Is it common for brakes to be removed on a BMX bike?

February 21, 2010 by admin · 8 Comments
Filed under: Cycling 
bmx
Kelly asked:

My son says it makes the bike lighter, I think it’s crazy!! Big fight last night on his new Subrosa bike I just got him & he tells me he took the brakes off!! Thanks for the info. I just don’t understand the logic behind his action.

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Comments

8 Responses to “Is it common for brakes to be removed on a BMX bike?”
  1. Michael says:
    February 21, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    On a fixie, probably. Michael

  2. Gregg Andrews says:
    February 21, 2010 at 11:23 pm

    Oh yeah, sometimes you have to replace the calipers and pads with those (the two pieced horseshoe lookin’ thingy…). Sometimes adjusting tension and getting everything just right can be a pain though. Gregg Andrews

  3. fufanu85 says:
    February 24, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    Yes it is very common. There are a lot of riders that intentionally ride without brakes. I dont understand it completely why… but im sure their argument is that it forces you to learn better bike control. fufanu85

  4. BriGuy says:
    February 25, 2010 at 8:00 pm

    I wouldn’t think it is to learn better bike control… lol. That seems a little silly. My thought would be so that they can spin their handle bars around without the brake tubes getting tangled. Think about it… if a BMX rider attempted a double tailwhip with brakes… the bike wouldn’t be able to spin around that many times with the lines twisting around the frame. BriGuy

  5. cristian s says:
    March 1, 2010 at 7:08 am

    yes it is very common but it definitely is not the right way to learn better control of your bike. the majority of people who ride brakeless are pros, and they ride brakeless 1. because they are Pros! it takes alot of experience to ride brakeless. 2. because it gives the bike a clean flowing look. 3. if the rider does barspins, tailwhips etc.it does make the bike a bit lighter compared to running a gyro but not really enough….there are also personal preference reasons but thats up to them…its really more of a fad in bmx and now alotta pros are just running longer linear cables rather than rolling brakeless as it still allows them to pull off these tricks yet still have the important ability to brake… cristian s

  6. Angela Lansbury says:
    March 4, 2010 at 7:54 am

    No, some very experienced freestyle riders don’t use brakes but they’ve been riding for 20+ years and don’t need the brakes for the type of riding they do. All freewheeling bikes need brakes, period. Saving weight is a flimsy excuse, he’s got some other reason he wanted to take the brakes off. I don’t care if he’s competing in the X-Games, there is no possible way he can feel that few ounces of difference. Angela Lansbury

  7. West Coast Flatlander says:
    March 5, 2010 at 4:12 pm

    Lansbury is right… the total weight of a gyro, a caliper, a lever and some cable, totals to a few hundred grams… and that amount is just not gonna have ANY effect on the way someone rides, and how they perform. Changing to light cranks, high quality tyres and plastic pedals can drop as much as 2 kilos off ur bike, so THAT would be a valid reason to upgrade, but as far as going brakeless goes, that is a decission based more on fashion, than function.
    Pro riders, who perform most of their tricks without brakes, no longer feel the need to have a brake on their bike, so they remove it. It actually DOES give the bike a ‘raw, clean, smoother’ feel to it, and forces the rider to rely solely on his own skill, which cn promote a better quality of rider, but these guys also have the luxury of throwing their bike into the back of their truck, to and from their riding spot, whereas kids who remove their brakes, often still use their bike as transport, to and from school, and to remove a brake when you use ur bike for transport, is nuckin futs, if u know what I mean.

    Kids who remove brakes these days, are more than likely doing it to immitate their heroes, or to follow thier friends, because it’s ‘cool’. Unless ur a sponsored Pro, with skill levels to match World Class Professionals, I suggest keeping brakes on, untill you reach that level.

    I took MY brakes off, because I ride Flatland, and in that style, brakes can actually get in the way of your hands and feet, so I removed mine. Partly due to the fact that the last 10 tricks I learned did not require the use of brakes, so I advanced to a more ‘flowy’ style of riding, relying on the smooth flow and momentum of the bike, rather than holding the bike in a position with the brakes.

    As a father, if your son is using his bike for transport as well as for fun, then insist he keeps the brakes on, or confiscate his bike, or u may end up seeing him in hospital. If you are willig to drive him to the skate park with his bike, and pick him up, then let him take them off. My guess is he is a beginner to intermeddiate rider, who could use his brakes here and there. West Coast Flatlander

  8. Keegan C says:
    March 8, 2010 at 10:59 pm

    Yea it is common. A lot of riders take off their brakes to make the bike lighter. It takes off about 1 pound, which is a lot of weight for a bike. rding brakeless helps riders with their flow so they can ride smoother. anyways, to stop all you need to do is stick your foot in the back tire, which works better. brakeless also helps with tricks that involove either barspins or tailwhips because the cable would just get in the way. Keegan C

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