Stuart Longland writes:

40kg of bicycle + 90kg of rider doesn't stop *that* quickly.

Wow, and I thought my steel bike was heavy at 22kg.

So ringing a bell was perfectly adequate. One only ever used the
handlebars for hanging on or steering -- to operate the brake you
backpedalled. That meant you had a hand free to muck around with a

Which is why I have backpedal brakes.

It also helps for signalling -- something I used to be ****ed off at the
lycra brigade for never doing, until I realized that if they tried to
signal their turns, they'd probably fall off.

Also makes it much easier to get pizzas back home,
since they don't like going sideways into the panniers.