, but I see no advantage to doing it and numerous disadvantages to using only a front brake.

Olebiker

If you truly believe that, using the rear brake only, the bike will still tend to rotate around the front axle, I would like to see you do a nose wheelie using your back brake only. You can't do it.

Once again, I don't deny that you get most of your braking force from the front brake and I am not advocating using only a rear brake. What I am saying is that you sacrifice too much control when not using a rear brake along with a front brake. The front brake provides most of the stopping power and the rear brake keeps the rest of the bike in line with the front wheel.

dagna

Based on this premise, could you set it up so you use the front brake normally with your good hand, and adjust the rear brake so it only provides some slowing but doesn't brake full force? In an emergency you could mash it completely with your bad hand (with no worries about finesse or locking up the rear wheel). That way you'd get some extra control and a bit of stopping help, though you'd still be somewhat underpowered compared to two good brakes.

Brainstorming,
Dagna

Cycliste

What kind of experts are these? self-proclaimed?

chroot

Since you appear to lack the reading comprehension of a schoolchild, I welcome you to read my previous post again. I'll even duplicate the relevant sentence:

The only difference is that, when using the rear brake, the loss of traction resulting from unloading the rear wheel (rotating around the front hub) also causes a concomittant reduction in braking force, thus providing negative feedback.

Please note that "unloading the rear wheel" and "rotating about the front hub" are, in fact, equivalent concepts.

- Warren

btjzx6rr

Olebiker - dude, no offense but you are wrong, i may be a newb at the road bike bit, but uhh you see that green thing over there right under my name, yeah if i were to touch the rear brake oin that most likely i would end up on my head, when you are useing the front brake to its full potential then the rear brake is about useless, the only thing applying it will net is a nice tail hung out slide.

as for not being able to control the bike with thee front brake, again let me reference the motor cycle, there is a picture out there somewhere of a guy riding a race ducati, he is using all the front brakes, rear wheel in the air, and still turning in for the corner. its all a matter of control, when used with care the front brake by itself is very safe and has the ability to do all the work required to stop.
(i also have my road bike brakes set up to front in my right hand, and have to say the last time someone pulled out in front of me i tried useing the rear brake, locked instantly, and just fishtailed around, as i came to a stop on the front wheel, if you progressivly squeeze it it has huge amounts of stopping potential)

Ineedhelp

The rear brake in my Schwinn didn't work properly for years. Never bothered doing anything about it because I normally use the front brake anyway. Both brakes work fine in my new bike, but I'm just used to using my front brake now, so...

ricardo kuhn

this is not exactlly what you asking, but maybe it can be helpful

I did this conversion for my tandem so i can run Hydrolic and rim brakes at the same time..
i'm sure with some tinkering you can achive similar results,,

I think it works great, super secure and really easy to modulate.

Here is the whole gallery of picture i took and here are some examples so you can see how it works


rim brake Only


Hydrolic Only


the two of them at Unison..


this is how the tandem looks but i don't see why not you can connect one lever to the front brake and one for the rear


No matter what I hope the issue with your hand get better and also If i was to chose I take the Front brake anyday


get better soon.


Ricky

Paniolo

I would set up front brake with my good hand. Maybe some kind of rear or detuned rear for the bad one in extreme circumstances.

btw, here is a link to a Sheldon Brown braking article that goes into detail on effects of the front brakes.

https://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

K6-III

Quality makes a cable splitter you can use for your brakes.

Set up your brakes so the rear engages almost immediately, and the front soon thereafter.

That way, you can modulate how you use front/rear without going over the handlebars or skidding...

Surferbruce

you're totally fine with a front brake only. the only reason i think you really need a back brake (on a freewheel bike) is in the unlikely event the front brake cable broke or came loose, say on a steep hill with a busy intersection at the bottom. highly unlikely but would suck nonetheless.

Motophoto

As another motorcyclist guy I can not believe anyone would even think of only using the rear brake . The front brake gives you around 75% of your stopping power depending on weight distribution and center of gravity, that does not leave the rear brake very much braking power to stop you. Some motorcycles have linked brakes(both work on one lever) but most riders dont like them perfering to operate the brakes separately. If you can only use one hand permanently the photos of both of the levers close together might be a great option. The only time I use the rear brake on the bicycle or motorcycle is when going very slow to hold /control power at slower than a walking pace.

The problem I see in linking the brakes would be in getting the % right between the front/rear. You would not want them to be 50%50 that would be too much in the rear. With the wrong bias you could have a rear wheel skid when you would least want one(down hill with the weight transfer to the front or going around a corner).

brianappleby

does anybody make those pedal-backwards brakes like the ones I used on my kmart bike when i was a kid?

Olebiker

You will not unload the rear wheel when braking with only the rear brake. You may lose traction and the rear wheel will skid, but you will never do a header over the handlebars because you only use your rear brake.

Olebiker

Your example proves the point that I am trying to make: If you use only the front brake in a turn, you risk lifting the rear wheel. If you are a professional motorcycle racer and can control that, great.

TexasGuy

I've witnessed somebody going head over hood and bike on top of them because they used the front-brake only several times. I literally never use the front brake at all because of this

gcasillo

If you're Emmett Fitz-Hume, you grab the pretty doctor's cans.