When I got back into riding about 5 or so years ago I built up a modern geo bike with both front and rear brakes. Why? Because that's what I knew. I started riding flat in the 80s and early 90s and riding brakeless wasnt even something I (we?) thought about back then. I remember working SO hard to get my brakes to work as well as I possibly could too. I'd spend hours taking them apart, cleaning them, scrubbing my rims (mags too...ha!) trying to get them to be as sticky as could be. I remember seeing kids riding around without brakes a few years before I got back into riding again and was "Wait, thats an option?!"
Anyway, I started to find myself never using my brake(s). Especially my rear brake. Probably due to me watching so many Youtube videos of people riding without brakes and me trying to go out and copy them. So, one day I decided to take off the rear brake and see how it felt. I almost immediately loved it. However, I found that I did lose the ability to do a lot of tricks that I was able to do. I guess I relied on my brake being there more than I thought. Even if I didn't hit the brake the lack of it being there affected my confidence. I played with putting it back on here and there but it hasn't been mounted on my bike for maybe 2+ years now.
I only recently (last 2-3 months) have ridden completely brakeless. why though? Um, I think I felt like I needed a change. I feel like my riding has been hitting a plateau and I wanted to change "something" up. Also, I ride with a dude from time to time who is all about the old school ways. He HATES when I take anything brake related off of my bike and just gives me so much garbage about it. So, there is a part of me that rides brakeless just to piss him off.
I am definitely
not a better rider riding brakeless. My small bag of tricks is now even smaller as I learn how to do everything without that crutch(?) of the brake(s). But, for some reason I really enjoy the feel of my bike without all the damn cables and levers all over the place. However, I think that I do miss the hours spent perfecting the brakes!
I should mention that I do not ride my bike anywhere. I drive to where I ride. I agree that it seems rather reckless and dangerous to cruise the streets without any bake.