@david @Archergal @ChuckMcManis @peterrenshaw @ai6yr I rode a brakeless bike for a whole year in college. Lived on campus so no streets with cars (yay U.C. Davis!), stopped by being off the bike path onto any nearby lawn and going in circles until I stopped. Friends were shocked until they realized I was the only one of us who *hadn't* been in a bike accident that year, because I (a) paid more attention and (b) never got rearended and caused a pileup because I had unexpectedly hit my brakes in a crowded bike circle (a really common problem back then, esp at the start of each year when new freshmen were unfamiliar with bike circles and didn't yet realize the importance of matching speeds with everyone else).
Bright orange Sears 10-speed with the ramhorns rotated up. All I could afford, and immune from theft.