Kudos to you for identifying the problem. You need more outside riding experience. A LOT more.

If you're trying to avoid vehicle traffic and have a fear of dying on the road, so be it. Buy a mountain bike or a cross bike and go ride trails, gravel, or fire roads. Getting some experience riding outside is not optional, you need to develop bike handling skills not only for yourself, but also for the sake of those around you in a race.

Okay, Ima gonna say that's wrong.
If for no other reason than you're losing a lot of stopping power and taking a much longer to stop.

Knowing how to brake is a "feel" thing; I've been riding long enough that it's 2nd nature and I don't give much thought to breaking (pun) it down into parts.
But if you were'n't intended to have a rear brake --> they wouldn't sell them.

The overwhelming amount of braking power comes from your front brake. This is well known.

I've been racing bikes (crits, RRs, triathlons) for the better part of 30 years. I have only crashed once in all that time (about two months ago, due to not seeing a large rock in the road, but I still managed to get off the pavement before going down without damage). I know how to brake with the front brake.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Front brake is for stopping. Rear is for speed control.....
Mostly

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