On 1 Nov, 07:08, "Leo Lichtman" wrote:
"Norman" wrote: *Mr. Flintstone, do you honestly expect the court to

accept that a hole cut in your floorboards is supposed
to be a conforming braking device? *Do you take this
court for a fool, Mr. Fintstone?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Your honor, you don't have to be a fool to see that a fixed gear bicycle,
hereinafter referred to as a "fixie," is just a simplified version of the
traditional and time-honored coaster brake, wherein reverse torque is
applied to the pedals in order to produce braking on the rear wheel.

I think the problem lies in that the pedal crank, chain and sprocket
system was not designed as a braking device. Or at least it is not
known to have been designed as a braking device. Perhaps if the
cranks were emblazoned with "Bill's Brakes" and Bill had submitted an
application on his mechanism for patent, then the court could not
proceed to judgement without investigation as to the device's
efficiency in braking. The pedal crank should be referred to as the
wheel control device. Muscles can also resist greater forces than
they can provide. So a rider stops much quicker than he can
accelerate in even a low speed range. Actually in the wet with smooth
high pressure tyres it is easy for an experienced rider to spin the
wheel on a fixed gear bicycle with a low gear and so braking
efficiency in the wet is purely down to tyre adhesion to the road.

I've not heard that any device is required. In the UK, the device for
braking the rear wheel is the same as the propulsive components, that
of pedals,cranks,chain and sprockets.

Another argument may be with reference to a runner. Should he don a
special device so as to enable him to stop, a drag anchor? Or is he
capable of stopping using his leg muscles? I think he might find it
less stressful to stop quickly if he had a bicycle between himself and
the ground. With repeatability in the equation,this would mean that
the bicycle rider stop in a shorter distance than the runner from the
same speed. When a runner is going full pelt, it is difficult for
him, and so it takes time, to modify his gait to establish braking.
The fixed gear cyclist is at much advantage, for when he decides to
brake he has already actioned it.