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The world of BMX bikes has exploded since the inception of the X-Games, and many people prefer these bikes due to the affordability and functionality they offer to perform stunts. However, BMX bikes often do not have brakes, which means that people are at odds with whether it is safe for riders to use them.
Is a brakeless BMX bike safe to ride on the street? Riding a bike without brakes can be very dangerous, and you would need to have some form of braking to ensure that you have adequate stopping power for dangerous situations. Fortunately, many BMX bikes do have rear brakes, which are often linear or V-Brakes.
If you are considering using a BMX bike without brakes, you should read this article. We will specifically focus on some of the dangers you might encounter while riding a BMX bike without the necessary braking capacity. This would mean that you need to look out for certain specific dangers.
You might also enjoy reading: Are BMX Bikes Good For Commuting? (9 Must-Know Facts)
Do BMX Bikes Have Brakes?
Contrary to popular belief, most BMX bikes will have some form of braking capacity, which is often different depending on the bike you choose.
To ensure that you understand more about the brakes of BMX bikes, we should look at the different brakes you could find on your BMX bike when you are looking for a bike:
1- Coaster Brakes
Coaster brakes are the brakes we often find on commuter bikes. These brakes don’t have any hassles and are often hard to use.
In addition, the coaster brake allows the bike to move forward without brakes on the handlebars. However, you will need to pedal in a backward motion if you are looking to stop the bike.
Aside from not needing as much maintenance as your traditional brakes, the coaster brakes are being phased out by many riders, and this is often due to the complexity of the design and the lack of freestyling.
You will need to be very careful with these brakes to ensure that you can build momentum with the bike.
2- V-Brakes
V-brakes are the most common form of brake we see on modern BMX bikes, and they also offer a cable connection to the handlebar, which enables you to operate them as you see fit.
Moreover, V-Brakes are fitted on either side of the wheel, and when the user pulls the brake lever, it would contract the brakes to slow down the rotation of the wheel.
The V-brakes are the most popular and secure brakes you could find on any BMX bike, and they often offer the best stopping power, aside from your disc brakes.
One of the downsides to the V-brakes would be the lack of functionality for freestyle riders, which would reduce the brakes’ efficacy in providing essential stopping power.
3- U-Brakes
While V-brakes are the most popular for BMX riders, they are slowly being surpassed by the U-brake. The U-brake looks similar to that of the V-brake, but due to the contouring of the design, it is out of the way of the user.
In terms of stopping power, this would be similar to the stopping power you can expect from the traditional V-brake.
If we compare them to the previous brakes on the list, it is worth noting that they do not offer any downsides. U-Brakes might require more maintenance and potentially be more complicated to use, but they are better for freestyle riding.
Dangers Of Riding A Brakeless BMX Bike
While it might be tempting to ride your bike brakeless, it is often not something we would recommend. If you are riding your bike without brakes, you might encounter some dangers, which would be frustrating to deal with.
We have isolated some of the things that could go wrong when riding a brakeless BMX bike:
1- Avoiding Obstacles
One of the biggest problems with riding brakeless is that you cannot stop when you see an impending obstacle approach. The lack of brakes would make it almost impossible to get out of the way if your reactions are too slow, and this would be frustrating for many riders on their bicycles.
You will need to be hyper-aware of your surroundings, and when you have better reactions, you could look at situations and try to avoid these situations ahead of time.
However, you will need to be aware of your surroundings and try to make sure that you understand when you need to move out of the way.
2- Riding At Higher Speeds
One of the downsides is that you would often need to ride at higher speeds if you are to speed up to your destination. The problem with going brakeless is that you are taking a major risk by riding at these speeds.
Much like the first section, you would need to be hyper-aware of your surroundings to make sure that you could avoid these.
It is often best to have some form of emergency brake in your arsenal, and if something goes wrong, you could rely on the emergency brake to offer you the adequate stopping power you would need.
It would certainly take plenty of time and practice to master riding your bike if you do not have any brakes to utilize.
3- Freestyling Is Dangerous
One of the main reasons people buy a BMX is freestyling, and this often requires them to perform stunts and show off their skills. Many professional riders have such great control over their bikes, which means they do not need to have any brakes to stop the bike, and this would make it much easier to perform freestyle stunts.
However, these stunts often include ramps, and it might be easy for riders to lose control of their bike when they do not have brakes and are traveling at higher speeds; the crash could be extremely painful and severe.
Even some of the top BMX riders would rely on having some form of braking capabilities to ensure they can stop the bike.
4- Reduces Overall Confidence
Unless you are used to falling and riding your BMX bike without brakes, it is something you will need to get used to.
If you are riding your bike without brakes, it could reduce your confidence, and we have seen many riders be fearful due to the lack of brakes.
However, once you have the brakes implemented, you could easily use this to increase your confidence.
Tips For Riding A Brakeless BMX Bike
If you have decided that you want to go brakeless with your BMX bike, there are a few important tips that you should keep in mind.
To ensure you remain safe with your BMX bike, we have found a few great tips that would assist you coming from the experts:
1- Buy Brakes
While this might not be the tip you are looking for, I believe that it is unnecessary to ride your bike without brakes.
The downsides far outweigh the few benefits you could experience, which is why many people would prefer having brakes added to their bikes when riding.
2- You Should Be Hyper Aware
If you do choose to ride your bike without brakes, you must be hyperaware of the situations around you.
This means that you should keep all your focus on the road, and you should always look for possible obstacles that could be in your way.
3- Plan Your Route
It is often important that you walk the possible road first if you plan to go brakeless. This would enable you to scout for any dangers and obstacles that could pop in your way whilst you are riding.
You might want to make a few mental notes of the route and ensure that you take lines that are not as riddled with challenges.
4- Practice In A Safe Environment
Finally, you should consider practicing in a controlled environment whilst wearing the correct safety gear. By wearing the correct safety gear, you would be able to account for situations when you might fall.
If you perform freestyle riding, you could use the ramps and the courses to your advantage, and falls won’t be as harsh.
It will certainly take you time to build up confidence, and only when you are sure that you have the ultimate level of confidence will you be able to take on these different routes without the issue of falling or being scared.
Wrapping Up
We would strongly advise against anyone considering going brakeless with their BMX bike. The BMX bike is one of the best bikes for stunts and going freestyle, but safety is always one of the most important things to keep in mind.
Let us know in the comment section if you have any tips for brakeless BMX riders.
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