So, I've been riding bikes for a while now, and got a set of fixed wheels like, four days ago. So the first day I had them, I learned how to skid, and tried to track stand (which I still really suck at) so that I'm not completely useless.

So I can skid at low speeds with reasonable confidence, and I know the whole, commit commit commit aspect of it all, but when I get going and try to skid, I kinda freeze up, or bail out inadvertently. This kinda bucks me up a little bit, and then after that I just get nervous and whimp out.

Any tips on skidding while going fast, so that I can, you know, try not to get hit by cars if the situation arises?

I know I'm a noob, so please don't be condescending, much.

get a brake.

So just said that you know you need to "commit" to the skid yet you said you wimp out.

********************?

brakes >>>>>>>>>>> skidding

FYI, if you put your weight over the bars, it's easier to hold the skid.
HOWEVER, this also increases your stopping distance.
WHICH is quite desirable for showing off, but totally useless in traffic.

I agree with everyone here, get a brake, since you are fairly new. But if you are really determined to ride brakeless (which I am assuming), keep practicing until you can do seated skids. It also helps if you simultaneously pull up on your toestrap while pushing down with your other foot.

Yeah, I got the weight over the handlebars thing, and can hold them and whatnot.

I could get a brake, but yeah, I'm doing the whole aesthetics thing I guess.

Other then the going fast and skidding thing, I don't have any more trouble, because since I know I can't stop going fast, I don't go too fast. I just kinda, get there when I get there.

This is just something that's kinda frustrating me, and youtube hasn't really helped me with this one.

Thank for the advice so far though. If I can't get it soon, I'd probably get a brake.

No offense but you sound really immature.

Let me get this straight, you want to learn how to skid at fast speeds. That's totally cool. But the only issue is that you refuse to ride with brakes even though you know for a fact that a) It's a lot more dangerous to do so b) You can't even do it without traffic around. What makes you think you're gonna be able to do it when **** hits the fan and a car swerves to your left?

If you want to learn how to skid at fast speeds, it's all about timing. No youtube video is gonna teach you timing unless it's shot with a big budget.

Get a brake regardless of skidding. I can skid going down hill at fast speeds without putting my balls on the stem but even then I only do it for a second just to slow down so I can ride slowly to the bottom.

In traffic it's IMPERATIVE to have a front brake. No ****in way will anyone with any sense would recommend riding through traffic brakeless. The biggest reason why they don't use brakes on the velodrome is because NO ONE else has a brake and aside from that stopping with immediacy would cause injury.

HOWEVER, in traffic, cars do EVERYTHING you're not supposed to do if you're riding brakeless. Making people who ride brakeless in cities deserving of a Darwin award.

you may just be choosing aesthetics over your life. get a brake, you're learning still (ive been riding at least 2-3 years and i still ride with a brake).

gilmatic, took the words right outta my mouth.

Don't worry. Darwin will help you figure it all out soon enough.

This thread..

Get a brake while learning dude, and then keep it on. I have never learned how to skid, I do use my front brake though and I do use the skip to slow down.

skidding isn't very good way to stop.. the faster you're going, the longer it's going to take you to slow down

get a front and back brake if you don't want to die in traffic.. yes, its not "cool" but neither is getting hit by a car

For the record - I ride brakeless and know how to skid in any given situation but never need to because I know how to ride my bike.

Riding like an idiot in traffic will get you hit by a car whether you have brakes or not.

it's the people who don't know how to drive that you have to look out for

+100000

When you're in traffic and an SUV tries to make a right turn through you at an intersection...

I ride brakeless now after about a year and a half of riding with a brake. I rarely need to skid stop. If you are reluctant to get a front brake learn to back pedal and don't ride in traffic until you learn to ride safely and feel comfortable.

It is not a matter of aesthetics.

Braking 101

Which is precisely why I don't ride like an idiot in traffic. Knowing how to ride responsibly is included in "knowing how to ride my bike".

I ride pretty slow through busy downtown areas, stay very aware of my surroundings and always assume that people don't see me (or don't care) because I know anything can happen.

I think it also helps to use a lowish gear. All of my urban FG bikes are geared under 70 gi, so I can stop pretty hard when I need to by back pedaling. I don't use skidding as a braking method, since it's inferior to back pedaling. I only use higher gearing on bikes that are ridden on very low traffic country roads with infrequent stops. Also, all of my urban FG bikes have a front brake, because **** can happen.

Riding on the street on a bike you can't control. Genious. Bet OP is pushing a monster gear too.

I used to blast through downtown traffic and with a high degree of situational awareness, lots of riding experience, and a front brake that allowed me to stop on a dime and give me back a nickel's change kept me from being road kill.

You have to ride with the philosophy that no-one can see you and the ones that do want to kill you... especially people in white BMW's.

You can't mosey about when riding fast is how you made your living and while some messengers here don't use a front brake the majority do because it isn't about looking pretty but having your bike perform at it's maximum capability.

If you lay down a lot of miles in a day having a front brake saves your energy... if you ride a few miles a day it's no big deal but if you are knocking down 30-40 miles a day it really helps.

Like Tejano, I use a lowish gear on the road and spin faster rather than try and mash a big gear all day... my working bikes were geared at around 70 GI.

One thing I have noticed is that many fixed gear riders are younger and have limited riding experience and like younger drivers of cars have a much higher chance of being in accidents... rate for this is about 10x the rest of the population and it just stems from a lack of experience.

The riding skills might be solid... it is the road skills that need to be developed.

Aaaand /thread

52-14 FTW in teh city streetz w/no brakes, headphones in.

I use a brake, but it doesn't bother me when others don't if they have some experience.. doesn't sound like you do. IMO you should put the brake on until you can control your bike.

Do you have foot retention? Are you doing the nuts to stem skid or the kind where you barely get off your seat?

In Chicago, even though its flat, brakeless in traffic is stupid. If you're in the loop, I usually find I have to go fast enough to keep up with traffic (read: be a car), and stop faster. Using a combination of pedal force, skidding and my front brake, I've never had a problem.

You can definitely get an aesthetically appealing brake setup, by the way. The proper cable length, with a good lever and caliper is not that bad.