# Why do they say fixed gear bikes don't have breaks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601 "2017-08-24T22:56:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/21 "2017-08-25T01:48:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I didn’t realize there’s a new, fixed gear bicycle without a rear brake. NEW ? or retro ?? There’s a few features that got added to the bicycle over time. 1. the ability to coast without the pedals moving then 2. The back pedalling brake mechanism and 3. multiple gears - De Railler invented the mechanism to move the chain from one gear to another. This isn’t compatible with back pedalling brakes, because De Railler’s invention includes auto-tensioning, and back pedalling would apply force to the tensioner rather than the brake mechanism. But They got invented and added , the fixie was first. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/22 "2017-08-25T02:27:44Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > 1. multiple gears - De Railler invented the mechanism to move the chain from one gear to another… I’m not sure if I’m being whooshed by a joke here, but the term **derailleur** gears is from a French word, and refers to the fact that the chained is dislodged (“derailed”) from one sprocket to another. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/23 "2017-08-25T04:56:40Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > I’ve never seen that, it doesn’t even make sense. I guess anything is possible though. Because it’s easy to bust a bike lock, but try carrying away or single-wheeling a stolen bike. Maybe this isn’t done any more, but it seemed like SOP (20 years ago in Manhattan) that the messengers would lock the rear wheel and frame together to a light pole or whatever, pop the quick release on the front wheel, and carry that with them inside as they made the delivery. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/24 "2017-08-25T05:07:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember being warned that a front brake could grab and throw me, head first, off the bike. > > I guess if you applied it too hard. > > I choose not to add one to my bike and find out. I’m too old to take a fall that hard and not get hurt. There’s a simpler solution; always apply the back brake first. Depending on where you live, a bike with no front brake may not be street-legal. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/25 "2017-08-25T05:28:19Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > [We just had a thread about this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=833115) Speaking for myself, I found that thread VERY confusing. This thread does a vastly better job of explaining the difference between fixed and single-speed. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/26 "2017-08-25T05:37:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember being warned that a front brake could grab and throw me, head first, off the bike. > > I guess if you applied it too hard. > > I choose not to add one to my bike and find out. I’m too old to take a fall that hard and not get hurt. No, this is not a good plan. A rear brake is ineffective if you want to stop quickly - as you add brake pressure, the back wheel will lock up and skid. A front brake is much more effective. To minimize the risk of it “grabbing”, make sure that your wheel is true, and that there are no major dents to the braking surface of the rim. Then, it’s a question of applying braking force progressively, and acquiring the skill to maintain control while doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/27 "2017-08-25T08:12:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I remember being warned that a front brake could grab and throw me, head first, off the bike. > > I guess if you applied it too hard. > \*\* > I choose not to add one to my bike\*\* and find out. I’m too old to take a fall that hard and not get hurt. Quotes an article in the OP about how UK law requires brakes on both wheels, yet disregards this well meaning regulation because someone said something. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/28 "2017-08-25T08:56:57Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > No, this is not a good plan. > > A rear brake is ineffective if you want to stop quickly - as you add brake pressure, the back wheel will lock up and skid. > > A front brake is much more effective. To minimize the risk of it “grabbing”, make sure that your wheel is true, and that there are no major dents to the braking surface of the rim. Then, it’s a question of applying braking force progressively, and acquiring the skill to maintain control while doing so. The rear wheel of the bicycle has more of your weight on it. If you acquire the skill to not lock up and skid, it will give you more friction than the front, with significantly less risk of losing control. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/29 "2017-08-25T09:00:36Z")
> [@](#): > > A fixed-wheel bicycle has a single gear, no freewheel mechanism From the OP’s quote. The freewheel mechanism is what lets the rear wheel spin without pulling the chain round. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/30 "2017-08-25T09:23:02Z")
> [@naita](#): > > The rear wheel of the bicycle has more of your weight on it. If you acquire the skill to not lock up and skid, it will give you more friction than the front, with significantly less risk of losing control. No, under braking, the weight shifts to the front wheel (this is true of any vehicle), so the front brake will stop the bike much more quickly. Maintaining control is a more complex question, described in detail below. But the bottom line is that expert cyclists use the rear brake far less than the front brake. This is a good account of braking technique for a road bike: > **[Braking and Turning Your Bicycle](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html)** > > Good braking and turning technique can save your life! > [@](#): > > **The fastest that you can stop any bike of normal wheelbase is to apply the front brake so hard that the rear wheel is just about to lift off the ground. In this situation, the rear wheel cannot contribute to stopping power, since it has no traction.** [i.e. this is the extreme case where the weight distribution under emergency braking is 100% on the front wheel; but under more moderate braking there is still more weight on the front wheel than the rear.] > > The rear brake is O.K. for situations where traction is poor, or for when your front tire blows, but **for stopping on dry pavement, the front brake alone provides the maximum stopping power, both in theory and in practice. If you take the time to learn to use the front brake correctly, you will be a safer cyclist.** > > Many cyclists shy away from using the front brake, due to fear of flying over the handlebars. This does happen, but mainly to people who have not learned to modulate the front brake. > > **The cyclist who relies on the rear brake for general stopping can get by until an emergency arises, and, in a panic, he or she grabs the unfamiliar front brake as well as the rear, for extra stopping power. This can cause the classic “over the bars” crash.** > > Jobst Brandt has a quite plausible theory that the typical “over-the-bars” crash is caused, not so much by braking too hard, but by braking hard without using the rider’s arms to brace against the deceleration: The bike stops, the rider keeps going until the rider’s thighs bump into the handlebars, and the bike, which is no longer supporting the weight of the rider, flips. > > This cannot happen when you are using only the rear brake, because as soon as the rear wheel starts to lift, the rear wheel skids, limiting its braking force. Unfortunately, though, **it takes twice as long to stop with the rear brake alone as with the front brake alone, so reliance on the rear brake is unsafe for cyclists who ever go fast**. It is important to use your arms to brace yourself securely during hard braking, to prevent this. Indeed, good technique involves moving back on your saddle as far as you can comfortably go, to keep the center of gravity as far back as possible. This applies whether you are using the front, rear or both brakes. **Using both brakes together can cause “fishtailing.” If the rear wheel skids while braking force is also being applied to the front, the rear of the bike will tend to swing past the front, since the front is applying a greater decelerating force than the rear. Once the rear tire starts to skid, it can move sideways as easily as forward.** > > … **Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time** , but there are instances when the rear brake is preferred: > > Slippery surfaces. On good, dry pavement, unless leaning in a turn, it is impossible to skid the front wheel by braking. On slippery surfaces, however, it is possible. A front wheel skid almost always leads to a fall, so if there is a high risk of skidding, you’re better off controlling your speed with the rear brake. > > Bumpy surfaces. On rough surfaces, your wheels may actually bounce up into the air. If there is a chance of this, don’t use the front brake. If you ride into a bump while applying the front brake, the bicycle will have a harder time mounting the bump. If you apply the front brake while the wheel is airborne, it will stop, and coming down on a stopped front wheel is a Very Bad Thing. [My bolding, and my comment added in square brackets] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/31 "2017-08-25T11:55:51Z")
The rear brake alone will also work fine when you’re stopping only very gradually. And I think it can also be preferred when braking on a downhill, though I’ve never run the numbers on that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/32 "2017-08-25T12:17:06Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Because it’s easy to bust a bike lock, but try carrying away or single-wheeling a stolen bike. Maybe this isn’t done any more, but it seemed like SOP (20 years ago in Manhattan) that the messengers would lock the rear wheel and frame together to a light pole or whatever, pop the quick release on the front wheel, and carry that with them inside as they made the delivery. 20 years ago is a couple years before my time so maybe that’s why I’ve never seen it. But a couple things make me doubt that this practice would have ever been common. First of all, messengers use bolt on hubs more frequently than quick release. In fact track hubs, which are frequently used front and rear, are always bolt on. Second, even if a quick release is used, a hose clamp would be used to limit theft risk. If not a hose clamp, they would go with a locking skewer - which is more expensive, but very theft proof. Lastly, messengers tend to be very concerned with time, so I think most messengers would choose any other option than taking off the front wheel for every delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/33 "2017-08-25T12:30:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The rear brake alone will also work fine when you’re stopping only very gradually. And I think it can also be preferred when braking on a downhill, though I’ve never run the numbers on that. On a long fast descent, a racing cyclist will try to judiciously use the rear brake as much as possible, but this is to avoid overheating the front brake. But careful control is required under firmer braking at high speed approaching a downhill bend. Great care is required that not too much rear brake is applied if you’re under significant braking as the turn begins, because it’s easy to lock up the rear wheel and have it slide out sideways. It’s similar to the “fishtailing” issue described in the article above. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/34 "2017-08-25T13:04:27Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > No, under braking, the weight shifts to the front wheel (this is true of any vehicle), so the front brake will stop the bike much more quickly. Maintaining control is a more complex question, described in detail below. But the bottom line is that expert cyclists use the rear brake far less than the front brake. I acknowledge that this is true for maximum braking and that removing the front brake out of fear of tumbling over the handlebars is a dumb thing. I still think “use your front brake” is not good advice for casual cyclists. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/35 "2017-08-25T13:30:32Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I acknowledge that this is true for maximum braking and that removing the front brake out of fear of tumbling over the handlebars is a dumb thing. I still think “use your front brake” is not good advice for casual cyclists. I disagree totally. The front brake is the one that slows you down and stops you. The rear brake can be used in certain circumstances to provide extra control, but the front is where your stopping power is. Even on a mountain bike on loose gravel, it’s the front that has the grip and stops you. The back brake has minimal stopping power compared to the front. This goes for any level of cyclist. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/36 "2017-08-25T14:35:25Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I acknowledge that this is true for maximum braking and that removing the front brake out of fear of tumbling over the handlebars is a dumb thing. I still think “use your front brake” is not good advice for casual cyclists. As explained above, this is very wrong advice, for any level of cyclist. To re-quote from the article above: > [@](#): > > **The cyclist who relies on the rear brake for general stopping can get by until an emergency arises, and, in a panic, he or she grabs the unfamiliar front brake as well as the rear, for extra stopping power. This can cause the classic “over the bars” crash.** It is important for all cyclists for their own safety and the safety of other road users to develop their skills in modulating front brake pressure and in handling the bike safely under rapid braking. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/37 "2017-08-25T14:40:00Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > The back brake has minimal stopping power compared to the front. This goes for any level of cyclist. Including **motor** cyclists: > [@](#): > > However, remember that more than 70 percent of the stopping power of a bike is in the front brake. > **[10 Motorcycle Myths: Never Use the Front Brake](http://motorcycleviews.com/general/motorcyclemyths_9.htm)** > > 10 motorcycle myths. Learn myths about using the front brake. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/38 "2017-08-25T14:47:07Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Bike messengers in NY ride fixies (or they used to) because they’re very light and there’s not much to break on them. I remember watching a chase movie involving NYC delivery cyclists, and the hero begins running away from the villain by cycling backwards at a pretty good clip - something you can only do when the pedals are effectively locked to the wheel with fixed gearing. (and with practice) There’s no reason why a bike like that could not have caliper brakes like a 10-speed, except maybe testosterone. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/39 "2017-08-25T14:55:52Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > …There’s no reason why a bike like that could not have caliper brakes like a 10-speed, except maybe testosterone. Just this week we had the verdict in the case of a young London cyclist riding an unmodified track fixie (without a front brake) who killed a pedestrian. It was the first ever prosecution of a cyclist for manslaughter, although he was only convicted of a lesser charge. Expert testimony was presented that he could probably have stopped safely with a front brake. > **[Cyclist Charlie Alliston guilty over pedestrian's death](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-41028321)** > > Charlie Alliston was cleared of manslaughter but found guilty of "wanton and furious driving". ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601/40 "2017-08-25T15:05:18Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > It is important for all cyclists for their own safety and the safety of other road users to develop their skills in modulating front brake pressure and in handling the bike safely under rapid braking. Agree 100%. I bike a lot (ride motorcycles too but not enough time for that sport), and cannot imagine not using the front brake. Every stop is a combination of both brakes with the front being more important. There are times when the rear is used on its own, mainly for simple slowing. With faster stops or downhill stops, positioning your body is also important (move your butt back). My mountain bike and cross bike both have extremely strong brakes that could certainly throw you over the handlebars but they are also easy to gradually apply pressure as long as you don’t panic. New bike riders: Learn to use both brakes in combination. Practice emergency braking. Learn what the limits are.🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-say-fixed-gear-bikes-dont-have-breaks/794601.md?page=3)