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How angry do you guys want to feel today?

timdesuyo

Speeding Up
Mar 29, 2010
138
1
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111003004176.htm

I particularly noticed, "In May last year, a piste bike hit a 92-year-old woman cleaning a road in Shibuya and the woman suffered a broken collar bone.

The bicycles in both cases did not have brakes. "Such accidents are caused partly because of overconfidence on the part of the riders that they have the skill to avoid collisions with pedestrians," a senior MPD officer said."

How much you wanna bet the 92 year old woman stepped into a four lane road without looking?
 
The bicycles in both cases did not have brakes. "Such accidents are caused partly because of overconfidence on the part of the riders that they have the skill to avoid collisions with pedestrians," a senior MPD officer said."

I think his comment is bloody well spot on!

In February last year, a 34-year-old company employee crashed his piste bike into a 69-year-old woman on a road in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

The woman fell, hit her head and died. The man was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of serious negligent homicide and violation of the Road Traffic Law.

Again spot on....why should they betreated any different to a truck driver that falls a sleep at the wheel becuase he decided to ignore the law and drive continuously and then ploughs in to school kids or a driver that runs a red light a mowes down a 8 year old boy on a pedestrian crossing?

An official of Y. International Inc., a chain of sport bicycle shops in Tokyo and the surrounding area, said, "When we sell piste bikes without brakes, we ask customers to sign affidavits that they will not ride on public roads."

Nice one Y' educating the purchaser and covering thier own arse.

In regards to the woman that got mowed down while sweeping the street.... well as we don't know the situation lets not start flaming it. At least they addressed the Piste - Fixie confusion and have laid it out that its a "Fashion Term" for the type of bike.

But I thought it was rather interesting especailly as other areas have seen a rise especailly Kumamoto which is a back water but way a head in fashion than Tokyo and is used by many of the big brands here to test a style to see if it will work.
 
guru

Daily Yomiuri quote:

"On Sept. 28, Mitsunori Fukuda, 36, of the TV comedy duo Tutorial received a ticket for riding a piste bike in Tokyo. Fukuda was stopped by police in Setagaya Ward while he was riding a sport bike with only a front wheel brake. He explained to his production company, "I thought it was all right if one of the wheels had a brake." He added, "I'll make sure not to do it again.":D:D:D

...rather fishy story; Japan being a society of collusion, I wouldn't be surprised this comedian actually was enlisted by the Metropolitan Police Department as an actor of this publicity blitz part of the present crack-down campaign (his production company Yoshimoto Kogyo trying to re-establish cozy ties with the authorities after the Shinsuke affair)...
 
I'd be very angry indeed if some fashionista crashed into me because he or she did not have brakes.

Stop your tiresome bleating and get some damned brakes on your bikes, if you want to ride them on the road.
 
...rather fishy story; Japan being a society of collusion, I wouldn't be surprised this comedian actually was enlisted (and paid) by the Metropolitan Police Department as an actor of this publicity blitz part of the present crack-down campaign.

Thats also the first thing that jumped in tomy head.
 
I'd be very angry indeed if some fashionista crashed into me because he or she did not have brakes.

Stop your tiresome bleating and get some damned brakes on your bikes, if you want to ride them on the road.

Well said!

I can't understand the claim that no brakes are needed on a fixie. Even if it is possible to slow down using the legs it would only be similar to using a rear brake.
Hard braking with only the rear brake is not a very efficent way to stop. Also if the chain gets dropped there is no real backup on a no brake fixie.

I am interested in the logical arguments for not having brakes....
Is it because it makes the bike look ugly?, weight?

I would challenge any brakeless fixie rider to compare the stopping distance to a roadbike with 2 brakes......maybe something to try when going down a hill sometime?
 
I am interested in the logical arguments for not having brakes...
In Japan, I'd say principally fah-fah-fah-fah-fashion*.

From Wikipedia

Some fixed-gear riders think brakes are not strictly necessary, and brakeless fixed riding has a cult status in some areas. Brakes and their cables are said to add extra bulk to the simple appearance of a fixed gear bicycle.

Other riders dismiss riding on roads without brakes as an affectation, based on image rather than practicality. Riding brakeless can be dangerous, is prohibited by law in many jurisdictions, and may jeopardize the chances of a successful claim in the event of an accident.​

The last point rings true. It's not just the police. After my 24 July accident, the insurance claims adjuster came round to my house to inspect the bike, checking for brakes, lights, and the rest. He said that all these factors affect the apportion of blame in an accident and thus the magnitude of any eventual payout.
 
Undoubtedly a front brake is critical on any bike on the road. But is this true for a rear brake?

When I was small, I loved riding my mother's mamachari which had a rear brake that you would engage by stepping backwards on the pedals. (Sorry, forgot what the right way of describing this is - I'm sure someone will know.) The front brake was basically unusable. Great way of skidding because you put the weight where it should be when you hit the rear brake.

Now does this count as a rear brake in Japan?
 
Don't know if it counts here, but I'd call it a coaster brake.

(I know, contradictory.)
 
Undoubtedly a front brake is critical on any bike on the road. But is this true for a rear brake?

When I was small, I loved riding my mother's mamachari which had a rear brake that you would engage by stepping backwards on the pedals. (Sorry, forgot what the right way of describing this is - I'm sure someone will know.) The front brake was basically unusable. Great way of skidding because you put the weight where it should be when you hit the rear brake.

Now does this count as a rear brake in Japan?


We used to call those brakes "Coaster Brakes" dunno if that is more than a regional thing...?
 
coaster brake

My bikes more than forty years ago :D all came with coaster brakes. It was the funnest part about cycling back in those days.

according to Sheldon Brown, a coaster brake is a special rear hub for a bicycle, which performs two functions:
•It allows the bicycle to roll without forcing the pedals to turn. This is the "coaster" part. It is similar in function to a freewheel , but uses a different sort of mechanism to accomplish it.
•It is also a brake, operated by turning the pedals backwards.
Coaster brakes were invented in the 1890s, and have continued to be popular in some areas to this day.

The Pros:

Coaster brakes are unaffected by weather. They work just as well in the rain as they do in dry conditions.:cool:

Coaster brakes generally require less maintenance than any other type of brake.

There are no cables running from the handlebars, giving a tidy and simple appearance:cool:.

The lack of cables is particualrly advantageous for folding or take-apart bikes.

Coaster brakes can be a good choice for handicapped riders who lack sufficient hand strength, or for arm amputees.

Coaster brakes are usually quite narrow, fit in 110-114 mm spacing , though they can be fitted to frames with wider spacing by adding washers along the axle.

The Cons:

Coaster brakes make it awkward to get started up, since there's no easy way to rotate the pedals to a good starting position.
Coaster brakes often cause skidding, resulting in excessive tire wear.

When coaster brakes fail (usually the result of chain breakage or derailment) they fail suddenly and completely :eek:.

Coaster brakes are prone to overheating and fading when used in mountainous areas.

Too many bikes are equipped with only a coaster brake, so there's no back-up system available in the event of brake failure.

To be safe, any bicycle needs a front brake and some sort of secondary backup braking system.
 
We used to call those brakes "Coaster Brakes" dunno if that is more than a regional thing...?

Nope coaster brakes is what they are, The cops up here aren't so paranoid about such things and the local beat cop has been in my garage at my invitation to check out my bikes esp the custom titanium one, he likes such things. Never mentioned the track bike not having brakes and he has seen me riding it to the velodrome. Horses for courses, but if I injure someone on it I fully expect to have a stiff penalty
 
Yes, Ludwig describes a coaster brake. Popular in Denmark, Netherlands etc. Available and legal in Japan, and fitted on some models of beach cruiser.

As part of my job I maintain a fleet of 12 utility bicycles, a mix of mamachari and 'city' bikes. I am thus intimately acquainted with the band brake. In fact, I had to service one this morning after some bright spark took a spray can of lubricant to it to try to stop it squeaking.

image-024.jpg


( :eek: It did stop it squeaking, but also stopped it braking.)

These little beauties are the main reason why fixing a rear puncture is such a pain compared to a sports bike. It's a tried-and-tested technology. Although they're very heavy, they are also very reliable, providing a constant braking force and normally remaining maintenance-free for their service life; only the cheapest Chinese imported models actually rust and fail.

Squeaking is usually caused by a build-up of dust inside the drum. I find that a good clean sorts it out.

When the braking surface of the band has worn through they start making a dreadful squealing noise. And if the whole band eventually snaps the mechanism acts to leave the brake half-on, forcing the rider to either HTFU real quick or finally bite the bullet and go to a bike shop.
 

Nice catch, Mike. Sorry for the double post!

Ok.... now that I've read the whole thread: I'm not disagreeing that there need to be brakes on fixies. Personally, if it were my fixie, I'd be double-braked, just because I'm not racing, and the added weight isn't going to make or brake a ride for me, and any and all stopping power is appreciated in an emergency, no matter how you get it.

That being said, there are people who insist that one brake is sufficient for a fixie. As I have never ridden, and am not familiar enough with it, I am not going to take part in that particular debate.

What got me particularly angry was the comment about the bicyclist being reckless for hitting the old woman. Pedestrians in this country are insane and dangerous, and if you hit one because they're an idiot, you're screwed. I'm in the middle of being railroaded by the Japanese court system for being hit by an old, reckless woman on a mamachari, and hearing this guy's case thrown into public like he's the evil monster made me really angry. I was on Yasukuni-dori, just short of Yasukuni Jinja one morning last month, going about 30-ish, when an old woman stepped out into the street with a broom and dustpan, without looking at all. Didn't give a . If there had been a car in the lane next to me, she would have been road pizza, and then the newspaper would be defaming me as a reckless danger to society.
 
What got me particularly angry was the comment about the bicyclist being reckless for hitting the old woman. Pedestrians in this country are insane and dangerous, and if you hit one because they're an idiot, you're screwed.

Onus to prevent accidents is always on the larger vehicle in Japan. Pecking order is in line of vulnerability. Most vulnerable has less responsibility for their safety. I like it, but IU haven't hit anyone thus far except punk high school kids trying to play chicken with me.
 
Pedestrians in this country are insane and dangerous, and if you hit one because they're an idiot, you're screwed.

Onus to prevent accidents is always on the larger vehicle in Japan. Pecking order is in line of vulnerability. Most vulnerable has less responsibility for their safety. I like it, but IU haven't hit anyone thus far except punk high school kids trying to play chicken with me.

And there are millions of elderly people in Japan. Proportionally more than anywhere else in the world.

So at some point it's very likely that somebody's grandma/grandpa is going to get in our way, and we relative youngsters, with our rapid reflexes and full complement of marbles, are responsible for seeing them first and not running them over/down.

I'm sorry that you feel you're being railroaded, Tim-san, and I hope it works out OK for you. Not so long ago I was fined 100,000 yen and banned from driving for a month after an accident in which a 50cc scooter came out of nowhere and smashed into my car, so I feel some of your pain.
 
I thought this was called euthanasia?

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111003004176.htm

I particularly noticed, "In May last year, a piste bike hit a 92-year-old woman cleaning a road in Shibuya and the woman suffered a broken collar bone.

The bicycles in both cases did not have brakes. "Such accidents are caused partly because of overconfidence on the part of the riders that they have the skill to avoid collisions with pedestrians," a senior MPD officer said."

How much you wanna bet the 92 year old woman stepped into a four lane road without looking?
 
Onus to prevent accidents is always on the larger vehicle in Japan. Pecking order is in line of vulnerability. Most vulnerable has less responsibility for their safety. I like it, but IU haven't hit anyone thus far except punk high school kids trying to play chicken with me.

I was the smaller vehicle! Heavy- mamachari + fat obasan > Tim and tokyobike. Also, she made a sudden right and her basket touched the back of my handlebars.
 
I would love to see that argument in court.... but your honor she is the heavier vehicle on the road and to prove this I have a set of scales and her bike.

Technically the law would be on your side.
 
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