jwarner

You forgot to include the massive stopping power of skinny jeans, sleeve tats, ironic t-shirts, silly glasses, and a case of PBRs in your equations. Not that all brakeless fixed riders look like this, but it is the stereotype, which often hold at least a few truths.

Really, why would one want to run brakes in an an unpredictable environment where not being able to stop might kill, or maim you horribly? Brakes make no sense whatsoever when you have so many good buds willing to spend the rest of their life feeding you and changing your diaper when stuff goes south and you can't control the situation anymore. Did you not see that "Premium Rush" documentary and instructional video? Brakes are death man, brakes are death!. Everyone that says brakes are a good thing, add very little weight, cost, or maintenance needs are just Old Skool wuzzies who don't know what they are talking about.

Edit to add... but please, do what you like. I'm all about that. Just don't run into me or anyone I care about.

bmontgomery87

Hey man.
Say what you want about brakes, but don't hate on PBR.

jwarner

More Hefewizen for me. All good.

T13

[QUOTE=bmontgomery87;17318348] I don't see anyone going on a tirade against spandex./QUOTE]

Unfortunately...

Huffandstuff

The brakeless fixie cool kid crowd only exists in the summertime, just like the full rapha guy trying to pr the waterfront on Saturday or the 70s bike boom drunk ninjas heading back from last Thursday. All of which are annoying to drivers and cyclists but I'll take them anyday over the 11mph dayglo safety warrior that enjoys the williams street abomination.

McRussellPants

Jesus, normally I have to check the OBRA board for this sort of bike dweebery.

I've had more problems trying to do road rides with novice day glo weekend warriors chopping wheels trying to run a "SWEET EURO PACELINE GUYS! CHAPEAU!" than I've ever had brakeless solo.

Plan ahead, don't ride like a chode, if you're geared big plan your route, if something unexpected happens, you always have options. if you unclip, set your heel in the triangle. its not rocket science.

jwarner

That is possibly the funniest thing I've read in ages. Thank you. You are obviously a very experienced and superior rider with his finger on the pulse of the fixed gear craze I've read so much about.

McRussellPants

Nah, I don't care about the scene, man. I'm just in it because brake tracks make bikes look horrible.

The B

Everyone has their style, don't they?

Back to the f'ing question.... the ONLY fixed gear riding I have done has been brakeless and clipless (on the track), and I can't fathom why you wouldn't want to be attached to your pedels without brakes......?

My technique for stopping is to press on the back whilst torquing up on the front. I have probably never tried it any other way, but I can't imagine your stopping power can be that great. I also can't envision, sitting here at my desk, how you'd lock up the wheel without doing this.....? but again, I've never tried it. I do see guys doing that powerslide crap out around downtown- I guess maybe thats it. Seems like you'd go through a hell of a lot of rear tires, if that's your only means of braking

GENESTARWIND

You're such a hipster

McRussellPants

Nah man, I don't want to be hip. I just don't want calipers polluting the lines of my entry level Taiwanese frame.


Lol do you guys have a panic attack when you see bmx guys running freewheel brakeless.

WhatsYoCadence

I've literally witnessed two people accidentally clipout while going downhill using mtb pedals.

No thanks. I'll stick with clips and speedplays.

inCOGneto

accidentally clip out when going downhill? that doesn't make any sense, there is no load on the pedals or cleats unless they are just totally new and decide to twist their ankle for some reason.

WhatsYoCadence

Try slowing down from 30+ mph downhill without twisting your ankles at all.

Huffandstuff

There is a fixed gear race with a climb/descent here and I've never once heard of someone clipping out and the speeds get up into the mid thirties.

inCOGneto

I do.... all the time. The only time I have come unclipped was during very hard breaking, to the threshold of skidding the tires, and my cleats are very worn with years of MTB use

bmontgomery87

I can only draw 2 conclusions from this:
1. You aren't good at riding downhill
2. You don't know how SPD pedals work, and what "play" is

You can have some ankle movement while going downhill without unclipping.......If your legs are all over the place and you unclip while riding downhill, you need to learn to ride.

WhatsYoCadence

Jesus, all my comments get blown way out of proportion.

all I'm saying is I've seen 2 people unclip accidentally with SPDs (and heard stories from friends) and not once have I even heard of someone accidentally unclipping with road pedals.

That's all.

McRussellPants

SPDs don't have a ton of float relative to eggbeaters or times.

I had the same problem, I like to throw my heel when doing sweet hipster whipskids. On SPDs with not that much float you unclip

I went SPD SL but I'll prolly go back to SPDs once it's more of a toy/commuter bike.

bmontgomery87

ive had to get out of that habit quickly haha
i love doing whip skids but i try to be mindful of my foot angle when doing them

inCOGneto

I just prefer MTB pedals because I like having the ability to clip into either face of the pedal.

WhatsYoCadence

speedplay?

inCOGneto

I was referring to SPD pedals, never used speedplay but they look interesting.

WhatsYoCadence

No, I know. I was saying you should try speedplay if you like have a dual face pedal. I use them on my track bike.

Bakersb

I didn't know where to post this question; so I'll post it here in my original thread.

Are the Time ATAC MX2's adjustable? It seems as though there is no adjusting screw for the tension.. Perhaps they don't have this feature in their lower models?