Brakes or not?
 

After trying fixed gear up for size for a couple of weeks, I personally don't want to say goodbye to brakes. My (very short, admittedly) experience suggests that it's reckless to ride without brakes - or at least, it is, for me. Maybe because I'm a beginner. Also, I want to spare my knees as much as possible, and it seems that forceful backpedaling may be bad for them.

On the other hand, there are accounts that show fixed gear biking to be good for one's knees.



So, as unscientific as this may be, I am curious to know how much fixed gear bikers use brakes. Hence this poll. I am sure there will be at least one post saying "what a stupid poll". I'll survive :)

Tr0ll

Front brake here.
For the experienced fixer, brakeless is probably OK if you are not riding very far or very fast. I've done it, and its a fun challenge. Brakeless in moderation is probably good for your knees. However, on an extended road ride, you will eventually let your guard down and your knees will start to suffer..thats when brakeless becomes dangerous and unhealthy...IMHO.

No brake=small cock compensation :)

Judging from the poll results, it's not rare to have a brake or two, on a fixie. I had a completely different impression when I looked through the "Your Fixed Gear/SS Photos!" thread. There the proportion of brakeless to brakeful seems to be about 5:1 or 6:1. For the record, at the time of posting, the poll results are
4 9 2

would anyone recommend running a ss (freewheel) with only a front brake?

only if you're silly

When you have a small cock you have more leg room to stop that **** with your legs. What's wrong with that.

No hand brakes here, but I I can stop as good as another other hack in town on their magna mountain bike. I like the simplicity.

started with front brake.

now brakeless
my wife bike has a front brake and I never touch it when I ride it.
she even forgets it there. but she is glad it is.

Nothing wrong with it at all.

i have one fixie with brakes, the other without

Fixed Gear Gallery is the same...lots of bikes with no brakes, or anything else for that matter. Its fairly obvious that people dont really ride their bikes all that much, or they photograph their bikes before installing the brakes and other accessories or remove them off to take the photos. I guess is supposed to make the bike look cooler...really, it just makes it look less functional. Can you imagine all these people riding around with no brakes, no water bottles, no fenders, no frame pump, or bag for spare tube and tools? I kind of doubt it. Theres no way I'd ride far from home without most of that stuff (except maybe fenders, which I only have on one of my bikes).

A singlespeed is obviously safer with two brakes. A fixed gear with two brakes, while not as aesthetically pleasing, is totally worth it.

Water bottle, pump, tools and tubes go in a bag on my back.

Yeah, I considered that..but I doubt everyone rides everywhere with a Mess bag, and why would you? Its way nicer to just put that stuff on your frame. But then again, I never have to lock my bike up, so I can see where using a bag would be advantageous there. Still, this still doesn't solve the puzzle of all the missing brakes.

Actually, as far as I remember, most photos I've seen, have been of frames that didn't even have the brake posts.

OK, I went back to the "Your Fixed Gear/SS Photos!" thread, and I didn't see, in the few minutes I blanced through, one single instance where the bare brake tabs would be visible. So either all the frames where without them as designed, or they were shaved/filed off.

Just saying that I don't think people took off the brakes for the "photo opportunity", unless they are disc brakes. Either they have brakes, or they don't even have the possibility of have them installed. The ratio seems really to be about 5:1 as I guesstimated at first. So, this poll seems to show that there's a "silent majority".

both of mine have brake mount holes, and neither have brakes, and both are in the photo's sticky.

I just started riding fixed, and I'm really really glad I have the front brake, even though it's just some janky BMX brake my buddy put on it before I inherited the frame. I have a flip-flop hub with a freewheel on the other side, and am debating just getting a decent front and rear brake system for the highest level of safety.

Most people are running only a front brake..its very easy to remove and reinstall a front brake and it doesn't require cable guides. Peopl tend to file off the cable guides for the rear brake and for the shifter cables, becuase they are going for that "clean" look. All the more reason to take off the front brake for the photo. Anyway, thats my theory. I'm guess I'm not saying everyone does this, but I bet some people have.

I used to ride a commuter bike I had with a 3spd freewheel and only front brake, it worked fine but I would hesitate to "reccomend" it.

I for one don't have the skill to stop my bike quickly without a brake so I use a front just to make sure because automotive sheet metal just dont taste good. My wifes bike has both brakes to make her feel more secure. I think the aesthetics aren't too bad with brakes (personal opinion for sure)
As for the carrying stuff thing, I usually have a messenger bag so I keep the tools and tubes in there, my bike has a Silca pump which I think looks pretty cool on it kinda adds to the vintage thing and I ride pretty far to work so bottle cage is definitely required. If I'm on a weekend ride or something I usually wear jerseys so I stuff all the junk in the back pocket
$0.02

I'm looking at your Schwinn Traveler, and I can't see brake posts on the fork. How do you mount brakes on that frame?

Here's the pic:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...innOnCouch.jpg

Even when I ride a freewheel bike, I only ever use the front brake. I would occasionally use the rear brake to scrub speed, but the front brake is where all the stopping power comes from. I never felt like this was bizarre or put me in any danger. The back brake I just did not use. I run only a front brake on my fixed gear, though I rarely use it. I tend to skip to stop 99 times out of a hundred. I keep the front brake for emergencies.

It's bike p0rn. You don't see lots of clothing of girls in human p0rn either.:D

Started out with a front brake and after a year or so of not using it, it was removed.

Brakes are mounted on that bike in the same way they are mounted on this bike:
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=32693

There is a brake hole through the fork crown, where a brake is bolted onto.

caliper brakes do not require posts, only holes.

as a member of said majority, i usually stay silent because i find threads about the personal choice of brakes vs. no brakes to be played (when in the form of an argument) or ***********y (when everyone agrees).

sorry dude, nothing personal.

edit: changed some "we"s to "i"s

Aw-rite! I see it now! OK, thanks.

Hey, I didn't take it personally - first of all, I agree with what you said. Second: I was genuinely interested in the approximate percentage of brake usage. Not much of a fixed gear scene, in Helsinki. No intention to argue or masturbate :)

I use both front and rear brakes on my ss, none on one fixie, and front on the other. I find the brake is nice for emergencies, and for big hills at the end of long rides.

Front brake. I was dubious at first being accustomed to two brakes on my road bike, but it works fine for me, especially since installing Koolstop pads.

I tried brakeless for maybe two rides on MUPs at first but decided it was borderline suicidal. (Edit: Plus, being used to riding on the hoods, it wasn't comfortable.)

Being older and protective of my knees, I prefer not to backpedal hard or skid. Mild backpedaling to adjust speed is OK for me though.

BTW, got Cane Creek road levers from my wife for Xmas to replace the crappy old suicide lever stock ones on my conversion.

not quite..


http://fixedgeargallery.com/kohn1-1.jpg