I-Like-To-Bike

I don't buy into the alleged advantages cited for the so-called pros (pros? what pros?). Not riding a bike at all is even less maintenance.

But I also don't buy into the OP's hot air rhetoric that brakeless bikes pose a serious hazard to everyone on the road. How so? How many serious accidents involving anybody but the fixie rider can the OP name? Any?

Fixie riders are silly willies IMO but so are a lot of otherpeople, so what?

Face Palm

You are not at peace with your inner thetan. Tom Cruise would be very disappointed in you. I'm sure if you went down to your local Scientology church for an audit and got hooked up to an e-meter, you'd leave your cranky self behind, and frolic brakeless through the city on your new Kilo TT.

Flying Merkel

I almost wiped out 2 brakeless fixie riders when they were blowing a red light at night in a group. I was hard on the brakes and on the horn. They stopped by falling over. Effective, but tough on the rider.

trueno92

dollars to donuts says:
1. brakeless riders are too busy walking their bikes down the hippest fashion district
2. bike maintenance is reduced due to lack of riding
3. bike maintenance of having no brake is a moot point since the rider is so busy matching saddles to tires to handlebar tape....nevermind the time spent on ebay looking for rare NJS parts
4. having a 'grown-up discussion' in the ssfg forum is a total oxymoron, similar to saying 'skidding is great for your knees'

Face Palm

And having a self-righteous discussion in the manner of a bunch of 7th grade hall monitors jealous of the cool kids is the epitome of adult reason and rationality?

You know, I ride with both front and rear brakes, and don't really care what someone else does. But if you guys are so worked up about brakeless fixies, what exactly - besides trolling for indignation - do you hope to accomplish by just insulting the people you hope to change?

silmarillion

Sucks to be him.

CB HI

An admission of trolling.

AlmostTrick

Awww, just give 'em a brake.

sudo bike

https://instantrimshot.com/

KonAaron Snake 

I didn't do it, but some of the guys who did were much better riders than I was...I wasn't about to challenge them!

I think in a fairly flat setting for guys like messengers, it makes sense (especially with a flip flop hub and brakes). Some folks genuinely like the control and feel of being more connected to the bike...I compare it to a manual transmission, to me it seems silly and out dated, but they have fans. Some of my bikes are awfully silly for practical use, so I'm not one to judge.

I'm afraid of incompetent cyclists period...the bike doesn't matter much to me. You can be incompetent on a bike with brakes and the messenger folks in my area are mostly good riders, and considerate. I'm far more concerned about the wally world bikers fresh off of their DUI convictions riding as salmon and on side walks.

If people like riding fixed, it's no skin off my rear if they do it responsibly. I haven't noticed any more problems with fixed gear riders than non...in fact I dare say most of them tend to be more experienced and serious riders. I reserve the term silly for adults on BMX (it just looks ridiculous) riding as transportation, adults on skate boards in bike lanes, as if they are transportation and bikes with motors.

dougmc

That's a reasonably good argument for having a fixed gear bicycle. Others involve being able to do tricks, ride backwards, do track stands even without a hill, being forced to pedal all the time and at a variety of cadences (good for training), etc.

But it doesn't have anything to do with if there's a brake or not on that bicycle.

(Unless having a brake (even if you don't use it) somehow makes you feel less connected to your bicycle?)

OK, but the issue isn't really about "riding fixed" -- it's about "riding brakeless fixed".

I have lost some skin off my rear -- off the back of my calf, anyways, when a brakeless fixie rider ran into me from behind and their front tire scraped some skin off me. Perhaps brakeless fixies do better for lone messengers than in large group rides?

Face Palm

This. I've done most of my riding in urban areas, sometimes fixed, but currently with a freewheel (and always with 2 brakes, but have nothing really against brakeless). I've never had any kind of problem riding near people on brakeless fixies. For the most part they seem extremely competent in their riding skills.

When I have had problems or close calls with other bicyclists, it has been riders who obviously had a full set of breaks and gears. In the near vicinity of where I live, the majority of people on bikes fit KonAaron Snake's description. Used Wal-Mart bikes, no helmets, salmon and invariably riding on the sidewalk. I have to be more vigilant around these riders than around cars because of the constant erratic behavior. But even people with helmets and fancy new hybrid bikes with great brakes ride in hazardous ways, often on MUP's, as has been discussed ad nauseum in other threads.

What it comes down to is that focusing on brakeless fixie riders as a monumental threat as done by the OP creates a falsely negative exceptionalism for the purpose of riling up the crowd. There are lots of dangerous riders on the road, just as there are lots of good riders (the same goes for drivers). But seeing brakeless fixies as such a threat, to the exclusion of discussion of other, just as common threats, exhibits an almost willful confirmation bias.

That, and the OP and supporters are just being damn rude toward a whole class of fellow bicyclists.

vidvis

I rode brakeless-fixed for just under one year, due to stubbornness and laziness. I was trying to build it using only parts from the bike co-op and couldn't find any brakes that fit (very sort reach). Didn't have any close calls, and never once had to skid to stop. I did ride much more carefully, especially at intersections. It's fun and has it's aesthetic, but it's mostly a macho thing imo. Busy intersections at the bottom of steep hills are what convinced me to finally add a brake.

KonAaron Snake 

Any cyclist who rides in a way that doesn't endanger me or others is welcome to a slice of my road. I don't care if they like cyclocross, racing bikes, tubulars, track bikes, hybrids, BMX or high wheelers. I often use a bike with 19c tubulars on Philadelphia city streets, I'm not in position to insult other choices. Once your riding endangers me, it's a different issue.

If I had to guess, I've had fewer issues with the two groups others hate most often (fixed and kit roadies) than I've had with most others.

lostarchitect 

Personally, I'm not being rude, I'm making a suggestion. I think they would be better off with brakes. I'm fine with fixed gears, and if people don't want brakes, best of luck to them. And for the record, yes, I think a bike with a coaster brake should have a front caliper, too.

Face Palm

lostarchitect: I think your post was fine, and not insulting. But the OP's comments and others like "having a 'grown-up discussion' in the ssfg forum is a total oxymoron" don't exactly help civilized discussion on BF. I have no real problem with the OP having s strong opinion about brakeless fixies, and BF is full of snarky banter between members that keeps things interesting. What I do have a problem with is wholesale dismissal and insulting of a large portion of the online community.

mconlonx

OP:

Currently browsing A&S: 32
Currently browsing FG/SS: 165

You are in a grouchy minority...

gcottay

Yes. Thank you.

dougmc

Your logic only works if "FG/SS" means the same thing as "brakeless fixie". In my experience, FG/SS refers to a much larger set of bicycles, but maybe you have a different view?

CB HI

Then stop riding Critical Mass rides if you do not want any skin taken off your ass.

CB HI

+1

CB HI

Then I think you and the others pushing the point of view should only be allowed to ride bikes with disk brakes.

dougmc

It wasn't Critical Mass, and it wasn't my ass. So your proposed "blame the victim" solution doesn't really solve anything.

Maybe Honolulu is different, but over here in Austin, fixie riders are quite common and can be found everywhere, not just Critical Mass rides. Most do have at least one brake, but a significant number do not, and they certainly don't restrict themselves to Critical Mass rides.

In their defense, most are competent cyclists and avoid situations where they have to stop faster than their bike/legs will let them.

AlmostTrick

Then you surely would be upset if you seen this. Oh the horror!!!

asmac

Or maybe a lobotomy.