gmm213

I am just wondering real world how many people ride brakeless? I just watched live and ride in L.A. And those guys were going down some pretty gnarly hills without brakes. Ive considered taking mine off before but I commute 10 min on flat ground at a slower pace. Still cant bring myself to do it though cause I know as soon as I do Ill need it.

Regulatori

Just so you know, this one of those topics that's been done to death...so beware on that.

I ride brakeless but it wasn't something I had put too much thought into. Think I used my brakes a few times in the beginning but then went months forgetting I even had a front brake. I had some headset cup issues after installing a new fork and left the brake off since I was doing a lot of adjusting/riding for 5 minutes/tear the fork down again to figure out a clicking noise/etc... I've been riding that way since.

I'm mostly doing paved trails/neighborhoods and run a super spinny gear ration....a 47x18. I'll install a front brake if I end up going to a higher gear or do more city riding.

I'm not for/against it and couldn't care less if others choose to run brake/brakeless, to each their own. I do think gearing and where you ride are the biggest factors though.

gmm213

Yeah I'm just curious cause it seems so mixed on here. I've read a lot of should you shouldn't you but I'm more curious just how many do

TenSpeedV2

I tried it for a few weeks. I don't know how to skid stop either. It was super sketchy so I put it back on. Looks so much cleaner without, but when I crash and I don't have a brake and I am pretty sure I will end up doing that, I will be sorry. Ride with a brake. Don't have to use it, but it is really nice if it is there for you.

TMonk

****

Kindaslow

I am pretty happy having brakes on my bikes.

TejanoTrackie 

modtroll

Unkle Rico

I care about my melon so I ride with a brake

garlic_rice

From a safety standpoint, the only situations where brakes can be dangerous on a fixed gear are the velodrome (where cars/pedestrians usually don't appear out of nowhere), or track crits like RHC that don't involve outside traffic. That being said, a lot of people hang on to the tradition of track bike = brakeless for little other reason then, well, it's just what you do. Why do some roadies shave their legs when they're not trying to save milliseconds in a TT? Tradition. Not always the most logical/practical thing, but it keeps life interesting, which is also important.

Brakeless can be fun, but it can also be scary as **** when your chain drops while bombing down a hill that ends in a traffic light, and your light's about to turn green but you can't see the tricked-out Evo screaming down the other street about to run that red.

Don't get me started on Premium Rush.

79pmooney

Some of us shave our legs long after our racing days have passed simply because it makes the occasional crash and aftermath more pleasant.

I love riding fixed, I love my knees, I love bombing down hills fast, I love climbing on the hoods, I love fix gears in traffic. The idea of going slowly down a hill at great physical effort? I just don't get it. Going fast down those hills is what bikes are all about. For me, riding with brakes is a no-brainer.

Ben

TMonk

brakeless is so 2010

cDiff Notorious

I have a front brake on my bike but never had the need to use it. But then again I never went real fast on my bike. Also, "21201. (a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake that will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement." - from the California Vehicle Code

Dave Cutter

+1

I onced finished and then flipped a fixie I bought incomplete (for nearly nothing). It was a hoot to learn to ride fixed! I enjoyed the fixed/brakeless experience! But for my daily riding... I want gears and brakes.

TMonk

Huffandstuff

Sometimes I ride with a brake, sometimes I dont. Sometimes I rode with a helmet, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I hotsauce my pizza, sometimes I dont.

garlic_rice

AndjaVXC

I run a front brake for those just in case moments. Most of the time though, I just slow myself using my legs, little whip skids, or little hop skids.

I rarely use it, but for those times when you really need it, damn, is it nice to have it there. I have one of the little Paul E-Levers, just a little one-finger lever that still gives me enough pull force to stop quick when I need to.

pwebb

my legs can do this though, so legally they are my brake.

I ride brakeless, it wasn't really a choice just something i tried when i built up a new bike a year back. current track bike isn't drilled, so it's gonna stay brakeless until i want brakes enough to get a new fork. Brakeless just makes me use my brain and pay attention a little more, and yes I'm a bit slower but the extra little challenge is worth it. plus it's amazing how fast you can stop sans brakes when you really really need to.

Only downsides/fears i have are dropping a chain, which hasn't happened but is in the back of my mind going down big hills. I'm mainly terrified that some dumbass is gonna hit me and try and use "no brakes" as an excuse to blame it on me.

AndjaVXC

That's happened to every person I know that rides brakeless when they've gotten hit by a car. One friend in particular didn't get squat from the driver's insurance company because he had no brakes. Luckily, the driver bought him a new frame out of her own pocket.

crookedteeth

i ride brakeless because i am dumb and have no regard for safety.

i do wear a helmet though...

Scrodzilla

I ride brakeless because everything that is actually worth doing is dangerous to some degree.

mrmb

Brakeless here. Brakes wont do me any good anyways, so whats the point? Might as well save the weight and save the cost.

TMonk

oouellette

Life advice.

thedapperest

I ride brakeless, I didn't mean to, but when I changed my bars back in fall of 2014 my lever didn't fit. I've just sort of never bought a new lever. I've dropped my chain a few times since then and it's snapped twice. Meh.Fixed drivetrain technically counts as a brake there

sigging