Do most people have brakes on these unicycles?
I think if you look through past threads you’ll see there is a good variety of brake users/non-users. This is the kind of question that begs an omniscient response. I can only speak for myself.
I have a brake on my 36, and I had one on my 29.
When I first started on the 29 I felt like I couldn’t use shorter cranks on moderate hills without feeling out of control. The brake helped me get much more comfortable on it. In the end I settled on 125’s as my favored crank, with which I found the brake unnecessary.
I have a brake on my 36, and use it for long descent, but not much more. That being said, I’m glad to have it when I want it. My cranks are 140’s on that uni.
As the cranks get shorter the “need” for a brake is more. There are apparently much stronger riders than myself who are comfortable pushing a 36 with 110’s, and no brake. So again, this plays into the “need.”