lolz brah

And what were you going to do with said statistics? Use them to convince mom it's cool to ride brakeless?

OK, I have a couple of problems with your implications here...

a) Fixed gear bike != track bike. Fixed gear bikes predate track bikes, that was the only 'technology' around, the TdF was done on FG bikes back in the day (along with wine and cigars too, I believe!). My grandfather never rode in a velodrome, but all he ever rode was FG bikes. I think he still has his around - it's an old porteur style thing.

b) If you're faster on a fixed gear than your roadie friends - your roadie friends are slow. Fixed gears are awesomely fun bikes, but I strongly doubt anyone on one could beat a geared bike over a set course given comparative rider skill/strength.

Your last line says it all, though - and I agree. This thread is nothing to do with "should I run brakeless?!?!?!?!?!?!1111one omggzzzz" - it's just a question. Chill.

I honestly do not have the skills to ride brakeless safely. I live in the mountains and coming down passes is sometimes spooky if it's wet, or gritty, or both. Also I am sometimes just plain tired.

I ride brakeless cause I can. Also cause i live in a flat state and I don't use my bike to race so I don't ride for speed but for distance instead.

don't you get bored riding 10 MPH all of the time?

Explain how riding brakeless gives on a better feel for the road. Seriously.

I don't know whats sadder, the hipsters or the hipster who thinks he isn't one.

depends on the bike

I am willing to bet that most of the people who ride without a brake also ride without a helmet.
Which just goes that much further to prove that they have nothing up there to protect.

brakes are the suck. we should take an age poll also. because im sure the older group is going to be heavily pro brakes, and the younger ride without.

When you're skipping or skidding, you're definitely feeling the road a lot more than just rolling over it - not that's a good or bad thing.

i agree with that for the most part, but i'd also say it depends on your experiences/physical ability

for example, i'm 20 and recently spent a week in the hospital with a skull fracture (not from a bike, mind you) and when i get my fixed gear in a week i'm for sure gonna ride with brakes

but some crazy 80-year-old might fly past me riding brakeless

I honestly think you don't know very much about bikes/physics if you think you can stop as fast without brakes.

"The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear brake cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction."

-Sheldon "Front Brake" Brown

EDIT: I'm not saying you shouldn't ride brakeless, but you should understand the limitations of a brakeless bike. I ride a tall bike with no brakes, but I know that I need extra room to stop and ride accordingly.

Riding brakeless and riding slow have nothing to do with each other. There are plenty of people that can ride as fast or faster without brakes as people with brakes.
Case in point...Shino winning the Cycle Messenger World Championships this year, brakeless against hundreds of riders, all of whom are also professional messengers and most of whom run brake(s)...and he finished with more than a six minute lead over the next finisher.

Clearly you have no real experience riding brakeless.

(For the record, I think most people I come across need brakes. Probably two.)

I will be 38 in Nov. and ride brakeless and will always ride brakeless when it comes to my fixed bike. I do not ride casually, I like to push for speed and just have fun on the road, especially when it comes to city riding and heavy traffic areas. I have a family as well so I try to play it safe, but things can happen.

I think what you are looking to say is that static friction is more efficient than kinetic friction. So I would agree that you could stop faster with brakes, but when you get good at skidding it just seems like second nature and you feel like you can stop quickly.

Just because you feel like its faster doesnt mean it is... Rolling friction>Sliding friction (in virtually ALL cases) so as soon as you break your rear tire loose you just increased your stopping distance as opposed to decreasing it.

Thankfully for you nobody here is able to remember your other posts such as the one where you talked about removing your brakes (to save five pounds I believe) or how you've only actually been riding brakeless for less than a month now.

Otherwise you would look silly with the "I ride brakeless and always will" in the context that this is just some new fad you've hopped onto...


Anyway, I ride with brakes.

Brakes are 5lb anvils. Not a fad a lifestyle of riding now, call it second nature it was meant to happen at some point.

Yes and they also facilitate transmission of the HIV virus.

That said, stop giving advice when you`re a newbie. You`re going to get someone hurt if they`re dumb enough to try and be the rider you pretend to be.

No brakes, 48/15

Rolling vs sliding friction is another reason you can't stop as quickly on a brakeless bike, but the biggest reason is that the front wheel is what you want to use to stop. Using the rear wheel to stop will never be as effective as the front. Never.

Dont you guys ever get tired of saying the same things?
On the other forum I dont think weve ever even bothered to discuss this topic.

Briefly... briefly...