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Why Do People Ride Brakeless?


Dwarf Shortage

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I used to ride brakeless BMX, but that's only because I fecked up my brakes, and couldn't be bothered to replace them

Even when you see the people that are good at it, it's still only impressive from the fact that they're not using brakes*. The riding's not that big, it limits the range of moves they can do, and vids end up being a bit same-y.

Sorry if it's a gay question, but I just can't get my head 'round it.

*Apart from Chris Akrigg. But he's not even mortal.

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I think some poeple do it because it's different, it allows them to ride old spots in new ways and makes things that were second nature a challenge again.

Personally I've taken the brake off my bmx for two reasons -

First, it used to make an epic sound that would vibrate the whole bike,

and second but more importantly, I used to pull it and ruin rollouts, so I took it off so I didn't.

Edited by Revolver
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I think some poeple do it because it's different, it allows them to ride old spots in new ways and makes things that were second nature a challenge again.

This is one good thing about it. It also makes riding so much more rewarding in a way and is a lot of fun!. Also I found it helped when I go back to my competino/pure trials bike with brakes a lot and also makes riding that a lot more fun rather than riding one single type of bike all the time.

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Baa! Baa!

Baa! Baa!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Used to ride BMX brakeless but again that was cos my brakes were f**ked and you don't really need brakes on a BMX.

However I am missing the point with brakeless trials.

Don't get me wrong, that vid of Ali C is f**king amazing and Chris Acrigg may well be superhuman but it's not for me.

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Yep, that wall that Ali hooks to back wheel (then keeps to back wheel) in Blackburn is a bit of a monster - think it's around 58" or so. The one at Preston's pretty large as well (which Ali also couldn't do on his 'normal' trials bike). I think in that video Ali also did a sidehop from back wheel to two that I haven't seen many people do with brakes either. Some of the ups he was doing at Blackpool and elsewhere were huge as well. I wouldn't say that "The riding's not that big" in that video.

I'm brakeless on mine because I enjoyed riding brakeless BMX for the last 3 years, and found 'normal' trials to be too boring for my liking. Now I'm getting to ride more natural as well it's even more fun without brakes in that it makes you think about riding in a totally different way. I'm pretty lucky in that I get to ride with Stan brakeless quite often now and with Ali when he was brakeless, and because they're both ridiculously good at riding anyway it means that they're also good at brakeless riding so it's helped me realise what's possible and what could be potentially be done. Some of the tech, natural-based brakeless stuff I've seen Stan do is pretty incredible but obviously doesn't really translate to video all that well in that it's hard to get natural to look as good in video as it is in person, and most people just seem to have no idea at all how hard it is to actually ride natural in the first place. Either way - it's helped me learn so much more about riding natural and where and when you really need to possibly use brakes. There are so many situations where you're a lot better off not using them (which was highlighted to me especially at the Lee Quarry comp I went to a few weekends ago where I saw a few people dab because they were relying on their brakes too much).

Mainly though, it's just a lot of fun.

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I did it as i lost my love for trials for a while. I was bored of being a tgs'er and needed something to keep me interested. I rode brakeless for a couple of weeks and learnt new techniques etc

now i have taken them back to my proper trials bike and i am loving it again (well i was, until i came back from buthiers and now all i do is ride demos :().

You will find that riding without brakes improves your bike control. There is no denying it, and you definitely notice it when you get back to riding with brakes. i spend lots less time using my brakes for balancing and if i am doing certain things in a line ill try to not use my brakes.

and as OBM says....its fun

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I did it as i lost my love for trials for a while. I was bored of being a tgs'er and needed something to keep me interested. I rode brakeless for a couple of weeks and learnt new techniques etc

now i have taken them back to my proper trials bike and i am loving it again (well i was, until i came back from buthiers and now all i do is ride demos :().

You will find that riding without brakes improves your bike control. There is no denying it, and you definitely notice it when you get back to riding with brakes. i spend lots less time using my brakes for balancing and if i am doing certain things in a line ill try to not use my brakes.

and as OBM says....its fun

Where do we get to see you do these demo's?

More on topic, I ride brakeless bmx and love it, I would say it is deffinatley only for some people as it does take time to get used to it, you really learn how to use your body, use every bump, curb etc as you can learn to "pump" into lines on "anti-pump" to slow your self down.

I'm not against brakes at all, they're just not for me anymore. Different people have different riding styles where brakes or brakeless suits them and as long as they're having fun that's what its all about.

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I tend to ride with bmxers and people who ride street, so we often go to parks/less trials orientated spots. With brakes I just found myself ending up hopping around the park like my bike is a pogo stick. Since I have had no brakes everything flows better and it all feels a lot more natural.

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Forgot to mention Ali C.

And obviously Ted Shred   :shifty:

Yep, that wall that Ali hooks to back wheel (then keeps to back wheel) in Blackburn is a bit of a monster - think it's around 58" or so.

I live in Rishton, which is right next door to Blackburn, I nearly came when I saw him there ;D Does anyone have the link to that video in Blackburn? I can't find it..

*Baa's*

Used to ride BMX brakeless but again that was cos my brakes were f**ked and you don't really need brakes on a BMX.

However I am missing the point with brakeless trials.

Don't get me wrong, that vid of Ali C is f**king amazing and Chris Acrigg may well be superhuman but it's not for me.

That's pretty much exactly what I meant :P I'm not raging against the machine people riding brakeless, each to their own an' all that, I was just curious as to why people do it.

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(well i was, until i came back from buthiers and now all i do is ride demos :().

Where do we get to see you do these demo's?

obviously the topic maker cares why?

You want a paddle with that dingy Dark Night? :giggle:

Got a show in Annan this Saturday. Come along. :giggle:

I seem to act like a super biker when I go brakeless and just try to get the knee down on turns...I never make it out the street.

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*STUFF THAT MAKES SENSE*

which was highlighted to me especially at the Lee Quarry comp I went to a few weekends ago where I saw a few people dab because they were relying on their brakes too much

Mainly though, it's just a lot of fun.

Funnily enough me an Kerr were out riding natural the other day and he said to me 'Stop using your brakes so much, thats why you keep dabbing'

And he was right (as f**king usual)

Edited by Matt Vandart
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because they are bored. Most the guys who do it have been riding trials like 10 years so its something new to try. + bmxers do it and trials riders are always moaning about bmxing being better.

Edited by sayshell
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