Bike Forums - Do you ride brakeless?

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- - Do you ride brakeless? (https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/480415-do-you-ride-brakeless.html)

I ride with a brake. My city is residential one minute, traffic-filled the next--not to mention the high numbers of elderly/intoxicated drivers. If you're going more than 10 blocks in any direction here, there will be at least one area where you need a brake.

Tampa/St. Petersburg has been consistently rated one of the most dangerous for bikes/pedestrians nation-wide for some years now. Hooray!

And I'd like to say that I have been given a hard time by other fixed gear cyclists for having a brake, but never heard it go the other way--only on these forums do I see the pro-brake side chide the brakeless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relaxer (Post 12462802)

One observation -- pro-brakes people often like to argue that they get all sorts of grief from brakeless riders for having brakes, and yet in discussions like these, 90% of the name-calling and insults are from the pro-brake riders. Its like, why can't you just be okay with people riding the way they want? True fact -- I've never once heard a brakeless rider insult and pro-brake rider, but I've heard pro-brake riders insult brakeless riders dozens and dozens of times. Read this thread if you don't believe me.

There's no argument that says having a brake is a bad idea. I don't see brakeless as a bad thing when used responsibly, but having a brake is a good precaution.