According to most forums I've seen a bike's front brake does 75% of the braking.
Does this mean that traditional Dutch bikes which just have a coaster brake have poor braking ability?
Also, what about those fixies that don't have a front brake?
1. Coaster brakes are a wonderful thing, but their use tends to be restricted to shoopers and the sort of bicycles people 'bimble about' on. They are almost maintenance-free and provide a smooth, gentle, quiet deceleration.
They
can be used without a front brake (although not legally in the UK) but if so, they provide no back-up in the extremely unlikely event that they fail.
2. Fixies: It is quite legal to ride a fixie with no rear brake, as the leggies can do the braking. However, many people who ride fixed with gusto have a rear brake fitted. It looks cool, clever, hip and minimalist to go without, but big, fast descents demand a more reliable and better spread braking force. It is illegal to ride a bicycle (and bicycle) on the road without some means of applying braking force to the front wheel... So any fixies you see (and one does see them) with no front brake are being ridden by angst-ridden lost-soul rebels who are still cross with Mummy and Daddy but can't remember why.
I hope I have helped but I fear that perhaps I have not.
