brakes for fuji track bike

matt.rochfort
matt.rochfort Posts: 147
edited January 2009 in Workshop
Any ideas what would be the best (and least expensive) front and rear brake setup for a fuji fixed wheel track bike (being delivered next week). I will be commuting on it in london and haven't ridden fixed wheel before. Is it best to have a rear brake as well as a front or is it not really needed?
Is it better to have brake levers on the tops or drops? Ideas and brand names for levers would be greatly accepted. I've got some veloce calipers I was going to use on the bike.

Comments

  • Mister W
    Mister W Posts: 791
    First question...... does the bike have fittings for brakes?

    Lots of people ride fixies with only a front brake but I have a rear one as well, just in case. My brake levers are Tektro R200A, I think, on drop bars with mini-V brakes. Those levers should work your veloce calipers perfectly well.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Er if it is a proper track bike - you wont be able to fit brakes.
    Why get one for commuting ? Much better with one designed for it with brakes and clearance for guards.
    If you can fit brakes - i would fit both front and back.
  • tri-mad
    tri-mad Posts: 12
    It depends which Fuji you've gone for - if its this one:
    http://www.thebikemarket.com/index.php? ... oductId=65
    Then the front fork is drilled for a brake.

    If its:
    http://www.thebikemarket.com/index.php? ... oductId=64
    Then you're buggered!

    If it its the first bike, just go with a front brake, as the fixed wheel will also act as a brake - as long as you are on clipless pedals and are used to fixed wheel riding!

    With reference to location of levers - it depends on how you ride, if you tend to ride on the tops, get something like a Shimano Nexus lever (£9 ish) and something like the Shimano Tiagra lever (£14ish).

    If you want to ride on the hoods, you'll obviously need a pair of levers, the rear will be a dummy lever though - something like the Shimano Sora basic level would do.

    Or alternatively, forget the brakes - and get on the track! :D
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    If its the second one, you might be able to fit these

    http://bikehugger.com/2008/02/brakes_on ... n_bike.htm

    not sure how easy they are to fit though.

    Personally, I don't feel it's really necessary to have a rear brake on a fixed wheel bike.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I definitely want a rear brake on mine - I take mine into Wales - and its great to be able to drag the rear brake on 3 mile descents - just to take the edge off your speed.
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I'd stick with the paired down look, it'll be better to buy one good caliper and lever rather than trying to get two when you don't really need one.

    I'd buy a 105 caliper, some really good pads, (I'm a fan of ashima triple compound ones) and a cyclocross lever for the tops. You really wont need any more than that, for the lever, the cane creek ones are nice, but make sure you get the right size for your bars
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • proto
    proto Posts: 1,483
    No reason why you can't drill through the fotrk crown of the second one shown. The fork blades are carbon, but the crown itself is aluminium, and is even 'spot' drilled ready for drilling ( I suspect the same fork crown is used on various different Fuji road bikes).

    Just check that it is alum (it certainly was on the 2005 model, which looks identical apart from colour), then get drilling. :)

    Back brake a lot more difficult though, but hey, back brakes are for wussies. :D
  • gondwanaman
    gondwanaman Posts: 22
    If it's the basic Fuji Track then it's drilled back & front for brakes. I've got cheap Promax on mine but I'll pay more and get better. You could commute mostly without the rear brake but I like the extra security.
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Personally I appreciate my rear brake, particularly for long descents as mentioned.

    I like riding on the hoods and so I'd want both levers there in any case, having one as a dummy would be disconcerting (I have ridden a bike with such a setup before, it is very disconcerting when you squeeze a dummy lever :D)

    Have to limit my skid stops at the moment as I lack a functional lock-ring.
  • kilo
    kilo Posts: 174
    If you're going to use Campag calipers don't use Shimano levers. The q/r for Campag brakes are on the levers and for Shimano on the calipers so with your combination you will have no q/r to open the brake calipers for easy wheel removal. I replaced the calipers on my Langster with Campag and got some Cane creek levers at http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Cane_ ... 360017627/

    They were a bit more expensive but are nice kit and I wanted black to match my bike :D . If you want your bike to be more practical I would get proper levers on the drops, easy to ride on the drops and it gives good hand position when climbing.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    FWIW, my vote goes for "two".
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • matt.rochfort
    matt.rochfort Posts: 147
    hey guys thanks for the advice. the bike is drilled for front and rear brakes, the cane creek levers look good. looking forward to learning how to ride a fixed wheel! hope it's as good as everyone says!

    cheers

    matt
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    "hope it's as good as everyone says!"

    Yes and no! I still like it (some 47 years on...altho' for about 30 of those I rode not at all!). In fact I prefer it. But don't expect the magical....inter-connectedness....with the road, the universe and everything.....mystical-bit stuff about which some will wax lyrical!

    I imagine that such over-expectations are one of the reasons why so many (relative to number sold) come up 2nd hand and little used. Or end up ridden single free.

    Just enjoy....
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • acorn_user
    acorn_user Posts: 1,137
    kilo wrote:
    If you're going to use Campag calipers don't use Shimano levers. The q/r for Campag brakes are on the levers and for Shimano on the calipers

    Actually, Shimano brake levers have a q/r on the lever don't they? They certainly used to have them. Shimano STI levers do not have q/rs. The Tektro/Cane Creek levers are actually very nice, but the Shimano ones are also excellent. They have a different shape that you may or may not prefer. For an old skool lever, you could also try the Dia Compe Blaze, which is still available.

    [you can also find other makes of these levers pretty cheaply at times. Modolo, Sachs and Suntour all had nice brake levers back in the early 1990's.]
  • kilo
    kilo Posts: 174
    acorn_user wrote:
    kilo wrote:
    If you're going to use Campag calipers don't use Shimano levers. The q/r for Campag brakes are on the levers and for Shimano on the calipers
    Actually, Shimano brake levers have a q/r on the lever don't they? Shimano STI levers do not have q/rs.

    Pretty sure the non sti road levers don't - hence the cam on the calipers, the spares I had and the ones for sale on Wiggle certainly don't
  • overrising
    overrising Posts: 3
    i bought the Cane Creek Cross Top Levers but got the wrong size I think.

    I bought the 26mm ones as the Fuji Track has 26mm bars, but in reality you need less than 25mm section of the bar to fit the 26mm Cane Creek levers. Cane Creek presume you have a much thinner section of your bar, the standard Fuji Track does not have this thinner section.

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