It is a fixed wheel, yes (I cannot ride backwards but it should be possible). Not everyone runs with a brake, much like a uni and those that do tend to have them on the back wheel only. It is also advisable to semi-dismount and stand on the back step when braking to avoid a header (since all your weight is then shifted backwards and slightly down). Rim brakes are common but sometimes you see footbrakes like this (which I have, though SHW also sells rim brakes).
To use it, you half dismount the bike and stand on it. It then presses into the (solid rubber) back wheel. It doesn’t work great and even less well in the wet.
To be honest it works as well (and perhaps better in the rain) without the brake at all, by pressing your foot directly on the tyre but of course that will very quickly wear your shoes out.
EDIT: I ran it without a brake for a while when I damaged the back wheel and needed to get it trued. I realised that I could mount a normal bike wheel and tyre in there from my Brompton folding bike. I didn’t like the idea of using the footbrake on the Brompton’s pneumatic tyre, fearing it would cause a puncture, so I just used my shoe directly on the wheel. This actually worked better than the brake in the wet, presumably because rubber on rubber grips better than steel on rubber, once water is added to the mix.
EDIT: Just today I started considering that perhaps I should switch to a rim brake.
EDIT: P.S. Just a heads up, if you are considering getting one. These bikes are not exactly cheap from any of the builders. It seems to be even more niche industry than unicycling.
I have a question for you, on your ride i Denmark, did you avoid main roads, which doesn’t seem possible all the time? I dont find it very safe to ride on those.
There was a lot of quiet country roads riding. There was a day though where we had to ride on the side of a main high traffic road - and the edge were we rode really was only about 30cm wide. Quote taxing having to concentrate hard to try to stay on that skinny piece of asphalt for many kilometres.
And add wind… you could (on occasion) really feel the force of the wind when large trucks passed. This wasn’t pleasant, but we all did fine. Mosy pkacrs were good to ride, and I found even roundabouts often have their own bike lane
I think especially away from the main roads it gets more dangerous in DK. As there aren’t as many motorways as in NL, even though peeps should only ride 80 (or is it 90), they always drive over 100kph. When I lived in Ikast, I had to work in Randers, which is 76 km without motorway between. I knew where to speed and to overtake and it wasn’t just once where I pushed to 150kph. I wouldn’t like to unicycle on roads where crazy people like me drive Luckily DK doesn’t have much ‘politi’ around in Jylland.
Also in Germany I noticed the country roads aren’t very deserted, at least those close to where I live now. I live 10-15kms from the border.
Do you ride in that mud? When your wheel locks halfway the puddle, your feet will get wet. Do you have to focus much with the bottom picture? It reminds me a bit of the rides sometimes have where horses often come. That is quite a challenge, because it is very bumpy continuously. Then it is important not to go full speed, but very controlled.
The mud was not even walkable. Forresting machines completely destroyed the path.
The rocky path in the final image is a steep downhill (Dennenheuvel) and proved too much for me. I made three attempts but definitely need more practice on such paths.
I know I can ride such an uneven path, at moderate speed, if it is level.
Nice area you live in. My dad used to have a house just half an hour drive east from there in a tiny place called Chession, near Aywaille. Such a pity he moved back to Rotterdam. Back then I didn’t ride unicycle yet.
It’s was not the last ride but a good ride. Some Muni is great again. It was in the South of Germany. It was in the last year in October, Yeah a couple of months ago. The Way down was very good, it was good to ride for me.
Some Still stand is great again but my normal Still stand skills are nor so good. The Stone are very helped to hold the Balance of my Muni. It’s a 24" with 150 Cranks. It’s very long but I love to long Cranks for the Muni rides.
Luckily DK doesn’t have much ‘politi’ around in Jylland.
