Some more experienced riders have more to say on the subject, but I will sum up whatI’ve read from other posters. Brakes:
-Save your knees
-Allow you to ride down hills faster and with more control.
-Help you conserve energy by doing the job your legs would otherwise do…going down hills. The energy savings will allow you to go on longer rides.
I found a good, old thread on brakes:
The thread is kind of funny, because some of the posters end up getting in a pissing war about the topic.
Regarding the Arizona MUni weekend, I didn’t talk to the riders about why they were lacking brakes, but I can guess some of the reasons:
-Downhills were more terraced in the AZ hills, and there were not long patches of steady downhills.
-24" MUni is less in need of a brake than a larger wheel.
-A brake adds weight.
-A brake can be damaged on rocky terrain.
I would have to ride the trails in your neighborhood to know if a brake is necessary for you. I rode MUni two days ago, and there were long stretches of sustained downhill; I applied the brake on the downhills. I have the brake installed on the KH t-bar.
IMHO, get a brake, because then you can learn how to use a brake. Maybe it is less critical on the 24" MUni, but why miss the opportunity to learn how to brake? The Oracle comes stock with a disk brake. My 26" Oracle’s brake was not working optimally for the first few months, the LBS adjusted it, then it worked better. I am still not totally satisfied with the braking power, and I will have to research a more aggressive brake pad.
So, yes, get a brake, but it’s going to take practice learning how to use it.