> Gripping the bike’s front wheel was the only way for riders to brake This is not actually true - track bicycles, then and now, do not have a freewheel/freehu

> Gripping the bike’s front wheel was the only way for riders to brake This is not actually true - track bicycles, then and now, do not have a freewheel/freehub mechanism and the rider cannot coast. As a consequence you can use the drivetrain as a braking mechanism by applying back pressure on the pedals.