Brakeless fixed gear riders

[Psyclist]

Just wondered what others opinions are on brakeless fixed gear riders, mainly track bikes on public roads.
Especially when there are laws & it is illegal here in the U.K.

Where I live, I have only seen several brakeless fixed riders. Once I came onto a corner, the man on his track bike had to skid (I know this is how they brake) and I had to out manoeuvre him as he carried on skidding for yards.

I think it's a trend more than about control. I've seen people on forums say brakes and gear levers are "in the way" or "unnecessary weight" which I think is silly. Yes the bike is fixed so it's possible to stop the bike, but it seems like a problem elsewhere and makes me wonder the factor of cyclists which were brakeless fixed gear riders in stats about cyclist deaths and accidents on U.K roads.

My friend from San Francisco made this facebook update the other week which (bolded) seems to say something about fixed gear riders.

Damn Im sore this morning !!! feel like a moron slammed into me doing 30 mph !! oh ya an idiot did slam into me !! still something must be done about these idiots with no brakes on their bikes, they will kill themselves or somebody else . did you know there is one fixie rider killed every 3 months in SF ? and still the police will not enforce the brakes on your bike law

Some fixed gear riders claim the police don't notice or care about brakeless, but that's not true.
I've seen on many forums people being fined or having their bike confiscated for being brakeless and a small majority were BMX's.

Anyone had experiences with this, or even have their own opinion?

 

[biggs682]

i have a nice unknown make and age track frame awaitng to be built into my first fixie , just need to clear a few other projects first , and just for the record mine will brakes front and rear

 

[Jonathing]

I used to ride front brake only in my fixed and I love the aesthetic of brakeless but I couldn't do it in Sheffield, I need to loose too much speed at the bottoms of the descents. The bike that lives at my parent's house in the fens is a candidate for brakeless but I'm pretty sure my mum wouldn't let me out on it, even at 30.

 

[smokeysmoo]

The Spesh Langster Steel I had was factory supplied with front and rear brakes, I rode it with front and rear brakes, and I cannot understand those that do ride brakeless, (especially for urban commutes).
Even just a front brake seems pointless to me, surely it makes sense to have two, even if you only use the front and your legs mainly, if the front failed you've still got the rear as a back up.
There, I've opened the can of worms, now I'm sure the brakeless hipsters will be along to admonish me forthwith

 

[gaz]

There are a few hipsters who are more about the look of the bike rather than it's practicality.

 

[GrasB]

Anyone had experiences with this, or even have their own opinion?

It's stupid, don't do it. I can leg brake with the best of them but I can't come close to stopping like the front brake. Fastest way to stop on a fixed gear bike? Rear wheel hovering a few mm off the ground to get the weight far back as possible (can't do this when you're feet are spinning round) with all the braking on the front.

 

[Psyclist]

Glad I'm not alone on this then. As a joke was said about fixed gear riders on track bikes on the road because brakes are too mainstream!

 

[screenman]

Those guys have got to have some legs to lock up a fixed from any decent speed.

 

[GrasB]

Those guys have got to have some legs to lock up a fixed from any decent speed.

Skip hopping the wheel to lockup is easy. Stopping quickly is a completely different ball game.

 

[TheDoctor]

There are a few hipsters who are more about the look of the bike rather than it's practicality.

Clearly some don't care about the look either.
I'm sure its owner loves it, but that's horrid IMHO.

 

[screenman]

I know about skip hopping, we used to use the front brake to get the rear wheel in the air, but actually skidding well as I said big legs.

 

[GrasB]

Skip hopping as I understand it - Lock your front leg out just before the bottom of the stroke. Just before the pedals get to quater to 3 yank up with the front foot. The rear wheel becomes unweighted & locks easily, even on an 85" gear.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

get it up stop it spinning put it down start skidding.

 

[TheDoctor]

It's still a crap way of stopping though.

 

[totallyfixed]

Might work in London but out in the real world on some of the descents with t-junctions or cross roads at the bottom you would be down to the inner tube if you hadn't set fire to your backside first.