I like it…But I didn’t know brakes were for pussies. I must be doin something wrong in the bedroom then.

Enjoy takin a nutter into that stem.

getting sick of this bike and now the ‘tude.do something to this turd if you can.those bars are gross on this frame,try something real

Not into it.

No wood!

blah blah blah blah…BAM!

ooohhh,Doom Riders-Kool name,strikes fear and revulsion into all that hear it.Do you have colors too?Share a clubhouse with the HeManWomanHaters?Is PeeWee the President.Brakeless,clueless,Dumb Riders.

I was kind of done trying to say anything about the brakeless riding anymore because when some people don’t want to hear reason or sense they won’t hear it. I do feel the need to comment on your comment Dr. Leaf, not to try to start a pointless argument, but more to point out a misconception. Brakes do not negate the function of a fixed cog because a fixed cog/chain/chainwheel/crank is not a braking system. You can use it as a braking system the same way you can use a screwdriver to open a box or a credit card to open a door, but it is not the tool’s intended function. A braking system should have a minimal number of failure points. When you’re dealing with a normal brake line the failure points would be the parts in the lever, cable, and brake. Even if a strand in the cable snaps you still have numerous cable strands that will hold solid. In addition to that, most brake cables run through housing to help guide the cable, allow the stopping points needed to engage, keep the cable clean, and to protect it from higher probability of damage. By using a crank/chain/cog as a brake, you have literally hundreds of possible failure points. The chain by itself, which is held together by pressure only, normally has four pieces per link. Multiply that per the number of links in your chain and you have the number of potential failure points for just your chain. That’s not mentioning the teeth on your cog and chain rings, the pieces of your bottom bracket, and rear hub. Also with a crank/chain/cog system ALL of the parts are under strain ALL of the time. When you stop with your chain you’re adding pressure to a system that already has tension on it and increasing the possibility of something along the line to fail. In addition to all of that, most people currently riding without brakes are not riding with any kind of a chain guard on their bike so their chain is completely exposed to the elements and debris from the road which could both lead to unexpected failures. Also also, the chain line only works in a very specific plane. If your chain comes off that plane for any reason your braking system is completely gone. If your brake cable shifts around on your bike the system will still work. Overall, the current brakeless trend comes from velodrome riders taking their bikes to the streets years ago and not having mounts for brakes. The reason that chains could be used as brakes on the velodrome is because if your chain snaps on the track (which happens more often than you’d think) you can coast to the bottom of the track and get off. There is no cross traffic, no cars, no pedestrians, no curbs, on road debris, etc etc. The case is not the same when commuting. I could go on and on (and I have in other posts) but I think the point I’m driving at now is clear.
So, if you want to ride brakeless that’s fine by me. My concern is that with your comment you’re misinterpreting purpose of drive and safety systems on a bike and while it may not matter to you since you’ve had years of experience with riding in your particular fashion, you could be passing on that misconception on to other people looking around on the internet that don’t know any better. You could be talking some kid into putting him/herself in danger for the wrong reason. Also you have to think, all you’re telling someone to do is go without brakes. I’m sure your bike is set up to stop as safe as it could without brakes, but what about the teenage kid that doesn’t know how to make sure his chain has proper tension before he tries to use it as his/her sole braking system? You’re not explaining that there is more that goes into stopping without a brake than just removing the brake, so you may be talking some kid into removing his brake, going out on the street, trying to stop and having their chain slip and crashing into someone or something. The purpose built brake systems are setup in a way that even if everything isn’t 100 percent on it as far as quality or maintenance it will still stop the bike. If anything is off with your method you could lose complete control over the bike.
The last thing I’ll say about your comment about becoming one with a bike. If you can’t gain 100% control and learn the art of cycling by having a brake on the bike (that you don’t even have to use if you don’t want to and can be left there just as an emergency measure) then you’re not a versatile cyclist. There is an art to braking with purpose built brakes that is just as much if not more challenging to learn. Gaining 100% control and becoming one with a bike in the commuting sense (most of the people on this site and on bikes are commuters) is having all of the purpose built systems on the bike and understanding and being able to use them all. You can’t do that if you’re missing parts of the equation. You’re 100% control over 90% of your bike. That’s not becoming one, that’s becoming .9

i am not gonna say anything anymore. ^^
nice bike btw.

no cs its just that i am tired..
you are 100% right in your post. but riding brakeless is nothing you do because you actually think it is the best way to stop or because you think a brake would be useless. you do it because its fun… so i guess all your well thought comment wont change anything if someone wants to ride brakeless.
as i said before i have come to the point that i WANT a brake. just because i want to be able to ride faster and more fluent and not having to slow down 100 meters in advance if i see a red light..
i think it is possible to ride brakeless and ride safe if you use a small ratio like 42/16. but still ..if i go full speed and my chain snaps i am pretty much F***ed…
so dont think i am not with you on your posts or i dont understand or something.

Question, I have not broken a chain but if it breaks on a fixed gear it may jam things up if you are unlucky it seems to me. This could cause a wheel lockup unexpectedly like a Wooden shoe in the machinery. Sabotage ? CS you must have slept well last nite, longest post in ages. I agree also but would like to try 42/16 and skid for a change as Daniel has done with his knees 38 years younger than mine. (maybe I should go 39/18 )

Not to worry, I will KEEP the brake on just screw around on the 42/18 or whatever for an experiment. Did the Superman coaster ride at Great America ONE time also. Not to be repeated. If it had been two times longer I would surely have puked , and people enjoy that feeling ? One dislocated shoulder and one knee both on the right side, that is enough for me. Thanks.

i do care. i am not one who doesnt care if he hurts somebody else.
i think my style of riding does not endanger anybody (most of the time)…thats what i think.
but i have to admit that all the comments here plus my hurting knees have convinced me to buy a brake. i think i will still enjoy brakeless riding through the city once in a while but i will buy a brake in the near future.

I can’t help myself…..I said I was over this topic but….I guess not. This whole brake(less) thing is about “being cool”. All this talk about being “one” with the bike and “total control” or “flow” is bullshit. Having a brake that you can choose to or choose not to use doesn’t determine your abilities. Things like the “flow” are made up to try to justify not having a brake. It’s about image. It’s partly that the bike looks cleaner without a brake…we all know that… but mostly about what other fixed riders will think of you if you have a brake….which is just f’n stupid. If your friends judge you down because you place common sense above “looking cool” then you have lame friends. I know plenty of people who are great riders and have a brake for the “oh shit” moment….which depending on where you ride will happen…it’s just a matter of how frequently. It really just comes down to what you think is “cool”. If you think having to slow down a half block early because you don’t know what color the light will be when you get there is cool….ok but I don’t. If you think slamming into some old lady’s car looks cool…..ok… I don’t. And if you think hurting someone crossing the street is cool….ok but it isn’t. Lets call this debate what it is…..IMAGE. I don’t care what people ride…brake or no brake. But you better be ready to accept your fate if shit goes down and you don’t have one.

daniel, that wasn’t aimed at you…it was for the general population. You should look at Paul Components. He makes awesome stuff.

Yet another “I’m in control” brakeless argument. I don’t like this setup or the logic.

Good point, sloman. Throwing caution to the wind for your social image is stupid. Just look at the image illthedj posted on riding brakeless: the guy screams, skids, and slams into this kid while bystanders watch in horror. Now that’s what I call cool!!

Um…well….for me riding fixed is simply about fun. I have never tried to “outcool” the other guy….that just happens naturally(just kidding). I prefer to give an affirmative nod to almost anyone on a bike regardless of the type in support of their choice over a car….I say “almost anyone” because there are obviously complete idiots on bikes too..ie. “salmon”, tweekers etc. and the occasional rider who’s only on his bike cuz his car is in the shop…(they’re usually the “salmon” ppl I’m talking about) I think we need to invest more energy in the global bicycle “community” and spend less judging people on what they ride. Yeah of course we all have our “tastes”..but lets not take it to the point of bashing each other….too much. Anyway, sorry for the bicycle-hippie vibe rant…but I really do think us cyclists need to stick together.

agreed with leaf since the get go. all these faliure paoint are there with or without breaks when it comes down to the nitty gritty jump off the bike or just do a classic foot jam sukkas

also agree with both CS,ng & Pblade,you guys have discribed pretty much my ideals.

If he does not draw blood , he is not a real doctor. Luftie was into Journalism too.

as a style,it’s almost passe’.found an old copy of”Fear and Loathing” and reread it lately.Amusing in short bits but almost unreadable as a whole.Onetime thought it was great.Drugs and chaos don’t hold the appeal to me they once did.go figure.

i thought the movie adaption of the book was well done, terry gilliam is one of my fav directors. a bit caricature-ish but i still enjoyed

I love it: both people who are adamant about riding brakeless admitted freely that they ride brakeless for image and attitude. And they ask, doesn’t everyone? Uh….no. I ride fixed in NYC because I believe I have more control and am less likely to get coaxed into not paying attention than I do with a freewheel. Plus the silence is just exquisite.

Good call boys. That silence is exquisite. Especially with a good quality transmission and plenty of grease.

Sloman, I’m glad to hear he’s a favorite. Thompson, Vonnegut, Hemingway, Kerouac, Bukowski are my top five.

Punch,agtee with all except Hemingway.Plug in Fitzgerald and Chandler,Hemingway is too hit or miss for me.he’s either very good or rambling ,somrtimes in the same sentence.and add Steinbeck to the list.oh and-and-so many books,so little time.

Oh Bullshit, why ride a Huffy when you can ride a Raleigh Competition. All books belong in the Library. ! not !!! ride and get there any way you want

That’s why I like this bike….the fact that it isn’t dressed in what most ppl would expect or want to see.

As for the talk about the silence of a proper fixed drive chain. I love the purrrr…..the soft sound of the cog and the chain coming together. So nice!

this is a rather tasteless way to treat a decent frame but nothings irreversible.no class,no taste but no real foul.and it is his ride.

in other words a respectful presentation with a view towards the original design.not “in your face dudes” ‘tude .

Grisham tells storys(very well).Steinbeck,Fitzgerald write.Hemingway writes stories .Maybe in time Grisham’s stock will rise beyond best seller status.Oh and when you ride naked in the rain we all want pictures for a new message board LOL.cheers

For some reason the cover of that Queen record is coming to mind…

Here’s a good version: http://ninamariebarbuto.blogspot.com/2009/08/sheer-beauty.html

your wish is my command…I’ll go back to the hammerheads one day…

A couple of them are worthy of a
Zoom in . Is this a Bi event only ? Such a poor choice.

Queen did the picking. Welcome to the sag of the 70s! And Freddy Mercury probably didn’t care too much. Having been in more than one session where bands were talking about record covers, I love to imagine the conversation: “I got it! I want 150 naked broads on bicycles! That’s it! Make it happen”
–
Genius

Woody – you fricking made my week (and yes I am easily amused). Thank you!

Of mice and Men was nonsense for my reading pleasure as was The Old Man and the Sea. Sheldon Brown writes well and pertinent material. Lots of fluff sells, e.g. Hugh Hefner’s magazn. Holden Caulfield as in Great Expectations Luftie ?

Thanks Sloman, I’ll give them a try. Problem is I am already discontent in the winter . thanks , may have to read with a beer in hand.

I like the frame decorations, are they simply stickers or treated to a top coat of some sort. Still do Not like the High bars on this ride, flats would be better it seems.

Oh and as for knee pain, it is important to slowly build it up. It also helps to hop when skidding, get the weight off the rear wheel just a fraction of a second and it’s much easier to lock. If you want to skid with relatively high ratio’s its important to keep it up and ride often. Once or twice a week won’t do, so casual riders better go for something light. Choose your gear wisely. I always like ratios with 17t cogs because of the many skid patches they provide. It’s also important to have a backup plan for when the chain snaps. Put your foot on the rear wheel, it will serve as a very effective brake. -!!!Practice this often!!!- you might need it someday. The method is pretty foolproof but needs to get in your system.

Why set up a pursuit frame if you’re just going to put tall bars on it? missing the point.

Some people do it, others cannot…

NO BRAKES, NO FEAR, FIXED GEAR!

I’ll ride that.. Looks like a nice grocery getter..

And in theory, if brakes are for pussies then no brakes are for dicks

This fixie is nasty a.f.
This makes me sick in every way imaginable
downgrading at this point would be better than this