No, it's because many of them spend more time doing bar spins than centuries. I'm not sayin all, but many. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing bar spins or getting a DNF, to each his own. It just bugs me when one of these bar spin yahoos gives me **** for having a piece of safety equipment. I won't give you **** for your DNF or your arrospoks, just don't give me **** for having a brake.

I felt like it was because the riders with brakes are more confident and willing to go faster, because they know that they can stop in a shorter amount of time. That was my observation when I passed rider after rider (I was the second-to-last one to start - it was set up like a time trial).

nah, i feel faster with a brake because i use less energy to stop and more to go forward faster.

edit: and by this rule, i can also use a larger gear and keep a higher cadence for more speed.

Ok, that too.

it's not hard to skid an alleycat gear (which i'd consider anything over 70 gear inches)

The article seems to hint about a community knee jerk reaction to claim that fixed gears are dangerous and should possibly be illegal. In fact the article suggests that they already are illegal.

If they really wanted to make roads safer, and remove the agent that is the biggest safety hazard and causes far more death than anything else, they should look for more than two wheels.

On a bike with less rake and a short wheel base yes. On a more
road geometry like a De Bernardi Thron or Kogswell not so much
in my experience. I can skid 72 gear inches on a Soma Rush way
easier than 68 on a fixed bike I have that has road geometry
(Kogs Model G)

Even if they do succeed in passing legislation, by the time that happens the fad will already be over.

if u arent losing teeth and breaking ribs you arent ridin a fixie!!!

you might be fighting a bear....

Thanks all - this is exactly the feedback I was looking for. It was much less a helmet issue than my unfamiliarity with SS/FG bikes. I do agree that the community is likely reacting in a knee-jerk manner, as do all communities when bridges collapse ("Oh no, now ALL bridges are unsafe!") etc. I'm sure the rider had some part to play in this as well, I just wanted to know how riding and safety in traffic situations differed from road/freewheel bikes in this instance.

Thanks!

Coming from MTB, the better you brake, the faster you'll go in the long run. Braking = control. Control = flow. Flow = Fun. Fun = Speed.

It's not "If you aren't going fast, you aren't having fun". It's "If you aren't having fun, you aren't going fast." Because obviously, getting hit by traffic is fun.

This is very true. I ran 44x16 on my Bridgestone track bike forever, had no problem skidding. I never bothered to try and skid on my fixed gear road bike with the same gearing until recently - it's ****ing hard. I can't skid my 44x16 Trek conversion for ****.

oh man the 2-4 week "hump" is true... i did a sprint (for ****s and giggles) and tried to coast, i got tossed in the air, but managed to keep going, felt like i hit a speed bump at 90


OP: i ride my fixed gear like i use to ride my SS, carefully, but still try and race cars on the straights... and then the fixed has the advantage of being able to do awesome fishtail slides into red lights (i have a road conversion, with 49-16 gearing, like 80" i think) ...

currently its WIA and needing a new bottom bracket/cranks/chainring. (so naturally i hate my commute, i prefer riding 8km in freezing rain, to sitting on the bus. god i hate the bus)

Re: Pants & other extremeties in drivetrain

This is going to sound dumb but has anyone tried attaching one of those chainring guards to the cranks like are found on commuter bikes, MTBs, etc? Either way I realize you just need to tie your pant legs down or roll em up to keep them out of the drivetrain, but the ring guard would cut down on the danger a lot, especially for a plainclothes commuter who may not want to roll his nice work pants up.

it should be noted that some of the higher end track bikes do not have the proper hardware to mount brakes.

seems like a mtb style bash guard would help this somewhat, never tried it though

and, yeah, skidding my 39x14 mtb is nearly impossible. i had to work on it one day when the weather sucked. i was riding so slow, because i just could barely stop. nor pick up speed, on that ratio.

if we wanted to be safe, we wouldnt ride fixed gears.

agreed. at the november critical mass in sf, when we got to the famous winding part of lombard street, a group of brakeless riders gave me the evil eye just before I went down using my brake. though immediately after, they picked up their bikes and took the stairs...

the OG fixed gear riders that used to train on and race on roads probably ran brakes. Not
OG as in last year, as in 40, 50 years ago. The brakeless thing is an admirable skill
for those who can do it, but the down side is bad arthritis if you rock no brakes day in day out--
I know of at least one veteran messenger who ran brakeless in NYC for years, now has arthritis.
I can feel it in my knees when I run no brakes.

funny, though, i remember one "oh, ****" situation in which i had my brake right next to my hand, yet the most reflexive thing for me to do was to skid. the brake didn't cross my mind till i was already safe.

it should be noted that they are track bikes, meant to be ridden on a track where there is no call for brakes, nor are brakes allowed.

point taken, but sometimes it's just so clear that you're trying to start ****.

not in the least

if you want a bike with the ability to add a brake, find one. get the right tool for the job. i am all for creativity, but seriously - do not complain about not being able to add a brake to a bike that was not meant for one in the first place.
you can add a fork with a hole for brake
you can drill the existing fork (sometimes)
you can buy a frameset that offers the ability to add brake(s)

logic is not a means to start anything, but thought. seriously - look at the thread title, then look at the post I quoted. how does it even make sense?

most high-end track bikes are NOT MEANT to have brakes installed. it kind of goes against the intended purpose, so you gotta figure out a way to get a brake on the frame (for example - swapping out for a drilled/drillable fork if needed). stating something like "I can't get Paul Neo Retros mounted on my road frame" would elicit a similar response.