Commute bike a bit lighter this morning

[palinurus]

Removed back brake from my commute bike yesterday. Now I need not worry about wearing out my rear rim nor do I need to get the wheel aligned quite so accurately when messing about with rear wheel for whatever reason.

I've traded those concerns for that of popping a brake cable on a hairy descent.

 

[palinurus]

And Ms. P wants me to collect 200l of compost tomorrow.

Maybe I didn't quite think this through.

 

[Old Plodder]

Get that brake back on there!!!!!!

 

[palinurus]

I would but I've re-taped the bars now. I don't want to do that again for a while.

 

[HLaB]

I think I'm going to go through pads/rims faster; I didn't need to brake too often with the SS, I'm using them a fair bit with the fixie

 

[MrGrumpy]

run breakless on rear myself, no massive issues without even on steep decents, I use my legs to control the speed anyway.

 

[palinurus]

I've become pretty good at leg braking without realizing it.

I've also discovered the absolute limit of how much compost I can haul on fixed. Braking wasn't really much of an issue, the problem was in the acceleration.

 

[dan_bo]

200L of compost has gotta weigh about what? 40K? Well done sunshine!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I have a back brake on my fixed, I don't use it much but its useful when its slippery, it means I can combine the back brake with leg braking to slow/stop, saves me from using the front brake and risking a face plant .

 

[palinurus]

I have a bake brake on my fixed, I don't use it much but its useful when its slippery, it means I can combine the back brake with leg braking to slow/stop, saves me from using the front brake and risking a face plant .

I thought about that, the last few commutes have convinced me that I don't actually use the brakes that much, I tend to check speed early and steadily by just pedalling slower- a sort of drawn out leg brake. If it's slippy I'd be riding my 'cross bike anyway, that has brakes (as much as any 'cross bike has 'em)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I thought about that, the last few commutes have convinced me that I don't actually use the brakes that much, I tend to check speed early and steadily by just pedalling slower- a sort of drawn out leg brake. If it's slippy I'd be riding my 'cross bike anyway, that has brakes (as much as any 'cross bike has 'em)

I only ride fixed all though the winter, my geared bike goes away when the clocks change at the end of October and doesn't come out till the spring, the leg braking combined with back brake has been useful on a number of occasions.

 

[palinurus]

It's my thread so I can go off topic: it very often happens when riding fixed that, when approaching a give way line, drivers with priority slow right down or stop. I think they see my feet are still going round and think i'm not stopping. Or maybe they ride fixed too and they're just being nice.