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I am thinking of just running a front brake on my commuter. Been commuting for about 6 weeks now and been really lucky with the weather so only had to ride in the rain once but forgot how horrible v brakes become in the wet. So was going to get a front disc but for the last few days been trying the commute without running a back brake. Anyone else do this?
No. Think of braking on slippery surfaces.
why?
i did on a fixed wheel for a while but i much prefer having the second brake there even if you rarely use it.
Just because my commuter doesnt have mounts for disc brakes really and I never use it. On my xc bike I do on downhill sections etc but there isnt anything dificuult on my commute ride
No
Illegal and you need both brakes for control in the wet
front disc rear v. sorted 🙂
my commuter doesnt have mounts for disc brakes really and I never use it.
Leave it on then - what do you lose in doing so?
Leave it on then - what do you lose in doing so?
Nothing was just wondering really as I very rarely use it
I run only one brake now after refurbing my commuter.
You dont need two brakes if you're not hooning around, even in the wet, as long as you ride sensibly and keep your front brake in excellent condition.
I only ride 3-4 miels each way, at a gentle bimble (as I ride in my work clothes and dont want to get sweaty), in Central London, mainly off road.
As for legality, dont bet on fuzz knowing the law.
Stoner, it's not just about [i]your[/i] riding style/skills though. I like both (or three) brakes on a commuter because emergency stops aren't something I plan for...
if you need to make an emergency stop I suggest you're not riding carefully enough...
rubbish! it is impossible to anticipate the actions of every single other road user and crazy pedestrian
not rubbish at all.
I have been riding in London for over 10 years and cant recall the last time I had to make any kind of sharp braking manouevre. I always ride with an assumption that someone/something is going to do something stupid and so have an alternative line ready. Planning ahead, sympathetic speed, eye-contact and a good feel for the stupidty of others means you should, IMO, never need to perform an emergency stop.
My experience proves this to me. It sounds like your experience doesnt prove that to you. I reckon that says more about your riding style than your braking needs.
Nonsense. EDIT - nosense that reasonable commuting means you can anticipate EVERYTHING that may require an emergency stop.
You've just been lucky 😛
succinct argument there al. I assume you've been following me for the last decade and can point out where Ive got that wrong then?
I found the back very useful this winter in the wet and when it was icy when the front was very keen to lock up. But thats on a road bike with skinny little tyres
I guess it could be down to the fact that you bimble 3 miles through parks and I travel 15 miles from edge of zone 6 to central along main roads.
I can see Stoner point of view, my neighbour has been cycling her shopper daily to the shops for years and she has only a front brake.
I have even offered to fix it for her, but she said she is happy with it as it is.
Not sure if I would have the confidence/skill to use just the one brake.
Im going to disagree with you.
As for stopping qbruptly I havent said that that isnt possible with just a front brake. As I said, a brake in good condition, and giving yourself as much help as possible by intelligent riding as well as using your body weight transfer to help braking control as well is more than enough to ride safely.
Just leave the rear brake on, its essential if you go into a skid in the wet as your front wheel will slide out if you brake too hard! Sensible riding can obviously help prevent this but you can't account for everything!
Sympathetic speed? Slow you mean?
bimble 3 miles through parks
some of the dozy riders on the Park Lane path are every bit as erratic as any white van man.
If you mix with cars you either need to go very slowly or have good brakes. I use my brakes hard every time I ride in town and car drivers still amaze me how stupid they can be and how often you have to brake suddenly to avoid hitting them
Al is 100% correct - you cannot anticipate the unexpected correctly every time
This might be of interest....
Construction & Use Regulations
This Statutory Instrument (1983 No. 1176) is part of the Road Traffic Acts. Accordingly it is illegal to ride a pedal cycle, including an electrically-assisted pedal cycle, on a public road unless it meets the appropriate requirements. Specifically: the brakes must be as described below – except in the case of a pedal cycle that is sold for off-road racing on enclosed tracks. .
In the case of a pure pedal cycle (no electrical assistance) these regulations are simply and entirely concerned with the brakes.
Most sorts of cycle are required to have at least two efficient braking systems, by which the front wheel (or wheels) can be braked independently of the rear wheel (or wheels). This means that if there are two wheels at the front or rear, the relevant system must act on the pair. It also means that the combined operation of front and rear brakes from one lever is not allowed except as an extra braking system: additional to the two independent front and rear braking systems required by this law..... a fixed wheel drive counts as a braking system – on that wheel only.
Sympathetic speed? Slow you mean?
at the right time, yes.
There are times when hooning around isnt just unsafe but it's arrogant and puts other road users in danger. That doesn't endear the cycling classes to other users does it.
Legally no, ultimate sensible option - probably not.Worth removing an existing brake - probably not. Worth forking out for an expensive rear for a flat 1 mile commute? Nope.
Legality wise I reckon there are very few SPD owning commuters who meet the legal requirements for reflectors.
I'm going to agree that you can disagree with me.
If you're slow & skilled at riding in traffic I'd agree it's probably OK to do so on one brake...I just go a bit faster than you and I see no point in removing a brake.
I quite like taking things a bit close and braking at the last minute in order to make a point to sleeping drivers.
TJ - you are wrong, and that's final.
If you are braking hard, you are riding like a tit. Why on earth would you want to waste kinetic energy like that? As for speed, Im quite happy riding at 20-25mph in the traffic, I still do not need to drop the anchors all the time to deal with the anticpated stupidity of car drivers (actually London drivers are some of the best I've found. It may be an Edinburgh thing for you)
TJ you've said on another thread something about your town riding which (I think) puts an interesting colour on that comment
If you are riding a bike with no back brake which isn't a fixed gear and you hit a pedestrian who steps out in front of you, you can be prosecuted if they can prove that not having a back brake meant you couldn't stop in time.
My friend was involved in a similar incident and was very nearly prosecuted.
Not worth it!
so why did you want to take the brake off?
leave the rear v's on, add a disc up front if you like
or does the potential mismatched levers thing keep you awake at night
I quite like taking things a bit close and braking at the last minute in order to make a point to sleeping drivers.
I used to do that years ago, but grew up 🙂
Im quite happy riding at 20-25mph in the traffic
I'd call that quite fast.
Well IMO there's always something that can catch you by surprise; for instance sometimes cars pull out of side roads or onto roundabouts with little time to react - maybe 2 brakes won't save you either though.
Riding with only a front brake you are compromising your stopping ability. You are also breaking the law. Part of the reason for the need for two brakes is incase one fails.
Why would I brake hard? Traffic lights changing, cars pulling out, tourists stepping off the pavemnent - the list goes on.
Al - true. I shall have to do that vid - should cause a few arguments
Most of the BMX's round these parts run no brakes and they still seem able to breed in enough quantities to keep their numbers up?
😉
I agree with what Stoner says about riding style, but there's no way I would go to the effort of actually taking off a functioning brake just for the sake of it. 😕
blanky - [u]If[/u] I hit a ped (and Ive said up there Ive never even come close to being unable to avoid a ped by either braking normally or taking evasive action) [u]and[/u] they can prove that not having a back brake meant you couldn't stop in time (if full on front brake under control cant stop you, a back brake which will lock up isnt going to bring much to the party) it would be long enough odds that I'd by a lottery ticket.
so why did you want to take the brake off?
Something like that - I am a bit OCD 😳 - but then I like symmetry as well so I would prob think one lever would be wierd too!
Think it is something to do with my constant need to change bits on my bikes. I thought I had everything I needed done at the weekend and then I started thinking about new bits to change
I used to do that years ago, but grew up
I mean for instance approaching a turning car at 10mph rather than 3mph so I can still stop safely at the last minute. I stoppped doing risky stuff long before you'd even thought about it junior 😛
http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html
i was looking through this as well which got me thinking about it but hadnt thought about the fixie brake thing
Al - Ive never said I didnt ride fast. I just dont ride fast ALL the time or when I dont have alternative lines available should I need it.
for instance sometimes cars pull out of side roads or onto roundabouts with little time to react
If they do that and you hit them, that's your fault even if you can blame them. As someone once told me "there are lots of motorcyclists in hospital who were [i]right[/i]".
Why would I brake hard? Traffic lights changing, cars pulling out, tourists stepping off the pavemnent - the list goes on.
ditto. If you have to make an [u]emergency[/u] stop in such circumstances you arent riding very well. There's plenty of controlled braking to hand with just a front brake should it be needed to deal with normal road road user/ped behaviour like that.
I wouldn't remove one just for the sake of it, but then I'm a wuss.
I liked the point about braking late and hard to make a point to drivers though, it's something I do too. If a driver cuts me up I usually try my hardest to make them think I'm ploughing right into their rear end.
Stoner - you are talking tripe. Utter rubbish.
One road I go down I can hit 30 mph on it. If the lights change at the wrong moment you have to brake hard or go thru on red. Braking is for sure for sure 75% front 25 % rear on a dry road ( with skill you can do 100% front as the rear will lift off the surface) - but what about in the wet? You simply cannot stop as hard in the wet front brake only. Or as often happens when diesel is spilt on it? Or as it is at the moment when its bumpy?
I have been riding cycles and motorbikes in heavy urban traffic for 35 yrs - I can control a bike under braking as well as the best (It'll get laughed at again) up to the point of practising locking the front wheel to know where the limits are.
Riding without a rear brake is simply stupid and compromises your ability to stop on poor / wet / slippy road surfaces.
You are correct in the point about lots of bikers in hospital who were right. Being right don't stop it hurting
[url= http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html ]Sheldon says[/url]
But I don't think at any point does he suggest leaving the rear brake at home. There are conditions in which you need two and I'd rather have a back up even in perfect conditions. I've been trying front wheel braking alone recently on my commute which is off road and while it works well there have been a couple of occasions where the front wheel has started to slide. In fact I've had to pick myself off the floor once when I foolishly tried to brake and steer on a thin layer of wet mud and gravel.
You may never need it your rear brake, I've never even scratched a helmet in 25 years of cycling or had a seat belt lock in 25 years of driving, I could have left both at home but I'm not about to start now.