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I was astounded by the article about stripped-down bicycles ["Look Ma, No Brakes," Style, Sept. 28]. We all rode what were essentially "fixies" during my long-ago bike-riding days -- before some bright fellow figured out that going up hills would be a lot easier with gears. But we had the good sense to have and use brakes -- the old-fashioned Bendix backpedaling kind, or foot brakes, as they were commonly known.
I don't recall any of us ever thinking in those helmet-less days that removing the brakes might give us an "extra edge" or a "euphoric" experience. It seems that we were smart enough to recognize that zipping through the streets in such a cavalier manner would endanger not just ourselves but many others.
J.A. STEINER
Rockville
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The article about the increased popularity of bicycles without brakes in the District gives me one more reason for not wanting to drive or walk downtown. It is bad enough that the people riding regular bikes don't obey the traffic laws, but at least they can stop in an emergency. I would hope that the people riding these bikes have plenty of health insurance, so my tax money doesn't go toward their medical expenses if they get hurt and go to an emergency room. I also hope they carry personal injury insurance in case they hurt innocent pedestrians.
GEORGE BOGART
Alexandria
