There is little question that the front brake is the one to use when you want to slow down in a hurry. The rear brake is useful only when you have too little traction to apply the front brake hard, or in case of a failure of the front brake.
Look at powerful motorcycles, which often have twin disc brakes on the front, and just a puny little brake on the rear.
Campagnolo today offers a powerful dual pivot brake as the front brake and a relatively feeble (but lighter) old-fashioned sidepull brake on the rear. That makes sense.
When you brake, your momentum transfers your weight onto the front tire, which greatly reduces traction (and thus possible braking force) on the rear. It also increases traction on the front, making it less likely that the front tire skids.
On-topic content: British tricycles usually have two front brakes, but no rear brakes, even though they have twice as many rear wheels as front wheels.
Jan Heine Editor Bicycle Quarterly 140 Lakeside Ave #C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com
At 1:55 PM -0800 1/17/09, Sean Flores wrote:
>Tony, et al.
>
>I can't say I'm with you on this one. While some do outfit their
>fixed gear with rear brakes (Keirin riders
>in training immediately come to mind) it's quite a common practice
>to equip a fixed wheel with a front brake. Consider that your legs
>are your rear brake as they control your speed- and the front, is
>well, your front. Ultimately, it tends to be a matter of preference,
>but I can confidently say the majority of fixed wheel cyclists
>currently use a front brake over a rear.
>
>As for the Japanese, it's a matter of convention as most Keirin
>forks do not have the clearance to handle the reach of a front
>brake- a rear, clamp on style brake is commonly used.
>
>Sean Flores
>San Francisco, CA
>
>
>On Jan 17, 2009, at 12:58 PM, Tony Colegrave wrote:
>
>> Gentlemen,
>>
>> '...front brakes became mandatory (except...' (Jan)
>>
>> '...fixed gear bicycles equipped with a front brake...' (Sean)
>>
>> As a very frequent 'fixed-wheeler', I'd never DREAM of
>>fitting/using a front brake, and, AFAIK, I'm committing no offence
>>in the U.K. by braking on my rear wheel (legislation requires only
>>that there are two independant methods of stopping?), and, when
>>riding 'free', I always use the rear brake in priority to the front
>>- indeed I only ever use a front brake in cases of extreme need.
>> Giving priority to rear-wheel braking means that my rear brake
>>lever is always at my left hand - cycling 'on the left' (as we do
>>in this country), I feel that it is important that I should be able
>>to have the use of my rear brake at the same time as I indicate a
>>right-hand turn (i.e. across the path of any following motor
>>traffic) when descending any of the many steep hills in this part
>>of the world.
>> I'm sure that this is an attitude shared by most 'serious'
>>cyclists in this country.
>> Regards, Tony Colegrave. (surviving more or less unscathed as a
>>cyclist, into my 69th. year).
>>
>>
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>>Live? <http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/default.aspx>Find
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