my take on fixed-gear bits and techinque: the website http://www.e-framebank.com sells off-topic kits for installing rear (and occasionally front) brakes on un-drilled frames. i'll say no more here, but feel free to contact me off-list if you'd like tips on navigating the site.
my experience riding fixed on the streets of san francisco (usually with a front handbrake) is that riding a bit more conservatively than i might otherwise do leads to a much smoother ride: looking ahead, planning, looking for exits, trying to guess what drivers and pedestrians are going to do usually pays off.
when it doesn't, and there are the unavoidable panic situations, having a front brake is wonderful; get your weight right back over the rear wheel, backpedal, and crank down on the front brake and you can stop almost as quickly as you would with front and rear handbrakes.
if i'm on a bike without handbrakes i'll get my weight over the rear wheel and start skipping, scrubbing speed of as quickly as i can, while getting ready to hop a curb if i have to. it's not always enough and crashes happen, and riding without a handbrake take a lot more focus and mental energy than riding with one does.
the whole brakes/no brakes/zen of brakeless argument has been hashed, re-hashed, and hashed again all over the web, and i don't feel a need to get into it here, to get back to the original point (at least i THINK it's the original point, or a close tangent thereof), there are mutliple ways of stopping a fixed-gear bicycle, all of them use friction, all of them generate heat, but some do it faster than others (the rear bumper of a taxi is probably the fastest of all).
safe riding,
-galen pewtherer san francisco, ca
On 7/11/05, ternst <ternst1@cox.net> wrote:
> Harvey et All: I hope people comment and chime in.
> The more the merrier We all pic up a little extra info or get a point we
> didn't think of as most of our posts are fairly quick response and there
> just isn't time to touch all the bases.
> We always told our riders to shift weight a trifle to back, especially wi
th
> more upright geometry bikes, and try to apply rear a split second before
> front if possible.
> It takes a while for a rider to find his own balance and best personal
> technique.
> With a fixed it's the same on weight but the control is easier with the
> fixed holding the bike and weight twaords the year with the gentle plus
> backpedalling action.
> If you really know how to ride, you should be able to glove the front whe
el
> while shifting a little to the rear with weight, backpedaliling and apply
ing
> the back hand brake while maintaining good control.
> You'll stop PDQ.
> Can't do the latex tub/tires tonight, Becky Quinn, a South Bay Wheelman
and
> national team member is giving a talk at our SBW club meeting tonight. Fr
ee
> refreshments, including pizza beats latex every time.
> Ted Ernst
> Palos Verdes Estates, CA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "HM & SS Sachs" <sachs@erols.com>
> To: <ternst1@cox.net>; "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.o
rg>
> Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 5:14 PM
> Subject: plate for rear brake on fixed, was [CR]Various Topics-continued
>
>
> > Ted Ernst wrote about a number of things, and I hope he won't mind if I
> > <snip> and comment on a couple of them.
> > <snip>
> > Ted: On the flat, if you're going too fast and have to panic stop lifti
ng
> > the back wheel and stopping pedaling or reversing pedal stroke is VERY
> > skilled and I would practice before going out in traffic.
> > Either braze a bridge in for a rear brake or use the one in place to sa
ve
> > your bod.
> > Harvey: At Trexlertown, I bought a Raphael Geminani tracker from Sam
> > Fitzgerald. It is the only bike I've ever seen which has such a plate
> > permanently attached. Alas, in this case TiG-welded...
> > Harvey:
> > Also note that Darwin awards go to those who forget physics. Even under
> > best of circumstances, the back wheel has only 1/2 the stopping power o
f
> > the front. This is because of weight transfer: as you try to slow the
> > bike, the center of mass is way above the contact patch, so the bike te
nds
> > to pivot on the front wheel and unload the rear. So, I (almost) always
> > use a front brake on fixed gear on the road. Even my beloved '38 P'moun
t
> > has a front brake, and yup, the paint chips show when I take it off so
the
> > bike looks original.
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> > harvey sachs
> > mcLean va
> >
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
--
-galen