Raxel

Brakes are the most effective devices designed to stop a bike. Skidding cannot make enough friction compared to front brakes (Unless if you can shift all your weight on REAR wheel and skid..)

You can always ride brakeless style and keep your brakes as emergency stop device. It just add you extra safety.. and I wonder how lack of safety can give you more riding pleasure.

Just imagine you are bombing downhill, a red light turns on, a careless driver is blocking the road and your chain suddenly break. Or even worse, you can hit and kill a child...

Zachee

It's all about zen dude. And hipster *****.

Honestly I think brakeless riding is dumb and inefficient for a variety of reasons, but you are asking this question to a forum of people who, out of personal preference, disregard variable gear bikes. I do miss whip skidding around corners though...

jpdesjar

Life is full of 'What if' scenarios.
What if your brakes fail?
You could hit a child on a geared bike too.

B:H Pusher

this is a thread?

ianjk

Funny I do the same thing, but with a brake...

Know I'm preaching to the choir, but if you have to ride without brakes to be aware of your surroundings, you should stick to walking.

Raxel

It is a common scenario, and remember one of the MASH crew broke his chain while decent too.

I think if you make a traffic accident with brakeless bike you're legally liable for the accident somehow as you are riding underequipped vehicle by your choice.

jpdesjar

I say choose your routes wisely.

Prime

So youre telling me, I dont have control over my bike? k.

An example of people who rely on their brakes, who dont understand how to ride a fixed gear, brakeless, would be the post by footpower or whoever.

And you know how many of those threads pop up a month?

Yea, thought so.

People who are saying its false, actually KNOW how to ride a fixed gear brakeless and or with brakes.

But Im talking about the NOOBS who want to get into riding brakeless, then dont know how to make the transfer from brakes to brakeless and vice versa.

suck

bike manhattan

Hills and no brakes sucks. I got a front brake. I use it mainly just when I am going down a hill and at the bottom there is a light/stop sign. Also for emergency's and "surprises". I actually think its more freeing to have a brake. You can pick up a lot more speed and be confident you can stop quickly in the event that you need to.

Ken Cox

Funny?

How so?

I think lanjk read something into my words that I did not write; and, I suspect that lanjk thinks he's made a point.

Interesting logic.

Let's try it this way: if you have to relate to people without respect in order to feel good about yourself, you should stick to imaginary friends.

=====

Why would I imagine that?

I didn't do that when I DID have brakes, and so why would I do it now?

I think other styles of riding exist, quite different from those some of my fellow forumites might "imagine."

=====

In Judo and in certain types of movement study, teachers use what they call "constraints;" and, teachers will also show a student how to create the student's own constraints for self-teaching.

Riding brakeless, in my style, has a lot of virtues, and, among those virtues I include the practice of intentional constraint.

As a self-instructional constraint, I will many times restrict my speed downhill to my speed on the same hill, uphill.

And, besides, brakes contribute to Global Warming.

grafik1979

for teh lolz

bike manhattan

zen masters ride brakeless

TimArchy

+1

ianjk

lol. Just find the average bfssfg logic for riding brakeless very funny.

Trying to justify it by using "awareness" and "zen" just cracks me up. Everyone just needs to admit, it is dumb as hell and fun.

Ken Cox

I just reviewed my input in this thread to see in what context I used the word "awareness" or the word "zen," and I couldn't find either word in my posts.

Why does everyone need to admit such a thing?

=====

Some people might ride brakeless for irresponsible reasons, and some people might ride fixed for irresponsible reasons.

I can live with that.

I've already told my story.

It took me four years to learn to ride brakeless, and I ride at a very low gearing, slowly but quickly, and I like it.

I don't do dangerous things and I don't gamble.

LupinIII

i can really only see riding brakeless if your bike is not drilled for brakes. i say that now as my project is not drilled. cool beans.

deep_puddle

Interesting. I'd love to race against you.

LupinIII

i match my uphill to my downhill, so i'm doing like 40mph both up and down **** YEAH

MPLSdunk

i don't go down hills cause it scares me

Ken Cox

Well, I hope deep_puddle realizes from my earlier posts that he wouldn't get much of a race out of me.

A few years back I went on a fairly long ride with my older son.

I really felt good about the pace we maintained, and in my mind I thought I had put some pressure on him.

After awhile, he pulled up next to me and said, "Dad, I have an appointment, do you mind if I ride ahead?"

Surprised, I said, "sure."

It took him about three minutes to disappear over the horizon.

I ride a lot, 24/365.

I ride on studs in the winter.

I have no illusions about my abilities as a bicyclist.

Most of the riders on this forum would politely ride along with me for awhile, and then, like my son, they'd probably say, "mind if I ride ahead?"

I can live with that.

Tomo_Ishi

I think you have reached the cyclist nirvana, Ken. (Notice I have used the word "nirvana" instead of heaven or gawdly-something.)

dddave

any "lycra-clad dork" you have ever "mash(ed) past" was either 80 years old on a 70's univega with 80K miles on it or a young dude on a recovery ride. don't kid yourself and think you can outride the majority of road riders.

bike manhattan

i do!

kringle

Just don't ride ******y or into anyone I know, and I won't have problems with you, regardless if you have brakes or not.

Noobert

I don't have brakes because I currently can't afford them. I used my cross levers on my touring bike, and I don't have a job.

My two reasons for wanting brakes are:

1.) when Im lazy I do not feel like using my legs to stop
2.) some times I actually need them

Lately I hav't gone down any hills I couldn't handle