The Case for Brakeless Fixed Gear Bikes
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- Опубликовано: 13 июн 2018
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In the fixed gear scene, nothing is more hotly contested than brakeless riding. Some people claim that riding brakeless fixed gears is stupid, and puts you and other people that are unlucky enough to come across you in danger. While I will admit that there’s a lot of people that ARE riding brakeless that really SHOULDN’T be, there is a time and place for brakeless street riding. This is The Case for Brakeless Fixed Gears.
It’s no secret. Brakeless riding doesn’t make a whole lot of logical sense, so why do people do it? Basically, it comes down to feeling which guides the way we act more often than we’d like to admit.
Some people ride brakeless for the feeling of mastery and control. It’s confidence inspiring to know that you have complete control over your bike, and that you can ride something a bit riskier and do something most people can’t.
Riding brakeless becomes more about managing your direction and keeping your outs open instead of managing your speed with a brake. It can give a smoother riding experience since it encourages you to flow to conserve energy, albeit even if you have to ride a bit more slowly, instead of pedaling up to a light. Stopping. Pedaling up to a light. Stopping.
Brakeless has a lot of downsides, and it’s a wonder that people ever ride brakeless on the street in the first place.
If you decide you want to give brakeless riding a go, here’s how to practice brakeless riding responsibly.
Know that if you decide to go brakeless, it will take about twice the distance to stop compared to stopping with a front brake. No matter how experienced you are, you can’t change the laws of physics and stop as effectively as brakes. Know that you’ll have to ride much more cautiously, which means slower. My recommendation is if you even have to ask whether you should have a brake, keep your brake on your bike.
There’s a lot of downsides to brakeless street riding, but there is a time and place for it, and it is possible to ride brakeless responsibly.
#brakelessfixedgear #brakelessfixie #fixedgearriding
front break only team lives life reasonably dangerously
Yeah. We live life on the relatively wild side 🤙🏻🤙🏻😂
Sounds like a good way to go OTH
Wait, people ACTUALLY put rear brakes on their bikes?
No skids😮
I deliver with my fixed gear in a city and broke my brake cable 2 weeks ago so now I'm riding brakeless. I've always primarily stopped with my legs anyways, but honestly brakeless sucks so I'm fixing the brake with weekend. You just have to ride so much more cautiously around intersections and alleys which is really slowing me down. While I agree it definitely looks better without brakes, at the end of the day the only people who notice are hipsters. Who cares what hipsters think?
J.W. Stillwater my dude a fixed gear can look banging with brake lever
Speaking from experience, riding brakeless keeps going up and down the same streets all day from becoming totally monotonous.
Yeah but what about bar spins my dude
You do what makes you feel comfortable. No shame. At the end of the day, having fun riding is all that matters, not what some people may think about your FG with a brake.
Jake Swift
life does feel better after almost dying.
Respect to brakeless fixie riders however, the fact is no matter how skilled you are there is a massive texting-while-driving epidemic out there. They aren't looking at the other cars, much less a cyclist - so "feeling" and anticipating traffic flow assumes the drivers are (mostly) rational. Anyway, I dig your vids even though I'm not a fixie guy.
Mason Hancock Driving while texting is as bad as drunk driving. I can usually spot a texting driver from a distance by how they drive.
Ride on the sidewalk then
Slim Shady riding on the sidewalk is illegal too and just as unsafe. Most people walking on the sidewalk are unaware of you and your bike, mainly due to the fact they're listening to music or playing some dumbass game like Pokemon go. And having bell doesn't always work either.
robotjonjoe I agree, and to add support, it's called a "sidewalk" for a reason. Riding on it makes us no different than motorist. They intimidate some cyclists, so those cyclist ride on the sidewalk and (consciously or unconsciously) intimidate pedestrians, plus riding on the sidewalk is not as safe at intersections and driveways.
Yeah...Its sad how many time a day I almost get hit by some pulling out a driveway right infront of me. Not once do they look my your direction.
Put on a front brake and forget about it. :-) You won't have to use it 99% of the time, but it'll be there in an emergency.
I have a front brake for emergencies. Today it saved my life.
If you never use the brake, do you even have the reflex to reach for it in an emergency?
@@simonr7097 Fuck me thats a dumb statement. You would simply practice with it for five minutes and be proficient at emergency stops. If you really wanna get proficient you'd find yourself some nice patches of wet leaves and practice there for five minutes. What you are suggesting is folk should not even try to learn for the sake of "looking cool". Like I said such a dumb statement.
Unless u get cyberbullied for it LOL
What’s the difference between front brakes and rear brakes? I’ve seen a lot of ppl who ride fixed only have front brakes if any, what’s the reason?
my general thought before watching:
allways have at least one Brake, just in case the chain breaks
Christian Vogt *bad memories
Foot on tire!
I preach this all the time. Hopefully this doesn't happen to one of my brakeless friends
foot drag
If the chain brakes put your foot on the tire.
Brakeless is slow and way too dangerous for Los Angeles streets and hills. I see a lot of teens riding brakeless, hardly any of them are ever going over 12 mph. They're just cruising around looking cool, they also get frames too big for their size, no helmet, no lights and earbuds in for extra fixie idiot points.
the earbuds frighten me too - and I even own a "sport" pair that lets me still hear though the earplugs - I fit a Bluetooth speaker in my bag and enjoy my tunes that way
Then you're forcing your music on everyone else which is bullshit imho.
Matt I'm never near anyone except my fellow friends when using it, cheer up buttercup your ears are safe from me
Don't like the music walk away.
I got rid of the ear buds when I switched to fixed. I like the idea of hearing the outside elements. FG made me a better and safer rider for sure. Once you go fixed, you never go back.
i live in a major city and i've been riding fixed for about 6 years. Without a front brake i would have had so many crashes by now. It's always nice to be able to skid and to be super hardcore. But you can't always predict the other peoples actions. Yesterday a tiny dog ran infront of my bike while i was riding at about 30 kmh. The dog would probably be dead if i had to rely on skidding.
Yes, we just have to go 10kmh slower than with brakes, unless you know that there's 99.9% no one that's going to get in your way, like on the open road then sure I go full speed but I get a little bit scared when skidding at my max speed, but I've learned to handle it so its fine
i'm sorry i'm a newbie, do u use the front brake alone or with skidding too? i can't get rid of this thought that if u use front brake it will send u flying (kinda like a stoppie)
@@whoami724y skid but only use front brake when you have to. Almost like an E brake. Just don’t press it hard you wouldn’t fly over
@@whoami724y I only use front brake when I have to and even then, instinct just makes me skid... You get used to shifting your body backwards to avoid flying over the bike
@@whoami724y I usually just tap the front brake lightly if needed. I tend to rely more on hop skids and normal skids.
I love the aesthetic of a brakeless bike but I also love staying alive... the multi use path system here where I live is also not really conducive to riding brakeless... the tree roots make the paths bumpy and they’re only about 5 feet wide anyway. Barely enough room to dodge the middle aged drunks on golf carts...
KD410SE You wouldn’t happen to be in Florida, would you?
@@cullenmurphy5831 Yeah I was wondering if they are from that "golf cart town"
Some fixed gear aficionados: "Brakes are death"
Me: doubt that
Brakeless on the track is a necessity, brakeless on city streets is stupid and selfish. I was a cycle courier riding fixed gear in london from 1988 - 1991. Yes, fixed gear riding in the city was not invented in 2010.
Pssch
Back when you could be a messenger still be able to both live in london and eat food.
I rode brakeless for years, then one day going down hill my fixed gear cog failed under the stress and pulled out all the treads with it when it came off. Yes it was tightened with the proper tools and even red lock tight applied to the treads. The pressure I was constantly putting on it was enough to eventually strip the treads out. I was lucky I survived. Now I will always ride with a front brake as it’s always wise to have a backup.
It's impossible to strip out a fixed hub with a lockring unless you literally torqued the threads off. It sounds like you were running a freewheel hub with a cog with locktite, since there is literally no reason to use locktite with a lockring otherwise. Stop spreading misinformation.
skeptical llama OH ok genius. I never had a freewheel cog on that bike, and yes you need lock tight on the treads of a fixed gear cog for braking. Obviously when pedaling forward it's not necessary, but when using your legs to stop on a hill for example, the cog can spin loose under pressure and damage the treads, even with a lock ring. I put that drive train under massive strain and I damaged the bottom bracket and the wheel several times. My experience is not misinformation. Just because you have not experienced breaking a rear wheel cog doesn't mean it can't happen.
@@ibikeunfolded so what was the locktite for?
skeptical llama I broke my wheel several times and loctite did not help ”that” situation because the metal itself was under massive stress. The loctite is for normal conditions where you torque the gear and lock ring down to proper specifications and it still comes loose over time due to pressure and stress. It just helps from having to check the wheel periodically to make sure the ring is still tight. Over time the counter stress on the lockring from the gear can force the locking to turn in the wrong direction damaging the treads. The loctite just helps the gear from turning under skidding stress thereby damaging the lockring portion of the threads.
@@ibikeunfolded all right. It's obvious you know what the lockring does. My apologies. You really must be a torque monster. Have you ever broken a chain?
Riding brakeless is like drifting in cars. It's cool and demands/demonstrates greater skill, but.... it's also the slowest way to get around.
Road race bikes all have brake and F1 cars don't drift. It's that way for a reason.
As for me..I'm slow enough, I don't need any more help. Hell, I've even started commuting on flat pedals.
MJake77 fixed gear crits are often faster than road crits... Explenation?
john jones yes, I've seen both on the same, pretty technical circuit (ronde van Made and NL crit series in Made) the fixed gears were a lot faster (beginners and pro's) :)
I have one brake, but I dont use it, and I can confirm a fixed without brakes is as fast as a fixed with brakes. Most of the time you dont need all the breaking power.
@@anatole1110 the explanation is they pedal harder. Road bikes are faster in almost all situations. Track bikes aren't magic; they don't provide power.
@BeboSaab the sarcasm is withering 😂
Riding brakeless is definitely slower, but learning it greatly increases your road awareness by necessity. Because of the longer stop-distance, you have to be focused and making constant predictions about tiny adjustments in speed and direction from the cars around you.
A few years ago I had a near miss where I managed to emergency skid out from a taxi driver's car door suddenly opening, and it was so close that my backpack slammed into the door. In that moment, if I had reached for a brake instead of instantly reacting, I'm sure that I would have taken the car door to my face.
That said, I strictly ride brakeless and often question the lunacy of it. Reason being is I don't have a frame that is drilled, so recently bought another frame which I'll put a brake on. There are too many bad drivers on the road for it to be worth riding without a brake...
this was a while ago, but just curious, how was skidding to stop quicker than slamming your breaks? were your hands away from the breaks? (on the drops?)
bro, i didn't need to rib the brake calipers out of my car to be an attentive driver. your paragraph makes zero sense. you were almost hit by the car door because you have a bad habit of riding too close to cars, not because of brakes. Even with brakes you should constantly be taking stock of your surroundings...sounds like you just have a lot of bad habits.
@@DaBlinkster he was riding brakeless if I understood correctly
@@Kevinschart In my opinion it really makes you pay better attention, but in my opinion so does just riding fixed gear.
Love how straight up you always are in your videos dude.
Brakeless requires a heightened level of awareness which I find meditative. I also find that a smaller gear ratio allows for easier stops and faster acceleration, which is often necessary when riding in heavy traffic.
A coaster brake would also retain the clean look. And remember the coaster brake was state of the art from 1897- about 1930. The coaster hub is as a perfect device man could have devised.
100% agree. Coaster brakes are honestly awesome.
Forgot to mention that riding breakless does put a beating on your knees after a while. #Save your knees, don’t drop on them.
This video is four years old and still the most complete, insightful summary on riding brakeless.
Ive almost been hit toooo many times to go brakeless. I can't even count how many times I've been saved by my brakes. Can't imagine going without them.
I've been riding brakeless for 2 years now. It took me a long time before i got really comfortable with it. When i tell people i ride brakeless they probably judge me but some of these people smoke, have unprotected sex, text while they drive etc.... A lot of people do dangerous things. I personally feel proud to have learned this skill because i was a fatty my whole life and biking changed my life and then fixed gear changed it again and i can't go back. Montreal downtown is a little crazy brakeless and super illegal but my crashes are mostly potholes, not brakeless related.
I know my lines well, the places i ride, i have very good spatial awareness and can almost see when a driver is about to turn with no turn signals, i have strong legs and know how to stop rather quickly or slow down enough to avoid the danger. But it took a long time to get to this level. You have to start slow and first few times going down hills is scary and sometimes, i hop off and walk down the hill, like Atwater hill in Montreal for those familiar with it. And i love to share the road, give space to cars, salute and thank them when they let me go through or give me space when passing.
Honestly though, i should probably get a front brake because at some point, i will probably need it.
Wait is that a girl with balls in her bike? And no here in Puerto Rico is way too dangerous to ride brakeless,is too hilly,the roads have potholes the size of kilawea and the driver's sucks the big one
From your description sounds like it is dangerous to bike period, brakeless or not
Clashlolxbox here in Puerto Rico,o yes even with brakes is dangerous
@@mojondro bruh just don't ride anything XD
While I don't disagree with riding brakeless, most people I see doing it are cycling around super slow on too-big gears and running red lights in slow-motion. Riding brakeless can be cool, but not if you're doing it like a grandma. I'd rather be able to smash it around the city and have brakes to help slow me down.
Just bought a fixie with no brakes, and I love it. I'm a more cautious rider because of it.
Exactly! There is an element of people feeling more comfortable with breaks and making riskier decisions because of it. Alex Honald the free solo climber said most climbing accidents happen when you are doing something easy and you let your guard down. When your adrenaline is pumping and you are totally aware of every move you make then you are in a way safer
I got hooked on single speed/fixed gear about 10 years ago and have enjoyed it ever since. Like many people, I grew up riding any bike I could get my hands on. Honestly I'd ride the mtb everyday if I could, but good trails are hard to come by in the city. So instead I ride brakeless. I know my routes, I put my game face on, and I go out and see what I've got in me for 35 to 50 miles. It's the only thing I've found that gives me the same rush as a slightly sketchy section of downhill on the mtb. Same intensity but at opposite ends of the spectrum. It requires your full attention and creates a discipline of riding style and forecasting your surroundings that's unnecessary on other bikes. But, I'm pretty much guaranteed not to think about anything else in my life while I'm out riding. And if I am, I'm not riding hard enough.
Why not just practice meditation? :)
When I restored my 90s era Redline I ordered the wrong brakes, unable to attach them but all too excited about finishing my bike I just had to take it for a ride. Although I knew I had no brakes I kept forgetting and came to love the feeling of panic when I reached for the break and it wasn't there thus giving birth to my new pro-brakeless LIFE altering bicycling journeys." I just love my breakless Redline"!!.
Hello Zach, I am doing my first fixed gear century next week from Sacramento to San Francisco! Thanks for motivating me!!!
I love this video. I have watched most of your videos this is my favorite so far. Actually the Sanoma build is first 🔥🔥🔥. You definitely hit some good points. I've been riding brakeless for 22 years. Have several bikes. I switch to a steel frame from watching your videos ans some other information and seeing people crash when they're aluminum fails. I retired my Fuji Track Pro 09. I gave my son my specialized Langster and sold my Fuji track Elite. Strictly steal from now on and eventually titanium. I ride in Brooklyn New York New York City Queens and the Bronx. I have extreme control over my bike, everything you said makes sense. I ride a Weis steel track hammer. I am definitely going to cop a Wabi and hopefully a Sanoma. Keep up the good work my brother. Big respect, One Love.
great video. thank you for stories and advices. but can you advice me select my new fixie? Between BLB City 2018 (4130 frame & fork, T-shape fork, ~20 lb) vs Cinelli Tipo Pista 2018 (Columbus Alloy, U-shape carbon fork, ~15lb). Price is not main criteria for me. BLB looks more classic, but which frame will be good for fixie/single speed? Thank you!
someone riidng a fixie w no brakes was killed a couple of days in my town
good luck
JogBird I've made 2 accidents with brakes, doesn't change anything about the chance of having an accident
Guess what, people riding with brakes gets killed everyday. Don't judge brakeless because one dude died.
I bike to work and had an accident on my road bike, Zero on my fixed gear and hope it stays that way.
@BeboSaab ain't nobody stopping in 4 feet above 8 mph
@BeboSaab you're not even making sense now.
Excellent video...u have answered a lot of my doubts about brakeless fixies...
Great video! Riding fixed in NYC I’d say having the brake has been a lifesaver. Most of the time all I use the brake for is scrubbing speed. Legs do the real stopping!
Wohoo!
I've riden without and with brakes, it's just less risky for descending hills
As a 60-year-old pixie bike rider I find that a front brake is essential
I wanted to ride a pixie but I was over the weight limit. 😔 😢 😭
I own many bikes, two of which are fixed and those are the ones I ride the most. There is something addictive and unexplainable about riding a fixed gear but at age 63 I find both front and rear brakes a must as well as knee savers.
i don't get brakeless riders...
I use my front brake almost all the time when i need to stop, only use my legs at very slow speed to stop.
And i stopped counting how many times it saved me from (very bad?) crashes !
A brake will save your money from buying 10+ tires a year, but most importantly IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE !!
wassim dahmani
Yep,not only have I saved my arse from hitting a door or two but I’ve saved plenty of people too!
It takes two to have an accident, a brake is a great emergency grab handle!
It's really impossible to get it unless you do it on a regular basis. If you ride everyday without brakes, it'll become normal. I ride brakeless and get at least a year out of a rear tire because I rarely skid and have a ratio with a lot of skid patches. I've ridden thousands of miles brakeless in Manhattan traffic and have never been involved in a crash because I didn't have brakes. There are messengers that have been working for decades riding brakeless as well. It's safer and you can ride a bit faster with brake(s), but bombing through down an avenue through grid-locked traffic, riding the wave, with no way of stopping your bike except your own legs is a thrill that you can't beat.
Agreed. It seems irresponsible to other road users and defeats the purpose of cycling as a mode of transport.
Matt Sezer I second that!
But you're assuming accidents don't happen. I think you've just had 4 years where someone hasn't unexpectedly cut you off, suddenly braked, hit a pot hole and lost your chain. I agree that riding any bike is a risk to a degree, but I think you're putting yourself in harm's way for the sake of telling people you ride fixed.
thanks for the vid. for years I've been asking what is it like to go down hills on a fixed? do your pedals just spin uncontrollability, do you have to catch them like a kick flip?
Going through tires faster, sure, finally wearing down a pair of garorskin hardshells after a year of riding hard every day doing delivers, mukitoke centuries and fast solo and group rides. Sure maybe I could can squeeze out a few hundred miles more but when your getting thousands of miles anyways is nearly negligible in cost. I ride brakeless and rarley skid to stop.
Yes, but then you have to ride on Gatorskins
A few weeks ago, I was hit by a car on my fixed gear. I had a front brake on it, but it didn’t matter. I could’ve been riding my road bike (yes, I have one of those too) - I still would’ve been hit. The cops ruled it an accident on THEIR part and I’m still working on getting payment for the bike. What sucks about this is that if I wasn’t riding with brakes, I would’ve been screwed, and when I did ride with brakes...I was still screwed.
BTW, there was one instance where I was descending down a hill and I wasn’t able to keep my cadence, so I started spinning out. I made it worse by trying to foot brake, but couldn’t get my foot back in time. I ended up using my front brake to slow down with my left leg swinging about. So I would be a liar to say I’ve never needed a brake on a fixed gear.
In the UK, traffic conditions pretty much preclude riding brakeless, plus it is illegal. Riding fixed gear counts as a rear brake so to be legal, you need a front brake too. That's my current set up - front brake only.
I just love the peace of mind from knowing I can stop quickly and efficiently. It can be a little selfish to put others on the road at risk because you want to feel an extra thrill. If you are confident in your brakeless riding and are mindful of others on the road, then I say go for it. It is your bike after all.
Could you do a video on controlling speed bakeless when riding fast down hills? Maybe it's just about practice and confidence, but I find skidding at 40kmh+ (25mph+) a bit scary. :)
Reliablility and ease of service is another huge upside, less time maintaining, more on the bike.
I think the key to riding breakless is confidence and awareness. you contstantly have to aware of all your surroundings and you gotta have the confidence to be able to ride your bike and stop in traffic. You gotta be able to show that your capable in traffic so cars won’t push you around
Do you think people are looking at your bike to see if you have brakes whilst they are driving in a car? No they are not. show your confidence in a hospital because your no push over. You sir have mental problems
Ive been riding brakless since i got my fixed gear, honestly cant see my self going back. Considering getting a road bike so thats that but on my fixed gear brakeless is a must.
I met a young dude tonight on my ride to chinatown that didnt have brakes or foot retention, i urged him to get one or the other. He seemed very young and new to fixed gear and said his crank was his break. Now THAT is dangerous.
He's probably dead now
I rode my first fixed all over LA like that in heavy traffic, at night, down steep hills.its a wonder i never crashed
I've ridden both with and without a brake. I put it on for work because they won't cover us if we don't, and kept it on because I found out getting hit by a car sucks.
I'm very new to fixed riding, but I have never felt like a brake is necessary for everyday riding, even in traffic or going down hills etc, however I have a brake on my bike and intended to keep it there even though I pretty much never use it simply because if my chain brakes/slips I don't want to die - I feel infinitely safer knowing I have it there as a failsafe.
Cant you put your foot on the front tire like BMX riders do or does that not work on fixie
i just rebuild my bike to a fixed gear and really really love the way riding changed...its a much more connected and feels more real like every bike owned before....as much as i love the looks if a clean brakekless bike i can't imagine to get rid of my front brake...i just don't feel safe enough to stop that fast in traffic as i can with a front brake...so respect to everyone that can do that an bring enough stopping power to their rear wheels....someday i may be confident enough but its much much practice till than....great great vids Zach... really love the channel...what about your Instagram?... don't you use it anymore?... tagged you yesterday..;-)
I love riding brakeless but it still scares the shit out of me...does that make sense?
So the only thing ppl ride fixies for is easier mad skiddz and bar spins? Not trying to troll I honestly am curious to understand what other benefits are... and plz no "I like it cause less convenient to ride and I dont have to work on it cause no parts"- if that's you do you fine, but I want to know what the practical advantages are over having gears.
i know this is coming late, but since you asked a proper and interesting question i hope you read this.
fixed gear bikes have a different "feel": by not having the freewheel hub, you are directly connected to the wheels and the road, you can feel the motion of the wheels as if it's your own leg, and it's a feeling many cyclists love. this connection to the road also gives you an amazing control over the bike when moving among traffic, both cars and people, you are able to calculate your speed by the second and you feel a connection between the drivetrain and your legs, instead of sitting on a moving item,
Second reason to use fixed gear is training. This is something not everyone will be interested in, but I believe all cyclists should try to use a fixed gear/track bike atleast once because it gives you great training and naturally teaches you the fundamentals of pedaling. i know many cyclists who own or converted bikes into fixed gear only for the purpose of training. riding one hour on fixed gear is twice as hard as riding a road racer with the same intensity, and it also makes you use and train different muscles in your body because you are braking with your legs.
beside and above all this, as you already said, fixed gear bikes are lighter and easier to maintain: not carrying a cassette, front and rear derailleurs, shifters, and 1 brake or no brakes at all, makes the bike extremely light and maintenance is way easier, there are less mechanical parts that can break. for this reason it's also usually cheaper to buy a fixed gear bike than a road racer or a mountain bike of the same level.
those are the reasons why a lot of bike messengers still use fixed gear bikes to this day and why it became so popular, especially in urban areas. If you live and move by bike in the city, and your commute/routes are not that long, it can prove extremely convenient to have a lighter, sturdier bike, even if it lacks some versatility. i currently work as a bike mechanic and a lot of people is asking me for single speed bikes, not fixies, just single speed road and city bikes with two brakes and one gear ratio, and i think this proves that the absence of gears is something many people can live with, especially if they are not using the bike that much, and they are not interested in doing regular maintenance or paying someone to keep fixing and tuning their shifters.
i think sometimes choices comes not for the advantages you get while you're on the bike, but from the advantages you get while living with the bike. i personally love cycling, as a sport, and as a life choice; but for many people a bike is just a mean of transportation. they use it to get from point A to point B, with no need to go faster, and picking the easiest, safest or otherwise preferred route. they don't want to spend more money on it than what they already have to, and they would rather have less troubles maintaining the bike than ride one or two uphills faster or with more ease.
There are none.
Waiting for the 10 reasons to ride breakless freewheel,
What kind of clipless pedals do you use & the shoes you wear for it???
spd
Sometimes the terrain doesn't allow for proper adhesive power between your rear wheel and the ground. Sometimes the chain might skip a link. There's lot's of things that could go wrong. That's the thing. Think of it as an extremely cheap safety net. You don't need to rely on it, but, in case something goes wrong, you will need all the stopping power you can get.
Im looking to buy my first fixed gear bike. I don't have a big budget I'm looking at the Fuji club. Do u think it's a good bike to ride around a small college town?
what is the measurements of your handlebar? looks like very comfortable I will change mine because for the commute is not so good stay low.
I broke my chin open today on my fixed gear. BUT I HAVE BREAKS. Dang it I should have had my hands on the handle bars.
Bike Swank Gang dang, did the chain get wrapped up or just fly off?
You’re alive, which is the main thing 🤙
Also, was the chain in good condition prior?(as in did you know it’s wear/lifespan etc). Curious is all, no h8 ✌️
My chain didnt break but what did happen was i was cornering without hands and my pedal scraped and now I have seven stitches in my face.
Bike Swank Gang oof, gws man
The worst part is that I completely destroyed my bell and my bar tape
Bike Swank Gang and your face?
Is it proven that stopping with a brake is more effective than stopping with your legs brakeless? I haven't seen a difference and I've been riding brakeless for some time now.
I ride with two brakes on a fixed gear bike which doesn’t make sense to most people but it is IMO the fastest way to ride. I get way more enjoyment from being able to weave through traffic and stop on a dime. What’s the point of having a lightweight track bike if you can’t experience the speed?
A few things I find appealing about brakeless are the reduced weight (I often carry my bike upstairs and it makes a difference) and less maintenance. Having clean lines and a super aesthetic bike is cool too.
But mostly fuck that because there is no way you could ride as fast as me on a brakeless bike without dying.
Gotta stay reasonably dangerous ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Daniel Gutowski yes, tell the truth preach!
Genuinely curious, why would you ride fixed with 2 brakes? Would a single speed not be just as good if not better because you can coast down hills?
Ant-Man you know how fixed gear rider make snarky remarks about single speed?
You know how none of us would ever consider going from fixed to ss, right?
Some of us ride with high ratios, making skidding impossible, so...
And hey, we can coast, just take your feet of the pedals!
@Séamuis Yup. I ride with two brakes on my fixed gear bike (46/16) because I can modulate my speed easier, especially on sketchy downhill corners. The aesthetic of brakeless is without question but the sealed roads where I live (rural Queensland, Australia) are terrible & riding fixed on the unsealed roads brakeless scared the crap out of me so the brakes are staying. Just because they're there doesn't mean I always use them either. The thing I love about fixed is not being able to stop pedalling & being able to modulate my speed with the pressure of my legs alone.
Are there any good fixie rims with support for disc brakes?
but ... how do you ride on the hoods if you don't have brakes on your drop bars ?
When i was a kid, me and my cyclist gang used to ride older bikes without brakes and the way we used to brake is by putting your foot between the back wheel and the frame, we sometimes did it even barefooted. That was so cool looking and awesome until one of my friends got his foot stuck in between frame lol. After that we stopped out of fear... ahhh good old times and memories...
My bike is really hard to break by pedal, someone know the reason?
Nice video, in my city is now being enforced so much that brake less is now illegal here, (along with not having reflectors and not stopping at stop signs/lights) and fines as hefty as for motorists 80 to 140 dollars for going sans brakes, so got to use at least one brake, I'd love to ride completely brake less i did twice only in the 3 years i been into fixed gear bikes and very short rides 4 km max. So am using a brake although i'd like going brake less and I love the look of the bikes without them it's just such a clean look that makes you think freedom .
Nice video!!
Any chance you can do tutorials for things such as how to convert a single speed to a Fixie. Or buying an old bike and doing all the work such as painting it and cleaning or buying new components to put it back together?
I want your bars. I'm sure you've already posted it elsewhere but can I get a link to them?
Where can I buy a simple light weight break less fixed gear bike online?????
You're in Sac too? How do you ride when people go like 10 miles over the speed limit in residential areas?
I have just the one bar-end lever on my bullhorns. I think it looks cooler than no brakes, personally.
My fixie is brakeless atm, but man, after a few scares with cars deciding to u-turn or turn right on me in an intersection without signaling or anything, I consider myself lucky to made it out in one piece; so I decided in my city or with my skils, is too dangerous to do it.
The fact that I had to think (in those situations above) the placement of my feet to then get up and skid adds crucial time to your ability to stop, which funny enough, I couldn't skid and I just turned faster than the cars to avoid the crash; in my mind it was, skid(and crash 100%, there was no room to do all the steps to skid) or just turn now, shit, one time I turned right into the sidewalk and then stop, if the sidewalk wasnt so small, I'd have been over the bars for sure.
I ride so much faster on my road/29er knowing I can brake in a dime if something comes up (already happened a few times) and with all the control I can ever need
everything said here and mentioned in the comments about why you should keep a brake is true. But I ride brakeless. And sometimes, I like to go fast. and everything you said about the plus sides of riding without are also true. But in my personal opinion, I get more out of the experience, and I am talking about a lot more, by riding this wild animal rather than a neutered house-pet. It is about feeling alive at the end of the day and this and only this is the real point to these damned machines. And this difference is felt the moment of the first push. Good logic all around but pull the brake off and enjoy the ride.
Practical English I agree and ride brakeless. But I would never recomend anyone ride brakeless.. it's a decision only you can make
Ash Hill, I agree but I also disagree with you. I think there are a lot of pluses about fixie riding that go beyond the with or without brakes argument. But I have kind of a club and it's not a very big one but there is a certain respect that goes along with riding a track bike as a track bike on the street. And all of the things that come along with riding fixed should be there including the danger and of course the fear. And we all have the fear if you have ever done this. But that fear should be a part of it unless you seriously just want a semi abusive bike that's twice as hard to ride because she never lets you rest. The bike is meant to be only the one gear and your legs and skills. That's how it's built. And so I believe that my opinion about this is sincere and I do think explaining to people that they could just as easily get a single speed if they don't want to hassle with derailleurs. But it's not the same thing
To my mind, this thread wins the civil discussion award. That said, I see a parallel in riding with/out brakes to rock climbing with/out ropes. Is there added freedom, required attention, adrenaline potential in going without the safety precaution? Absolutely. Is the risk/reward ratio enough to overcome the benefit of caution? To my mind, no. Again, that's me and that answer isn't for everyone. But I don't ride my bike to be dangerous or touch the experience of fear. My life has already presented plenty of opportunity for that and I'm fine without going there again. I deal with enough 45mph traffic that I don't need to manufacture danger on my rides around town - the city infrastructure already supplies that.
But this is my point - if you do not want it, don't ride a bike where you are responsible for the movement and braking. I mean, these bikes were never supposed to be street legal. they are the formula 1 of the bike world. they are made for track riding - pure sprinters, pure power and no freewheel. Now, if you want this sort of bike, I think it is about accepting the responsibility of dealing with it AS IS. And if your answer is no, or mostly no, then keep two bikes and only ride your oh so dangerous fixie when... well, when you feel safe or maybe the need to get attention for your bad assed track bike (I.E. attention for your monumental balls of steel). And if this is too much to grasp or pay for, well, if you want minimalism, single speeds are fine. If you want skinny tires, get a road bike. If you like hanging around with your friends and being tricky, get a BMX. And of course, if you are an urban guy, the roads suck so get a mountain bike - but if you really want a fixie, ride the damned fixie as a fixie!
and by the way, Brandon Carruth, I don't climb but I believe there are rock climbers and then there are free climbers. There are those who like it and do it and want it. But basically, if you need the ropes and pitons, please use them and nobody is telling you that you shouldn't. But if you do use them, don't tell the women at the bar that you're a free climber, 'cause you're not.
Love your videos 🌷
im using coaster hub, does it count? for me it's safer for a newb like me.
Brakeless forces you to focus on what youre riding, keeping you out of dangerous situations. It stops you from zoning out.
Jake Swift Yeah, just shows youre focused on yourself and not the safety of others.
Jake... oh dear. You can be focussed WITH brakes... if you can't focus WITh brakes then you relaly can't be focussed without. On top of that you are reducing how much control you have of the bike and judging from how you spoke YOU relaly need all the control you can get chuck.
I ride a 2-speed, and I took my rear brake off because it wasn't acting right. It's been almost a year now since I did and just having a front brake really isn't limiting in any way. I also get to not have an ugly cable running to the rear, so the aesthetics are on point.
Brakeless is terrifying but also very satisfying. When riding down hills I would recommend understanding the hill before you take a brakeless decent first so that you can gauge how much space you have to slow down before a turn. If your legs can handle the RPM that is.
Do BMX pedals and BMX shoes 👟 count as straps?
won't a front break cause the bike to throw you over when riding at high speed? on mountain bikes it is very common to have the bike throwing you over but on fixed gear I have never been thrown on my bike perhaps it is because of my cautiousness or perhaps it is because of center of mass? ??
On the seventh day God created brakes to make people happy
Great channel 👍
what are you thoughts on flip flop hubs?
I watched Premium Rush and gained even more respect for brakeless riding and fixed gear than I had before. I am considering one cute looking fixed gear bike that has option to be converted into just a single speed.
I am actually very curious to try one day since past week I've kinda been out on my my for coupe hours each day off evening when heat has come down and I was really pushing gears and put on speed like I've never done before and I saw few videos of city loops on fixed gear among busy traffic so I might become even more into giving it all a shot.
However brakeless would be more for some genuine fun rides off busy traffic since lots of places have crazy people out there
You don't have to reach for the brakes - you can use your legs and just know the brakes are available to you if or when you want or need to use them.
You could start out always using the brakes, too. Nobody else pays the price if it's a bad decision. You're automatically the expert on the subject of 'you'. ;)
damn skippy.
I never had brake on my bmx I used always to ride brakeless on street .
I want to buy fixie should I get brakes?
If you buy a whole bike new it'll ship with the brakes installed, front and rear.
They'll be entry level components. Recent ones have cams, for quick release (of the entire wheel, as part of the process of fixing a flat tire where stranded).
I got fixed 2 days ago...
Im riding a converted argon 18 e80
with cleats
still havent fallen
i have a problem with brakeless.
About a 2 week ago, my coaster hub broke down, and for a long time, i've been wanting to try fixedgear. So i try it in brakeless (because i loss my brake when im changing from normal bike to coaster). To my suprise it's very hard to brake, especially skidding. I weight aroung 90 kg and height about 178 cm, you can imagine how much weight/power i must put to brake my bike. For now i cannot even skid a little, i must maintain my focus when riding, and prepare to slow down before red light.
When riding coaster, it's very easy, just like using a brake (eventho im brakeless on coaster), you just need to pedal backward a little bit, and the coaster hub system will brake. I can even skid with it. The downside of coaster is, the bearing can easily get broken because of the massive tension.So when riding down from hill, i must brake slowly so dont put to much tension on my hub that it will suddenly brake the bearing.
I thing i need to do some leg day, i want to feel the sensation of mastering brakeless. For now maybe i need to find my front brake that i lose.
I rode with a front brake for a long time but I would never use it and I would always just stop by skidding or by applying pressure to the brakes. So it took the front brake off and I haven't had any problems so far but after watching this video I might put it back on. I also live in Denver where it is very steep so it can be hard to ride brakeless down huge hills. But I also don't ride in traffic that much and I haven't ridden without brakes in traffic so I think that I might put a front brake on just to make sure I am fine in heavy traffic.
You could go with a single speed hub with a coaster brake and still keep it looking clean.
I ride with brakes sometimes and take them off but I'm in NYC but when I catch the green life moment, I ride about a mile without stopping and fast because there's a lot of space where I live. But yes I'm slower when brakeless but its more fun in my opinion. I also love skids and hop skids
please do some tips for riding fixed gear on the snow...
lol where can i get one if those hanging lights the guy on the right has at 7:10
Kind of... scrotumesque? if that’s a word. luckily they’re not glowing red.
Can you make a video on how to stop on a fixie bike?
With brakes I can go faster, stop quicker and be safer. Also I can do endos, skid easier, go offroad and actually enjoy a descend. I would go brakeless only if I rode on velodrome or participating in crit races.
I want to go brakeless but at the same time i know theres gonna be a time where i wish i had a brake to stop in time
I’m ass when it comes to knowledge from bikes I was wondering can you add brakes and removes brakes on fixed geared bikes?
Yeah, assembled bikes ship with brakes installed. Takes a wrench to remove them.
To save money they're usually caliper brakes (there are no studs on the fork for cantilever brakes on a typical fixed-gear bike, except I think the Surly frames allow you to do either).
The hard part about the front brake cable is it has to push off of something, which may not be present if the bike never had brakes.
Small parts seem to be getting harder to find. Building up a bike from scratch would be more of a challenge in the current market, I'd expect.
Why front break instead of rear?
Riding brakeless would make me treat my bike a lot like my long skate days. Constantly pacing out the speed between lights and always aware of how well I can bail out of a suddenly bad situation. Being around NYC drivers, I dont think I can afford to not have emergency stopping power
i live in san diego and have been riding without brakes through traffic and really big hills since i got my first fixie
Good lord, I live in a place with tons of hills, good luck not going over handlebars without rear breaks lmao, wouldn’t have imagined this was a thing
which schwalbe marathon tyres are those? width and model i mean
I just bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires for my bike (26x1.75), and I love not having to worry every time I come up to a patch of broken glass that I can't go around. So far, I like the performance. Nice low rolling resistance considering the overall tread thickness too.
Riding with brakes might be more dangerous for some since you take more risks than when riding brakeless.
The reason why I have a front brake is to increase my tires lifespan and I've come to understand that the feeling good riding without brakes is really feeling that your one of the cool kids, and that makes it less appealing. All the cool disappears when you're slower than everyone. It's quite grotesque seeing the hardcore expensive fixie rider getting taken over by some grandpa on a walmart bike.