Originally Posted by jtree
since expert riders use the front brake almost exclusively anyway, all you need is the front brake,
You can get by with only the front brake, but I do not agree at all that "expert riders use the front brake almost exclusively." The only time using the front brake alone is safe, much less advisable, is when you are stopping in a straight line on dry pavement.
I understand that the front wheel provides most of the stopping power. I don't dispute that. My argument is that you lose too much control over the back of the bike. When braking with only the front brake in a turn, the back two-thirds of the bike wants to rotate using the headtube as an axis.