This thread is so dumb.

My sister rides her bike single speed in DC (hilly!). Her friend that put it together refuses to put a rear brake on it even though it's pretty common sensical to put a rear brake on a single speed. It looks like he'll need some convincing, so...

Why should a single speed bike have both front and rear brakes?

Old bikes had rear brakes. The front brake does all the work.

So you're saying it's ok to ride a single speed without a rear brake? What about in adverse conditions, such as rain or snow?

The front brake does most of the work but not all.

A better question:

Why does your sister need her friend's permission to put a rear brake on her bike?

I am.

But not all riders know to not brake in a wet turn etc. If you are riding in weather as such and don't know how to brake with just a front brake you should not be riding in such weather.

I've tried this. but having only 1 brake lever unbalances my handlebars and causes me to ride in circles

She is in DC, he is in NY, he kept the rear brake and gave her a front brake instead. Tradesies.

Oh yeah, I forgot that rear brakes can only be purchased in NY.

The second brake is very nice to have when the cable breaks or there's some other problem with the first brake.

Um. Ok. Luls.

True. Redundant systems are nice. My shoes into tire is my redundant system.

Again, if you can't maintain your bike so that it doesn't snap a cable, rain and snow are not for you.

Great reply. Shows that you didn't get the logic involved.

She's trying to get her rear brake back from him, and he's being a baby about it. Because it "looks DUMB".

My sister is not the best at riding bikes, but she uses it to commute. Rather than walking 30 minutes to work every day she can bike for 10.

Doc, this seems a little elitist.

I guess I have no idea what I'm doing because - even though one of my fixed bikes is brakeless and I'm a competent rider/mechanic - if I were to ride SS, I would prefer to have front and rear brakes.

yummy - to hell with your sister's friend. Spend 25 bucks and buy her a brake.

No, you're right. I really don't understand your logic. Rather than installing a rear brake, she should just not ride her bike? That makes sense...

Being responsible for your safety is not elitist. WTF.

If you can;t keep an eye on your front cable then will you keep an eye on pressures, pads, adjustments, light batteries etc.

Being on the ball enough to stay alive in crap weather is in no way related to elitism.

If she cannot safely operate a bike with one front brake then she should reconsider riding in the rain. Capiche?

I agree. If I were riding ss, I would rather have two brakes than one. With fixed, it's a different story since my legs already have control over the rear.

I have a spare Tektro back brake and lever that I already offered to ship her, but it looks like her friend is going to ship her old brake back to her. Still being a baby about it, though.

So I guess people who are more comfortable having two brakes on their bikes should just take the bus. Also, anyone not capable of doing an oil change has no business driving a car. Again, the bus will get you there.

You were right in the title, yum - this is a dumb thread.

So... like 75% of bike riders should not be allowed to ride their bikes in the rain? Perhaps you should come give a bike safety seminar at my school.

It is also not that she can't operate a bike with only a front brake. It's that she herself does not feel safe bombing down a hill with no control over her rear wheel. When you go down a hill, your weight is already shifted to the front of the bike. Braking with only a front brake also shifts your weight to the front of the bike. I think you're smart enough to put these two together.

sigh. You guys get what I'm talking about. Stop being so stubborn. I'm just saying that if you want to ride in the rain take some responsibility for your rig and know how to ride it. If you think people are right to just ride in crap weather on a crap bike with crap skills then I was wrong about you.

I'm for a little bit of cycling responsibility. Not like some wacko safety freaks but come on. If your mom decided to ride in the rain you'd give her some pointers and keep her bike in tip top shape right?

Yes I would, but I never brought up anything about a front brake failing. I'm still talking about riding down a hill with only a front brake, and slippery conditions.

If the bike has steel rims, a rear brake is helpful in the snow and rain, when you cannot come close to locking up the front wheel.

I prefer to have a backup brake system in any case. But I have to admit, in several years of SS commuting, the only times I've used the rear brake outside of snow and rain is when my front brake develops a terrible squeal or shudder.

Lol Scrod do you have your own web album of pictures for these situations, or do you just Google them? I've always wondered...