You lose skidding, and gain stopping power. I just went freewheel last week and I've always ridden with a front brake. If you're comfortable slamming on a front brake, you'll be fine.
Machine Politics vs Beaver Boys, May 2011. Photo by Bruce Carver
freewheel w/ front brake
anyone ever play with this set-up?
Thinking of switching to freewheel for polo. I know its better to use a rear brake, but I use the same bike for my daily riding as I do for polo (fixed gear w/ front brake) and I can't seem to scrape up a rear brake at the moment. Any thoughts? Will I just wind up flying over my bars half the night?
December 8, 2009 - 12:42pm
#2
December 8, 2009 - 12:55pm
#3
Get dual brakes. You have the best of both worlds.
"ok Mr. Schwinn fucking Armstrong!"
December 8, 2009 - 1:02pm
#4
you've inspired me, I'm doing it on my new polo bike
PETE_of_C0M0P0L0
www.comopolo.com
December 8, 2009 - 1:10pm
#5
I plan on getting one of these:
http://www.treefortbikes.com/453_333222343841__Double-Barrel-Left-Brake-...
but at the moment have no kind of funds to waste on even a small purchase as this (not to mention that I need the rear brake itself)
December 8, 2009 - 1:37pm
#6
those double barrel brakes suck. In order to do a double brake you need to diy it a bit but there is already plenty about that on this forum.
December 8, 2009 - 1:56pm
#7
well that's a damn shame
December 11, 2009 - 1:02am
#8
i have one, but only cause i payed 5 bucks, and i still owe the guy, so its like free,
December 8, 2009 - 6:05pm
#9
We need a sticky on the front page about how much these suck. Every couple month somebody posts "these look good, anyone ever tried em".
December 8, 2009 - 1:07pm
#11
until maybe last fall, most freewheel polo bikes were had only front brakes. and tho it depends on the court surface, but i generally prefer a front brake to a back brake. but ya get dual brakes.
December 8, 2009 - 1:40pm
#12
Front brakes work really well for stopping but they do present a few issues. First, if you run a caliper brake the bolt will bend from all the torque getting put on it. I went through half-dozen of brakes like this. You can get a time trial brake that fits behind the fork and this setup works really well. Also, putting a front brake increases the torque on the front of the frame. If you collide with a wall or another bike then a lot of times the frame will bend near the down tube and the head tube.
December 8, 2009 - 11:25pm
#13
i've probably gone through about 4 front brakes in the 4 years i played front-brake only. with a rear brake setup, you've probably gone through four rear tires that cost more than any of those brakes since just this summer.
December 8, 2009 - 11:47pm
#14
dumpster tires!
December 9, 2009 - 9:34am
#15
no doubt, you go through more rear tires then front brakes. I meant to add that cantilever or v-brakes offer a better solution then caliper brakes. Also, double brake means less brake fail and fewer tires worn out.
If you do run a front brake i think non-recessed bolt kind probably works better then recessed.
December 9, 2009 - 11:48am
#16
Definitely! I run front v-brakes and those eliminate all the flaws you listed on the front road brake. However Osprey has good luck because he has had the one caliper last so long.
December 9, 2009 - 12:24am
#17
I have been running the same front shimano 600 front brake since i started playing bike polo, and have never run into bolts snapping or bending.
EVBP
B O P
January 27, 2010 - 4:09pm
#19
yeah, those are all 700 concerns-- the main reason i ride a mountain bike frame is to get the rims and the brakeset that i want, namely rhyno-lite 48s and xtr's. best front brake ever, incredible stopping power on bullet-proof rims.
but of course drunky runs fine on 700 deep v's with simano 600 calipers i believe, so wtf am i talking about.
our team will be fielding an all-freewheel and front-brake squad on the big court in LA this weekend.
January 27, 2010 - 4:17pm
#20
Nice!
I am holding the thought of a part 2!
Working my way up to XTR. Do rock an XTR lever as well?
December 8, 2009 - 1:48pm
#21
Tried both and agree that front brakes provide better stopping power. Being able to stop when I need to allows me to make better accurate plays. I feel more in control with a front brake.
December 9, 2009 - 12:09am
#22
I agree about feeling more in control of the bike. I can't say I've really given rear brake much of a chance yet, but I plan on switching to it for shits 'n' giggles around February. It's definitely an advantage to have the greater stopping power with my style of play, and the endos aren't a problem if you know your bike well enough.
December 8, 2009 - 2:05pm
#23
I run dual brakes but most people who play freewheel run a rear brake.
December 8, 2009 - 3:07pm
#24
I play with a rear only, but i desire a dual set up.
I like how the rear allows me to power slide and i don't have to worry about fucking up my brake when i crash or when i would buckle my front my wheel on my old bike.
MKE 05-06
CHI 07-Pres.
December 9, 2009 - 12:35am
#25
played freewheel w/ front brake tonight.
bad idea w/ a wet court.
went back home and got my fixed wheel.
December 9, 2009 - 12:50am
#26
Why would it be a bad idea with a wet court? Back brake only is worse in wet weather...you can't stop...you just slide.
I liked front brake only when I tried it sometime last year except for when turning sharp. This may have been partially the geometry of the bike I was riding at the time, but when I would brake while cornering hard, I would most likely footdown. With a rear brake, you just whip the back end around. I may try to do dual brake setup eventually....I'm just lazy.
OGT-COMOPOLO
December 9, 2009 - 12:59am
#27
I think it's more of an issue of familiarity in wet weather- a rainy day isn't the time to learn a brand new setup. That could just be my L.A. fear of a few drops of water speaking, though.
I've also noticed that I don't turn as sharply as the rear-brake players around here, but I just assumed that it was because they're far more experienced bike handlers in general- not hard when I was riding on sidewalks only a couple of years ago.
December 9, 2009 - 1:12am
#28
I came from playing fixed brakeless, so the rear brake is much more comfortable, I think. I practice proper front braking on my non-fixed bikes riding otherwise, but I never have to turn on a dime with those bikes, and I think that's the difference.
OGT-COMOPOLO
December 9, 2009 - 9:55am
#29
mostly the reason. I also have a slight wheel wobble and couldn't get my front brake tight enough to stop for shit...and with half of the brakeless fixed riders goin down like flies all night I didn't want to be a casualty to their clumsiness.
December 9, 2009 - 11:35am
#30
Yeah yeah.. It was wet/oily as hell. I woulda eatin shit freewheel dubble breaks and all. Me thinks the real question is, when thinking of going freewheel, how strong are your trackstands on a freehub? Thats why I'm staying fixed, however I really do need to get a front brizzy
December 9, 2009 - 11:42am
#31
Its called roadstanding.
December 11, 2009 - 1:09am
#32
if you have balance you can trackstand on a bike with no chain.
you shift your weight instead of driving the bike forward or backward a bit.
I ride freewheel w/ rear brake but I've done every configuration, settled on this one.
Doug D
Brooklyn, New York
hardcourtbikepolo.com
flickr.com/photos/daytonohio
December 9, 2009 - 11:50am
#33
Do you guys play on an oily parking lot or something? I ride brakeless fixed and I really enjoy a wet court. It's terrible for those with cheap brakes but I kind of think it helps my game.
December 9, 2009 - 1:29pm
#34
its a long covered bus shed. tourists get dropped off and picked up there all day long and we get use of it in the evening. if the bus has an oil leak it winds up on the court. its not covered enough to keep out all the rain so when the two mix its wipe out city.
December 9, 2009 - 12:48pm
#35
On a wet court you're more prone to skid. A rear skid is far easier to control than a front skid. In a front skid you must maintain a straight line or down you go. The rear can slide & fishtail and you're still upright.
A front will stop you faster wet or dry, no question there. Dabbing has a penalty in this sport so if you play front on a wet court you better be used to it and have damn good skills or you'll be tapping out too much to be any good.
All that said, how often do you play on a wet court?
December 9, 2009 - 1:35pm
#36
not too often since its a covered area...so when it is wet(and oily) none of us know how to handle that shit
February 27, 2010 - 8:10pm
#37
up here in Oly, it rains all day almost every single day in the winter time, so we're all pretty good at riding in the rain. Most of us are running either fixed brakeless or free with a rear brake, no one runs just front. I'd actually be really curious to play against folks who prefer the front setup.
March 1, 2010 - 12:15am
#38
I switched to front recently. Playing in rain here (Van) often meant rims/brakes were a factor in the switch. Skidding on wet pavement sucks.
February 27, 2010 - 8:13pm
#39
goddamn double click posted twice... *sigh*
December 10, 2009 - 6:32pm
#40
Why would it be a bad idea with a wet court? Back brake only is worse in wet weather...you can't stop...you just slide.
If you loose traction with your back wheel you slide, if you loose traction with your front wheel, you go down.
--
bikepolo.com.au
urbanbicyclist.org
December 11, 2009 - 1:10am
#41
Yeah, I guess so, I just have never lost traction on the front end...well maybe once on ice, but never when it was just wet.
OGT-COMOPOLO
January 27, 2010 - 4:18pm
#42
that's what happens, you just go down when the front wheel loses traction. it's not like a foot-down, it's a "oh shit i'm about to eat it" going down, heavy on the wrist impact. there's basically zero chance of staying up and no warning about when, you just wake up on the pavement. serious front brake disadvantage on a very slippery court, i got new hookworm tires just for the court down in LA this weekend.
that said, if you can keep your front wheel sticking to the pavement you have a big advantage over rear brakers on slick courts because of their even greater stopping distance. i've seen this a few times in calgary, portland, seattle, toronto, and LA.
February 25, 2010 - 4:27am
#43
This is what I hear. I guess I do use both brakes street riding when it's really coming down hard. I've recently made the stupid setup that everyone makes fun of...putting two levers on one side. I never apply them at the same time, however, as I want the choice. I front brake most of the time, rear brake to swing into goal or to crash the boards. I know I'll still get made fun of, but I fucking love this configuration.
I ride a 26x2 in the front...I love that as well. So much cornering control in tight turns.
February 25, 2010 - 8:56am
#44
that's the setup i ride as well. i also get made fun of. but like you i like the option of using either or both depending on the situation.
February 25, 2010 - 9:24am
#45
i've been wishing for a double brake lever that gives your index finger one trigger, and your middle two fingers another, shaped like a traditional lever but with a break in the middle.
i would never polo without it.
February 25, 2010 - 11:28am
#46
I'll start working on that Chris, its a great idea but might take some serious setting up, one of the problems I see is how do you not get the outer lever to bottom out on the inner one? challenging! just so you know I used the lever picture that Ricki from DC posted to make a dual lever for Jason and he's been using it for a little bit now it's set up for rear skids with a light touch and all stop front and rear breaks with a hard squeeze, Just out of curiosity what types of breaks do you run?
February 25, 2010 - 8:37pm
#47
i'm a fixed rear braker, but i'm moving the brake back to the front for the stopping power. i run an old school odyssey bmx lever, and whatever cheap road-caliper i can scrounge up.
if i found a dual-brake system that i fell in love with i could see myself converting back to freewheel.
February 25, 2010 - 8:54pm
#48
That is a good idea but tough to make. Another idea I had is to have two levers on top of each other that work together as one. One lever would be longer than the other however so it could be used independently with one finger. Basically using the lever normally would activate both brakes while using the longer lever would activate one brake. Whichever brake you prefer. Make sense? My computer doesn't have a paint program so I can't really draw one.
February 25, 2010 - 9:04pm
#49
makes perfect sense
February 25, 2010 - 9:09pm
#51
making two levers with one mount would be awesome. I would buy that.
February 26, 2010 - 12:55am
#52
I know this is a little blocky but maybe it will get the point acros of a split brake lever.
It seems like something that should exist.
February 26, 2010 - 1:09am
#53
they could operate independently if the outer lever made a "U" shape for the fingers to move freely into when the inner lever is engaged. did that sentence make any sense?
February 26, 2010 - 1:16am
#54
That is far better than my drawing but that's exactly what I had in mind.
February 26, 2010 - 11:36am
#55
I've got a 650 up front so unless I get a drum brake or something I doubt I'll be able to use a dual lever setup. Chris, as I was drawing this I thought that most people would use the outside for their back brake and they could pull it independently and the inner front would mostly be pulled together with the back. I'm not sure I understand the U concept but if you explain it more I'll redraw it. Wouldn't it be cool to take this concept and actually make something new for the poloverse?
February 26, 2010 - 12:08pm
#56
I think he was talking about trying to use either or, like I currently do. I guess my theory being spreading out rim wear. No reason to punch the rear when braking with the front.
February 25, 2010 - 2:15pm
#62
this is one of the polo innovations I sit and dream about...a 2-stage brake lever. 1st stage of the lever engages one brake and 2nd stage full stop both. 1st stage for maneuvaribility, flickability and deceleration and 2nd stage for absolute full stop. who stops fastest sprints longest...great for baiting people into chasing you and then locking it up and watching them helplessly skid right past. on defense...you can keep your front wheel ahead of theirs to shut down lanes and still be able to stop and block them from trying to brake and turn in behind your back tire to the goal.
February 25, 2010 - 8:07pm
#63
I have funny handlebars, and my front brake lever is a two finger, and the back is a three finger. They don't sit right on top of each other, they kind of splay out a bit, making it easier to pick one or the other and not get confused. I love it.
February 27, 2010 - 6:12pm
#64
I have something similar
February 27, 2010 - 8:37pm
#65
i tried this and gave up after i found i was spending too much time thinking about the levers and not enough about the ball. i'm not a fan of too much thinking.
February 27, 2010 - 9:12pm
#66
I cover them both. The shorter one is the rear brake so the front brake gets more action.
February 28, 2010 - 6:09pm
#67
I also keep my hands on both. My short one is on top, and it's the front brake, long on the bottom is the rear. I just have to move one finger to the long lever to use it...not much thinking involved.
March 2, 2010 - 12:27pm
#68
I made an attempt to put together the two lever dual break from used parts and came to the conclusion that it is not feasible with said parts, in short the levers get in the way of each other, and yet that experiment has led me to believe that it is possible to make such a lever if one has access to a CNC machine and knowledge of their programs on what dimensions need to be programed in to cut the right shapes. I do not have such access but a friend of mine might be able to do it. It will take more time, and drafting.
July 18, 2010 - 6:22pm
#69
I had almost this exact set-up (with crappy old calipers on both ends) and recently switched to one dual lever (v-brakes x 2) with a little device that my bike mechanic calls a "squidgenator" on the front brake to ease it locking up and hard lock breaking on the back.... now I have no probs stopping but have taken ages changing my "wide circles" playing style.
December 9, 2009 - 3:01pm
#70
Last night was the first time in a long time that Charleston has played on a wet court. Like Tony said, its so rare, we dont know how to handle it. But its certainly fun to watch.
December 9, 2009 - 3:02pm
#71
just saying for those that don't know if you toe the brake pads inward you can create a bit of modulation which will allows the braking power to increase as you pull the lever. makes for great control of front breaking and helps keep you from locking up. a front brake is 70% of your stopping power in any application be it bikes, motorcycles, or cars.
December 9, 2009 - 5:45pm
#72
i think that it is a good idea but so many times during play i don't have time to think about how hard my lever is being pulled i just have to pull it hard.
February 26, 2010 - 5:54pm
#73
Also, if you get Avid Speed Dial levers you can control the lever & fulcrum or something like that. End result is that you can dial in the brake feel anywhere from hard – soft.
Just like their website says, "IF YOU'RE KICKIN' IT OLD-SCHOOL, DO IT WITH THE BEST THERE IS"
That's real.
December 9, 2009 - 7:35pm
#74
I have been playing freewheel with a front brake since about a week before COG invite in MKE. I felt completely vindicated when I learned that Nick from RVA now also uses this set up.
3...2...1...GO!
Mallets Of Mayhem
Little Richmond B.O.P.
December 11, 2009 - 1:16am
#75
I played with this set up for about a month and hated it. While the front brake has greater stopping power, it tended to bite me in the ass (ie I'd endo, sometimes into people). Granted, my handling skills aren't the best, but a back brake handles way better on the court. You have a lot more control breaking through turns with a back brake. If you learn how to use your weight, you can turn skids into some really great blocks and turns, particularly around the goal, something that is almost impossible to do with a front break setup.
December 11, 2009 - 8:15am
#76
Nick can swing his back tire around in a skid using his front brake.
3...2...1...GO!
Mallets Of Mayhem
Little Richmond B.O.P.
December 11, 2009 - 9:46am
#77
Yeah, I've seen guys endo/nosewheelie and do crazy things.
OGT-COMOPOLO
January 27, 2010 - 3:18pm
#78
So I noticed a problem last Friday. Rode to polo in the rain. Played in the dry underground parking lot. I noticed after an our of play time my brake cable or lever was sticking badly. Checked bike 3 days later and no stick. Anyone have this problem before? I run front XT vbrakes, Avid FR5 lever, travel agent, with salmon pads. Looking for input!
February 25, 2010 - 10:10am
#81
DUAL DUAL DUAL DUAL. Problem solvers cable doubler. just order it and get your curiosity out of the way because you'll never question it again once you have it dialed in. You get the sweet endos and you can skid. its the jam
July 2, 2010 - 8:43am
#82
I found two old bowery mashup in the back of the shop the other day (08 maybe?), and when i brought them out to the floor it inspired me to make a dual left hand brake set up.
my girlfriend dropped our camera in the toilet, so i had to job up this little picture here to demonstrate my idea. I havent had a chance to try it out yet, but it seems very viable.
July 18, 2010 - 6:25pm
#83
Seems like it'd be as complicated as driving a crane! (index finger and middle finger work back brake and ring and pinkie take care of the front?)
September 25, 2010 - 6:13am
#84
anyone running a v brake on the inside? I was trying to do it the other day and i foun that the curve is a bit strange, with doubl bend. Anyone have build this with success?
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2 comments
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tons of people play with this setup and only sometimes go over the bars, like Peter at north Americas going way to fast but blocking a sweet shot and then flipping into the boards cause he ran outa room/was playing that intensely. Or his teammate Chris who does super sweet front wheelie to one eightys. or Ryan from DC who runs a front break and when he really needs to stop fast uses the front break and sole breaks at the same time. I run a rear break because i am addicted to the skidding.
Skid & Destroy
Axles of Evil
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