my bars are now taped (leather) and plugged.
i love riding breakless. it makes you so aware of whats around you. and i can stop pretty quick it needed. and i dont have to be in a “power position” to skid.
do you ride clipped in?
I’m clipped in. Using Egg Beater pedals.
It might be that I have the wrong mentality on the bike. When I get on the bike I turn on roadie mode and want to ride smoothly, efficiently, and fast. I’d have to hold back and change the riding style if I was brakeless.
Another factor is that I’m often loaded with gear on the bike. I often have a clip on rear rack (clamps to the seatpost) with a trunk bag full of stuff. That puts a lot of weight over the rear wheel and would make skidding more difficult. Other times I’m wearing a day pack or a bum bag full of stuff. I’m usually not lean and light when on the bike.
I have skidded the bike without using the brake. That was when I had nothing on the bike and no extra weight on me. I was also going slow at the time. I don’t know if I’d be able to skid it and control it if I was going 15+ mph downhill.
I really like having the brakes. I do use my legs to regulate my speed when I can. For example to slow down a bit if someone is in front of me on the bike trail. But when it’s time to come to a stop at a stop sign, or if I need to slow down while going downhill, I’ll use the brake(s).
Don’t like the idea of a fixed wheel that much (unless riding on a velodrome). Seems to be a bit hazardous (more so than unicycle riding given the higher speeds). I ride a singlespeed mountain bike which is so much fun. I still ride a geared full suspension MTB but find the fully rigid singlespeed more fun. You don’t have to worry about changing gears…and next to no maintenance.
Michael.
If you have brakes on a fixie it isn’t any more hazardous except for the risk of crashing due to a pedal strike while turning. You can minimize that risk by using a bike with a higher bottom bracket or using shorter cranks and using pedals with more cornering clearance. At very slow speeds the fixie actually has more control than a bike that can coast.
Learning how to turn or corner the bike while keeping the bike more upright will also help minimize pedal strike risk. Rather than relying on countersteering and leaning the bike you learn to actually turn the bike. That technique also happens to be the way you should turn the bike when the road surface is slippery and is a handy technique for mountain biking as well.
I’m yet another riding buddy down? 