livinlavidalogan: A bike with no brakes

I have one, a bike with no brakes that is. It's a 1970s Peugeot that a threw together with my big bro, Big Toph, as he likes to be called. It's a great bike and i love to ride it.

The problem, however, with riding brakeless is that there is an entire culture of tool-folk out there who act like riding a bike with no brakes is the only way to go. They have ridiculous stickers on their bikes that aren't even creative, they're just rude, like "F*ck brakes" and "Ride Brakeless" and "People with brakes can eat my butt"...OK, so maybe i have yet to see any stickers like the Butt one but I'm sure they're out there. I wouldn't care so much if i didn't know for a fact the in the biking world, especially the fixed one, people judge you by your bike, and they judge quickly.

You may be thinking, "why do you care?" i know that i shouldn't, but the bottom line is EVERYBODY hates being judged and thrown in categories where they don't believe they belong. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. it may be stupid to care but everyone does.

So i have recently fallen in love bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com and am regularly in stitches over his comments. The guy is rude in the best way. On his site, however, he regularly talks about brakeless riders and how they are, well, lame. Many of his followers agree and often comment on how they too hate people who ride brakeless. Even i often agree with distaste for such a rider but i feel i must make my case.

I have riser bars on my bike...so what...i like the look. Nothing more than that. It's color coordinated as well...i like to match. Would you go out to a nice dinner and wear brown shoes with a black belt? i highly doubt it! And yes, i ride without brakes. Even though i feel i don't owe it to anyone I'm going to offer an explanation:

At first, my primary reason for not putting brakes on was financial reasons. I lived in the Avenues in Salt Lake City, up on 6th Ave and L street when i built my bike. For those who are familiar with the avenues can you possibly think of a reason why i wouldn't want brakes on hills like that?!!! NO WAY! but i just didn't have the mula. So i learned how to ride without brakes, slow and steady. The more i rode the more i loved it. I also noticed that my knee issues seemed to be disappearing. it seemed that the constant work that my knees had to perform due to the lack of brakes was strengthening them, causing me less and less discomfort. I feel in love with riding brakeless.

Do i think that people who ride with brakes are lame? No, not even a little. Are there some tools with brakes? Absolutely. Are there tools without brakes? oh yes, many but just cause you don't have them doesn't make you the "Eff off you brake riding mother effers" guy. Brakes dont make you a tool or make you exempt from being a tool. It's just who you are...and some are just tools.

There, I've said my piece. next time you want to judge someone without brakes just take a moment first and think about what you are about to say...unless they have one these