The differences between riding a BMX with or without brakes.
Like all roller sports, there are features of the equipment you use that can be modified to best suit your wants and needs. BMX bikes are no different! This post will explore the aspects of riding a BMX bike with or without brakes, in order to help you decide which option is best for you.
The first feature to discuss regarding riding a BMX with brakes is that the brakes themselves (as well as the attached cables) can get in the way when performing tricks.
A solution to this is to remove the brakes, but this can be dangerous. The benefit of having brakes is that they allow for the control of speed and give the ability to stop if needed. For this reason, having no brakes when riding slowly is unlikely to cause issues. However, riding at higher speeds is likely to require brakes for safety.
In general, most BMX riders prefer to ride without brakes, because this adds to the challenge of riding and can increase the difficulty level of some tricks. To add, having no brakes frees up a lot of room for the rider's hands. This means that the bars are easier to catch and there's less in the way to catch your fingers on!
An alternative to standard brakes are gyroscope brakes. This is a brake that goes through the frame and can spin 360 degrees without breaking or tangling any cables.
One problem that some may find with the gyro brake (or just brakes in general) is that they compromise the appearance of the bike. Many riders enjoy the look of a plain bike with no wires and other attachments to it.
Unfortunately, gyro brakes are generally quite large and clunky. However, they still act as a nice middle-ground between standard brakes, which have many wires and impact manoeuvrability, and having no brakes at all, which may have a negative impact on the rider's safety.
We hope this post has covered everything you need to know about riding with or without brakes. Is there anything else that you would like to know that we haven't addressed? Please feel free to inform us!
