BRAKES
Thread started by
tortuga_veloce at 01.15.09 - 2:10 am
so i just spent the last hour repairing the box on my sound system with wood glue and clamps. over the last week i have been rear ended twice on rides.
FIRST OF ALL
if you have brakes, and you're riding in a pack, keep your hands near them. and if you cant stop in time, it is not a good idea to run into the back of my bike.
there are plenty of things that you can use to stop yourself that will only hurt you: pavement, trees, curbs...
...or just swerve to avoid me. it's that easy.
SECOND
if you are fixed-brakeless, don't follow me. stay back. and learn to new york stop on your FRONT AND BACK TIRES. skidding is great, but you stop three times faster when you stop your front tire.
FINALLY
If you are single speed brakeless, you are completely insane. stay away from me.
FAIR WARNING:
IF YOU HIT ME WITH YOUR BIKE, I WILL CHASE YOU DOWN, TAKE YOUR BIKE AND BEAT YOU WITH IT. I AM NOT KIDDING. GET A FUCKING BRAKE AND USE IT.
YOURE
NOT
COOL
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I would also like to put out there. If your riding in a group don't fly by people and swerve in front of them at twice the speed of the group of even 120% the speed. Last Mosey two obliviously too drunk people where biking recklessly amongst ourselves. Keep it chill, keep you line and don't fly by other riders. It's the Mosey!
vor01.15.09 - 2:22 am
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man ... brakeless is so last season.
safety is the new black
the only reason to ride brakeless is if you have some fancy old school track bike.
if somebody unapologetically hits and runs ... then yeah, break their face/ bike if you like to do the violence thing.
If you get rear-ended ... treat it like a car, get their name and number, and shame them into paying for your repairs.
trickmilla01.15.09 - 10:33 am
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i havent had people crash into me from behind but definitely had idiots do abrupt skids in front of me.
that shit is so aggravating.
i wanna tie these little shits to a chair and beat them.
KiMS101.15.09 - 10:38 am
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Yeah there was that one dude on the Poke-ride last Friday that couldn't slow down for the left turn from Sunset onto that side-street. He cut across me and a bunch of riders and flew straight into the curb and wiped out. It was hard not to laugh... so I did.
canadienne01.15.09 - 10:46 am
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on tns, we were bombing through and underpass and one of our riders couldnt stop in time for a red light.
he started skidding, yelling, "oh shit oh shit oh shit OH SHIT!!!"
then just decided to mash through the intersection.
the combination of him freakin out and the smell of burnt tire was pretty funny.
dangerous yes, but funny.
KiMS101.15.09 - 10:52 am
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if only it were that simple. i cant quantify the cost of repairing a uniquely well-built wine crate or my $9 ghetto blaster. in a sense these things are priceless to me, because i can't easily replace them.
i've seen some truly idiotic behavior on rides, especially on Robots(no offense to Knittens) where people arent paying attention to what's in front of them, going to fast and not being ready to stop. it's just too dangerous.
i say we step up the EDUCATION on reckless riding. this same kind of recklessness caused rear-end collisions on the November's CRANK, which inspired SAFE MOB. thankfully, due to POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT we were able to get people to think about how they could be safer.
so to all RIDE ORGANIZERS, take a few minutes before your next ride to tell the kids to be safer, more considerate and more aware. and if that fails, start the GROUP SHAMING. if we let it get out of control now, it's going to be out of our control by the summer. and just remember, it doesnt work if only one person speaks up.
WE NEED YOUR VOICE TOO!
tortuga_veloce01.15.09 - 10:53 am
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and as far as riding brakeless goes: I have a fixie, I can do a seated skid stop that stops me as fast as my front brake.
i still have two brakes, and use them. why? because a skid stop is not a safety maneuver. it's a trick, like a trackstand. i still skid and do trackstands, but as tallcans will tell you, we can do this because we know what we're doing.
tortuga_veloce01.15.09 - 11:06 am
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I rarely need to use my front brake, but it's nice to have it in the occasion that I do.
canadienne01.15.09 - 11:12 am
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tortuga, post a pic of yourself. you say not to follow behind you but i have no idea who you are.
barleye01.15.09 - 11:15 am
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let me rephrase that: don't follow directly behind me UNLESS you know how to ride your bike and use your brakes. you're safe, barleye.
tortuga_veloce01.15.09 - 11:26 am
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They would still hit you even if they had brakes. Don't blame the bike blame the rider.
stillline01.15.09 - 11:39 am
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there's plenty of blame to go around. in fact, i got hit by a guy on a road bike with two perfectly good brakes, which is what really fucked up my bike. ive seen beach cruisers, brakeless fixies, rear-brake only fixies, road bikes and mountain bikes all rear-end people.
it's the most unnecessary accident.
tortuga_veloce01.15.09 - 11:47 am
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on a brakeless fixie, it's simply impossible to stop as quickly as a bike with a front brake, especially when spinning as fast as possible and going downhill.
spiraldemon01.15.09 - 11:54 am
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Yep, the person who hit me, slammed into me at a stop sign the whole MR group stoped at, except them. Broke my finger, and he was up & bailed in 2 seconds flat.
Gern01.15.09 - 12:00 pm
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Drag chutes are another viable solution for runaway fixed-gears.
"Hill too steep, coming in fast, deploying chutes!!!!"
bentstrider01.15.09 - 12:53 pm
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Brake less is only dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
I know how long it takes me to stop and I keep that in mind when choosing how far back to ride from another rider. Brakes are a huge advantage but not an absolute necessity if you just pay attention and learn to put your foot on the tire.
A few crank mobs ago some guy rode on a tall bike that was brakeless and FREEWHEEL. On that hill where everyone got hurt... he cruised through like it was no problem.
Ride whatever bike you like ....brake less or whatever just learn to ride it safely and pay attention to the wheels in front of you.
stillline01.15.09 - 1:06 pm
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Also, if the only kind of stop you can do is the one where you "hop" your back wheel hard to the left or right...DO NOT RIDE IN A PACK. A maneuver that works well when you're alone can take out everyone behind you when you "hop brake" into the front wheel of the person who is off your back.
pretzels01.15.09 - 1:10 pm
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"Brakes are...not an absolute necessity if you just...put your foot on the tire."
That's a brake.
pretzels01.15.09 - 1:15 pm
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"and as far as riding brakeless goes: I have a fixie, I can do a seated skid stop that stops me as fast as my front brake."
Me -
Wait, whaaat???? You must have a really really really crappy front brake Ian. Maybe change it or service it?
User101.15.09 - 1:57 pm
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i think this would be a good addition to midnight ridazz too
et01.15.09 - 2:00 pm
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the trick is to lift the weight off the back wheel, then spin it backwards. You basically jam the rear wheel in reverse. I have a standard front brake.
But let's face it, things can fail. Chains break, toe straps tear, SPD's clip out, and brakes can fail. Be prepared when it happens. And if all else fails, jam your foot on that front wheel.
tortuga_veloce01.15.09 - 10:23 pm
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and when you jam your foot in the front wheel you go over the handlebars.
ruinedbyidiots01.15.09 - 11:36 pm
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^^ that's happened to me and i was way more fucked up than anything else.
OUCH!!!!
Jazzy Phat Nastee01.15.09 - 11:38 pm
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Ian,
I'm still not following how you can brake faster or just as fast with the rear wheel as you can with the front. Please explain.
User101.16.09 - 12:22 am
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thought about booby trapping the rear end of your gheto blaster, I could rig up a sweet little tazer out of a disposible camerae for you if you wanted
Little Evil Eddy01.16.09 - 12:38 am
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And my girl Eddie is for $50 if anyone's interested.
User101.16.09 - 12:40 am
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first of all, i have suicide brake levers, so if i'm on my drops, i can do the backspin skid faster than moving my hands and braking. it isnt the best way to brake in traffic, however, and i never try to do it when there are unknown hazards more than 2 seconds ahead of me. if im coming up to an intersection, im almost always on my straight bars.
second, my front brake isn't amazing. it's actually not very good. tiny little pad for big fat me. it will not stop me unassisted going down most hills. but it came with the bike. i'll get the good shit when they wear out.
tortuga_veloce01.16.09 - 1:05 am
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EDDIEBOYINLA IS BUILDING HIMSELF A SINGLE SPEED BIKE, WITH HIS OLS BIACHI FRAME.
OLD SCHOOL, FREE WHEEL TYPE, 27's 1 INCH.
ANY ADVICE?
eddieboyinla01.16.09 - 1:12 am
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seriously though, let me know if you need help finding parts.
tortuga_veloce01.16.09 - 1:19 am
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brakes, not the most necessary on a fixed, but essential if you have no clue how to use whatever method it takes to stop your bicycle.
I ride brakeless fixed, I have more than enough miles on my bike to have gone around the world, and have not really crashed all that much (nothing that would have been avoidable with a brake). It's all about the rider.
Footjamming can stop you in an emergency, but should not really be relied upon.
Footjamming the front wheel is actually really hard to launch yourself, unless you lean forward to unweight the back, it's hard to push down with enough force to lift your weight, the tire will slip out before the bike launches up. I know this because I have been doing footjam endos on my fixed for quite some time. It''s still not the best way to stop yourself. Controlling your bike and using your drivetrain will always be more effective, and won't ruin your shoes.
FuzzBeast01.16.09 - 1:28 am
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You guys are all such rookies everybody knows when all else fails jam your foot on your REAR wheel to stop. If anyone dooubts the effectiveness of this check out David at Polo... It aint the brakes or the bike it''s the rider
tallcans4tallbikes01.16.09 - 10:39 am
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lots of new riders riding because it appears to be the cool thing to do dont understand what a fixed gear drivetrain is ride brakeless singlespeeds. i hate to point fingers, but this bike for instance was spotted on the pokemon ride.
ruinedbyidiots01.16.09 - 12:03 pm
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That color scheme is awesome!
JB01.16.09 - 12:06 pm
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So lets see, stopping with your foot is faster, and what makes a rida is how well they stop. Do I have this right?
User101.16.09 - 12:10 pm
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yeah, I didnt understand that one. awesome spraycan job.
tortuga_veloce01.16.09 - 12:11 pm
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that bike looks fake. like a little toy bike
la duderina01.16.09 - 12:11 pm
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thats a bomb as bike, ride like a charm too.
dont you ever have anyth.......you better be there tonight you fuckin hippy.
eddieboyinla01.16.09 - 12:11 pm
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@user1
have you ever stopped with just your foot in an emergency going at 20mph?
catastrophic
_iJunes01.16.09 - 12:17 pm
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not catastrophic if you do the ted shred on your rear wheel. but jamming your foot into the front wheel at 20mph will fuck your day up. when fuzz jams his foot into his front wheel, hes going less than 5 and trying to do flatland tricks.
ruinedbyidiots01.16.09 - 12:19 pm
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Nope, I've always had two working brakes. If for some VERY worst case scenario there would be one brake that fails, I still have another to stop me.
Still waiting for an answer.
User101.16.09 - 12:21 pm
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70% of your stopping power comes from the front brake. its hard to flip over the handlebars from slamming on the front brake, although it is possible.
inertia is transferred differently with an actual front brake than jamming your foot in the wheel behind the fork/headtube.
ruinedbyidiots01.16.09 - 12:23 pm
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@User1
Stopping with your foot on the tire, front or back, is not as fast as a real brake. It is safe though if you just stay alert and keep a safe distance.
Being able to stop doesn't make a rider... but it certainly does ruin him if he can't
stillline01.16.09 - 12:26 pm
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I realize that not everybody absolutely
needs a brake. I mean, I ride with RBI all the time and he's never ever not been able to stop quickly when he needed to.
BUT I just don't get what all the defense is about. I mean, it obviously makes sense to have a brake
just in case. There's really no good reason NOT to have one (unless you're on a track) except that it's an extra thing on your bike that takes away from that minimalist style. STYLE. Key word.
In conclusion some people are talented riders (like rbi, stilline, and tallcans) and can pull this style off. But for the most part, a lot of these riders are going around like fucking kamikazes.
canadienne01.16.09 - 12:41 pm
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My point was about the best brake WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS ie chain, too steep of a hill, regular brakes whatever. If you're complaining about people slamming into you on rides, I think you should realize this will happen no matter what, and complaining about it on the net probly wont change this situation
tallcans4tallbikes01.16.09 - 1:02 pm
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ride at the very back of the pack so the only thing that can rearend you is a car.
ruinedbyidiots01.16.09 - 1:03 pm
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pff riding brakeless is fine if you just hit someone other than ian, duh.
larsenf01.16.09 - 1:19 pm
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you guys are all fucking pussies.
i ride brakeless and run a single speed.
do you know how i stop?
i fucking drop my big ass dick on teh ground.
i drag this dick to the back of ur throat you bitchezzzzzzz
go TNS.
KiMS101.16.09 - 1:22 pm
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@ KiMS1
actually dick on the front tire stops you faster.
larsenf01.16.09 - 1:48 pm
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@Canadienne
Seems like there's new thread every day about how brakeless riders are assholes.
Its hard not to get defensive when you are constantly lumped in with a bunch of bad riders just because of what type of bike you ride.
Wolfpack has a number of brakeless riders and they don't ever ride like jerks or hit anyone for lack of ability to stop safely.
Chances are if one of those little jerks people are always complaining about put a brake on his bike he would still not pay attnetion to the front and end up going over the bars with the front brake. Then the people behind him could complain about their broken bikes instead of the people in front of him. You pick. Same rider different bullshit accident.
stillline01.16.09 - 1:53 pm
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@larsen
touche motherfucker!!!!
i bet you i can do longer dick skids than you!
lets do this fool!
winner gets new bullhorn nittos, a keffiyeh, pair of those new vans fixed gear shoes, a pimply 19 yr old girl to take home, and a venereal disease.
bring it!
KiMS101.16.09 - 1:56 pm
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HUZZAH RBI
I was scared of that bike.
HUZZAH KIMS
"pair of those new vans fixed gear shoes, a pimply 19 yr old girl to take home, and a venereal disease."
GHahaha
imachynna01.16.09 - 7:46 pm
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last night stilline put his foot through the spokes of his rear wheel trying to do the ted shred.
ruinedbyidiots01.17.09 - 12:42 pm
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Its true. it was the first time and hopefully the last.
stillline01.17.09 - 4:13 pm
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Yeah. Immediately after it happened I thought of this thread. Internet mind.
imachynna01.17.09 - 6:07 pm
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Exactly right alex. ThaNKS FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
stillline01.19.09 - 3:54 pm
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You're welcome Matt, any other flaws i need to put on blast, just let me know. Or just wait til someone here posts up a pic
tallcans4tallbikes01.19.09 - 4:20 pm
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I think there would've been a lot fewer injuries at C.R.A.N.K. Mob last time if people would use brakes on their fixed gears. If you want to ride without brakes, hit up the velodrome.
Velocipede01.19.09 - 4:36 pm
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