Is It Bad To Have Rear Brakes on Fixed Gear Bikes?

If you're going to use your fixed gear bike on the track, then brakes are superfluous.

If you're going to use your fixie on the road, then brakes are an absolute must.

Riding on the road without brakes is ridiculously stupid.

Hello Community,

Fixed-gear bikes have a sort of cult following. It takes practice and patience to adapt from riding a free-wheel bike to riding a fixed-gear bike, or fixie. They are the most basic of bikes: two wheels, pedals and a seat. No gears and sometimes no brakes. People who like fixed-gear bikes say they are simple to ride since there are no gears to figure out; they are simple to maintain; and there are few parts to break. A fixed-gear bicycle is a single-gear bike that cannot coast. The wheels move only when the bike is being pedaled. Some feel that a fixed-gear bike allows for a more intense workout, as there is no resting and no gears to assist with hill climbing. Proponents of fixed-gear bikes say they allow the rider to feel the road surface better and are excellent for riding in poor weather conditions.

Best Regards,
Anthony Martello

Welcome to the fold, AM.

What do you think of riding a fixie without brakes on the road?

Hello Friends,

The reason is historical. Fixed gear bikes have been traditionally used for track racing, long after most other bikes had switched to using freewheels. In the high-speed velodrome environment, it would be dangerous if the rider in front of you could brake suddenly: you would crash into them, and likely most of the group behind you would join in the fun (this is also true in a paceline or peloton on normal roads). So brakes have always been banned, and aren't really needed on the track anyway.
But track bikes sometimes get retired to road use. And as fixed gear has gotten more popular, many frame makers are building similar bikes for the road. Some of them are closer to track bikes (no brakes), others might include front brakes or both front and rear.

Thanks and Regards,
Umang Kumar