Brakeless riding

CramCycle

JayEnnis wrote: »

I can ride on footpaths, without lights, reflectors, brakes etc..

If your a child (under 16) you can ride on the footpath. Nothing to do with the style of bike your riding, thats what confused me.

As for the brakeless bit, not so sure, I think kids have to have brakes as well as lights at night, open to correction on this but it would make sense.

JayEnnis

CramCycle wrote: »

If your a child (under 16) you can ride on the footpath. Nothing to do with the style of bike your riding, thats what confused me.

As for the brakeless bit, not so sure, I think kids have to have brakes as well as lights at night, open to correction on this but it would make sense.

I may be getting the laws mixed up but in America/UK anything with a 20'' wheel or under is exempt from road traffic laws as they are classified as toys. Mad I know but its true.

I only ride on flat ground brakeless, if there's a hill I'll most likely walk it or take it very slow by dabbing my foot down and never ride in traffic.

CramCycle

JayEnnis wrote: »

I may be getting the laws mixed up but in America/UK anything with a 20'' wheel or under is exempt from road traffic laws as they are classified as toys. Mad I know but its true.

I only ride on flat ground brakeless, if there's a hill I'll most likely walk it or take it very slow by dabbing my foot down and never ride in traffic.

Sorry to say but I don't think that is the law here (could be wrong). To the best of my knowledge the only people allowed cycle on footpaths are under 16s (possibly an accompanying adult, not sure), anyone with a physical or mental disability and the elderly. I also am under the impression that brakes are required regardless while cycling on roads/footpaths etc.

Private property brakeless riding is your problem/pleasure :eek:.

Doctor Bob

amjon. wrote: »

Ok so I ventured out on the mean streets of Dublin City this evening on my fixie. It's been a while since I rode a fixie in proper traffic and even longer since I rode a fixie drunk. So I spun in from my gaff, felt alot more "connected" to the road beneath me. After about four pints I felt the dissociation from the beer was partially nullified by this increased awareness of the road beneath due to the fixed gear. I went on to have about 5 more pints and then rode home, went ok - I mean I didn't end up in A and E this time. In my inebriated state I can testify that a fixed gear certainly does make one more aware of ones surroundings but I'm not sure does this increased awareness make a proper braking system redundant.

Riding a fixie somewhat cancels out the effects of alcohol? Or coud that just be the drink talking? "No I'm fine to drive. Give me my keys." (RIP etc.)

If you want to get intoxicated and cycle, why not try getting high? As is well known, weed heightens your senses, not dulls them. ("Marijuana is self-punishing. It makes you acutely seneitive, and in this world, what worse punishment could there be?" PJ O'Rourke. &c.)**

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and try to squeeze myself into a pair of boys' trousers for age 10-12. I'm planning to go on the pull at my local underage disco.:rolleyes:

(@JayEnnis- Do yourself [and us all] a favour and familiarise yourself with local legislation. Or is knowledge 'gay' too?)

**Weed is legal in The Netherlands, right? So we're good to go.

JayEnnis

Doctor Bob wrote: »

(@JayEnnis- Do yourself [and us all] a favour and familiarise yourself with local legislation. Or is knowledge 'gay' too?)

**Weed is legal in The Netherlands, right? So we're good to go.

Bmx isn't just a sport for me its a lifestyle. I live for bikes and ride hard everyday so to be honest I'll ride it whatever way I want. Weed being illegal never stopped myself or anyone else who wants to use it so thats a moot point. I'll admit I was wrong about the law though.

-Chris-

JayEnnis wrote: »

What Chris akrigg is doing there isn't trials, its a gay version of bmx.

What is trials if this isn't it?

How does BMX differ from trials?

You're talking through your hat! :cool::D

JayEnnis

-Chris- wrote: »

What is trials if this isn't it?

How does BMX differ from trials?

You're talking through your hat! :cool::D

Trials.

Edit: Embed isn't working, link.

What Akrigg does isn't trials.

You obviously don't know what you're talking about if you think bmx doesn't differ from trials?

Bmx is ridden in street/park. The street side of it involves complex tricks such as barspins, tailwhips, turndowns etc not to mention all the variations of grinds.

Trials involves navigating a course designed to test the riders agility and balance. The rider has to hop from one obstacle to another from a standstill and balance. It is typically slow paced.

-Chris-

JayEnnis wrote: »

Trials.

Edit: Embed isn't working, link.

What Akrigg does isn't trials.

Run that by me again?

JayEnnis

-Chris- wrote: »

Run that by me again?

Read my edited post, I posted by accident.

-Chris-

JayEnnis wrote: »

Read my edited post, I posted by accident.

OK, let me address your corrected post...

JayEnnis wrote: »

Trials.

Edit: Embed isn't working, link.

What Akrigg does isn't trials.

You obviously don't know what you're talking about if you think bmx doesn't differ from trials?

Bmx is ridden in street/park. The street side of it involves complex tricks such as barspins, tailwhips, turndowns etc not to mention all the variations of grinds.

Trials involves navigating a course designed to test the riders agility and balance. The rider has to hop from one obstacle to another from a standstill and balance. It is typically slow paced.

Your contention - What Chris akrigg is doing there isn't trials, its a gay version of bmx.

Then you say BMX is done on street or in a park doing complex tricks as listed above. In the video Akrigg doesn't do any of the listed tricks above.
You don't mention BMX jumping - dirt ramps, half pipes etc. But that's ok because Akrigg isn't doing that in the video either.

Trials involves navigating a course. It's about balance and the main thing about it is that it involves navigating the obstacles without putting your foot down. In fact no part of the bike other than the tyres (and possibly the chainring, I'm not sure) may touch the ground, so that's why Akrigg isn't doing grinds.
It needs balance and often requires track stands and the ability to go from a stand still to jump to the next obstacle before regaining your balance in preparation for the next obstacle.
While it's often slow paced like you say, in competition it's timed and so being quicker is better.

This sounds a lot more like what Akrigg does in the video to me...

CramCycle

-Chris- wrote: »

OK, let me address your corrected post...

FIGHT

JayEnnis wrote: »

What Chris akrigg is doing there isn't trials, its a gay version of bmx.

I don't know what you think cycling is but if it's not gay, your not doing it right

-Chris-

CramCycle wrote: »

FIGHT

Ever tried to fight in clipless shoes? Try and kick someone and you're guaranteed to go on your arse! :P:D

CramCycle wrote: »

I don't know what you think cycling is but if it's not gay, your not doing it right

I dunno, I just like to look at men's arses in lycra as they climb away from me. I never thought that was gay though...

It's not, right? :eek:

CramCycle

-Chris- wrote: »

Ever tried to fight in clipless shoes? Try and kick someone and you're guaranteed to go on your arse! :P:D

It's all about balance

just like BMXing and trials (they may almost be the same thing

I dunno, I just like to look at men's arses in lycra as they climb away from me. I never thought that was gay though...

It's not, right? :eek:

Looking at a mans arse is not gay for one reason and one reason only.
If you were doing it right you would be pulling him :eek:
and he would be looking at yours

happytramp

Just so you know, I recently attended the gay bmx championship in Strasbourg and it was awesome.

fishfoodie

-Chris- wrote: »

If you can freewheel or backpedal while going forward then it's not a fixie.

I understand that; that's why I pointed out you loose the ability to reverse etc.

I get what you're saying though; once you change the hub, to get the ability to brake, the bike stops being a pure fixie.

But this thread started as about brakeless riding, & I was just pointing out that a decent compromise might be a coaster brake.

Lumen

fishfoodie wrote: »

But this thread started as about brakeless riding, & I was just pointing out that a decent compromise might be a coaster brake.

At the risk of stating the obvious, brakeless riding is about riding with no brakes. There can be no compromise.

Adding a really bad brake could only be of interest to someone who wants to ride illegally and look like an idiot with a deathwish whilst secretly retaining the ability to slow down a bit and avoid actual death, but that's a pretty small niche.

Coaster brakes are designed for children whose hands are too small to operate a brake lever, basically the under-fours. Copying the behavour of toddlers is, for most adults, not cool.

CramCycle

Lumen wrote: »

Coaster brakes are designed for children whose hands are too small to operate a brake lever, basically the under-fours.

I was a bit of (still am) a slow learner, I had one when I was 5 or 6

Doctor Bob

Doctor Bob wrote: »

Riding a fixie somewhat cancels out the effects of alcohol? Or coud that just be the drink talking? "No I'm fine to drive. Give me my keys." (RIP etc.)

If you want to get intoxicated and cycle, why not try getting high? As is well known, weed heightens your senses, not dulls them. ("Marijuana is self-punishing. It makes you acutely seneitive, and in this world, what worse punishment could there be?" PJ O'Rourke. &c.)**

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and try to squeeze myself into a pair of boys' trousers for age 10-12. I'm planning to go on the pull at my local underage disco.:rolleyes:

(@JayEnnis- Do yourself [and us all] a favour and familiarise yourself with local legislation. Or is knowledge 'gay' too?)

**Weed is legal in The Netherlands, right? So we're good to go.

JayEnnis wrote: »

Bmx isn't just a sport for me its a lifestyle. I live for bikes and ride hard everyday so to be honest I'll ride it whatever way I want. Weed being illegal never stopped myself or anyone else who wants to use it so thats a moot point. I'll admit I was wrong about the law though.

At the risk of dragging the arse out of this (and with reluctance, because over-explication of jokes is one of my pet peeves):

• The weed point was directed at amjon, and was a tongue in cheek gag about the ability of drink to dull one's senses, and to lull one into a false sense of security (ironically, for my post, it's known as Dutch courage).
• The **reference to the legality of weed in NL was intended as a parallel to your point about US/UK legislation, i.e. just because something is legal in one country has no bearing on its legality in another country. Moot? No, not in the slightest.
• The mention of boys' trousers was a sarcastic parallel to your opinion that the bike is the determinant in the application of the law. It's not- the age of the rider (/trousers-wearer) is the only thing that counts.

As for your new input, you acknowledge that you were incorrect in your understanding of the law, yet you still say 'I'll ride it whatever way I want.' As is widely acknowledged, ignorance of the law can never be used as a defence; worse, though, is breaking the law in full knowledge you're doing so.

What makes you so special, so different from the rest of us? How come you're above the law?

If you want to ride a toy, get a Fleshlight. If you want to ride a bike on public roads, please behave like a grown up.

niceonetom

Doctor Bob wrote: »

If you want to ride a toy, get a Fleshlight. If you want to ride a bike on public roads, please behave like a grown up.

QFAwesomeness.