just bought this beauty from a friend, and was very psyched about it. I saw a picture and fell in love with the custom setup and the unexpected colors. only problem was when it arrived, retarded me, noticed that there were no breaks on the bike. turns out this a “fixed gear bike” which means there are no breaks, no coasting and no slack. in order to dodge a taxi the rider must simply 1- lean forward, 2-lift the bikes tail up, 3-reverse the pedal/gear and lock it with his knee 4-then simply drop the tail down, 4- and skid to a stop. riiiiight! since then i added a puny front break to the disgust and disappointment of my pal but not sure if that will do the trick. if you ever see an idiot doing 50 down broadway screaming, you’ll know who that is. thanx ilya. by dd