i experimented with the "no brake" trend for a bit. i found that if i really needed to stop i could simply put my feet on the ground and the bike would eventually cease rolling forward. though marginally effective, this technique became expensive rather quickly as i was burning through the crepe soles of two pairs of clark's desert boots a week.
that's when i had the idea to graduate to a pair of converse platform high tops. i can attest to the fact that the braking power of these shoes is quite remarkable. however, incredible as they are, i found that i still needed to incorporate a secondary method of braking if i really needed to stop quickly. i call this method "immovable object braking": with 3" thick rubber and foam moon boots fully deployed and in contact with the ground, aim the front wheel of the bike directly at a car bumper, lamppost, building, or other stationary object. this method will bring the bike and you to a complete stop (though not necessarily at the same time or in precisely the same location).
after a couple of months using the above method and a brief hospital stay later, i relented and installed a front brake. i quickly discovered that a device designed specifically for bicycle braking is much more effective than platform shoes in bringing a bike to a stop.
in my particular case, installing the brake was quite easy given that the bike i was using at the time already had a brake lever mounted on the side of one its tubes. incidentally, if you have a bike with this type of break lever you may want to hang on to it because it's probably quite rare and valuable. when i took the bike to a bicycle shop to have the wheel balloons re-filled (they were out of helium - had to settle for standard air) the owner called all the employees to gather round and have a look. seems they were all very happy to see this rare bike.
that being said, although i enjoyed that brake for awhile, i came to find it tedious having to raise my foot up to press the lever every time i wanted to stop or simply slow down. frankly, i can understand why it went out of fashion.
after reading this forum and coming to understand that rear brakes are practically useless, instead of installing a brake in the back as i was tempted to do, i've decided to install two brakes up front for the ultimate in stopping power. i like to call this "immediate stopping". let me tell, it really works.
now that i've got the brakes sorted i can move on to other necessary gear.
thanks!