Are Fixed Gear Bikes Dangerous?
Fitting the brake levers on my Fixie
I recently completed a small project putting together my first Fixed Gear Bike and this article takes you through mounting the brakes and brake levers on the fixie.
A number of people decide to only have a front brake on a Fixed Gear Bike because they use their legs to stop the back wheel. Some people decide not to have any brakes at all, only relying on the pressure they can apply on the pedals to force the fixed rear wheel to stop revolving and act like a brake.
On my fixie I needed to have a front brake as I did not have a suitable fixed rear cog. Irrespective how tight the cog and lock ring are fastened there is still a chance of them unscrewing using substantial braking using the pedals. As I did not like the look of just having 1 brake on the handlebar I made the decision to have a rear brake too.
I decided on Tektro brakes and levers. My reasons being I could buy them in black (the colour I was after) and they were reasonably priced. In addition they were the sort that have the brake cable (the cable comes out of the back of the levers and is hidden underneath the bar tape) rather than the type where the cable comes out of the top of the brake.
I rested the fixed gear bike up against a table so I could sit on it as if I was riding it and altered the position of the handlebar until it felt correct. I slid the brakes levers onto the handlebar and then sat back on the bike to adjust their position. Once I was satisfied I fixed them in place with the Allen-head screw inside the brake lever assembly (available when the brake levers are pressed).
The brake cables I purchased were double ended - one side is for use on mountain bike type brake levers (it looks a bit like a fat lollipop) and the other end is for use on road bike type brake levers. It should be easy to work out from the size of the hole in the brake cable holder the end you need to use.
I snipped off the mountain bike style end using my cable cutters (do not try it with pliers as you will make a mess of the end of the cable and it will make the job so much more difficult) and pulled the inner cable from the outer cover. I threaded the clipped end of the cable through the inside of the brake lever body and through the brake cable holder. It then went through a hole at the back of the brake lever and came out through a hole at the back.
I did the same process for the other brake. I loosely measured up the outer brake cables to the fixie and clipped them to size. At this stage it is worth bearing in mind that in the UK we attach the front brake to the right hand side brake lever. In the rest of Europe it is the other way around. It is ultimately a personal choice though (as long as you are the only person that is going to be riding the bike).
I threaded the inner cables through the outer cables. I then fixed them onto the handlebar with some electrical tape (this is to stop them moving around when I put the bar tape on later). The cables were way too long but I did not cut them down. I wanted to make sure I had enough length left just in case I need to alter the handlebar or brake lever positions after my test ride when the bike was complete.
Fitting the Brakes
The brakes are the calliper type that fit to the bike frame with one bolt. Once attached to the frame I threaded the cable through the top of the brake assembly and through the pinch bolt. I squeezed the brake arms together with 1 hand and then used my other hand to tug the cable and tightened the pinch bolt.
This part is very fiddly. Using an old toe strap (or even a piece of string) fastened around the tyre and brake arms to pull the brake arms together will make the job simpler. The angle of the brake pads can be adjusted in a couple of ways so they are level and flat against the wheel rim and do not touch the tyre when the levers are pulled. The outer and inner cables will probably be too long at this point but resist the urge to snip them down until the end of the build just in case you need to adjust the handlebar or brake levers.
So if you want to be safe fit either one or two brakes to your Fixed Gear Bike.
I recently completed a small project putting together my first Fixed Gear Bike and this article takes you through mounting the brakes and brake levers on the fixie.
A number of people decide to only have a front brake on a Fixed Gear Bike because they use their legs to stop the back wheel. Some people decide not to have any brakes at all, only relying on the pressure they can apply on the pedals to force the fixed rear wheel to stop revolving and act like a brake.
On my fixie I needed to have a front brake as I did not have a suitable fixed rear cog. Irrespective how tight the cog and lock ring are fastened there is still a chance of them unscrewing using substantial braking using the pedals. As I did not like the look of just having 1 brake on the handlebar I made the decision to have a rear brake too.
I decided on Tektro brakes and levers. My reasons being I could buy them in black (the colour I was after) and they were reasonably priced. In addition they were the sort that have the brake cable (the cable comes out of the back of the levers and is hidden underneath the bar tape) rather than the type where the cable comes out of the top of the brake.
I rested the fixed gear bike up against a table so I could sit on it as if I was riding it and altered the position of the handlebar until it felt correct. I slid the brakes levers onto the handlebar and then sat back on the bike to adjust their position. Once I was satisfied I fixed them in place with the Allen-head screw inside the brake lever assembly (available when the brake levers are pressed).
The brake cables I purchased were double ended - one side is for use on mountain bike type brake levers (it looks a bit like a fat lollipop) and the other end is for use on road bike type brake levers. It should be easy to work out from the size of the hole in the brake cable holder the end you need to use.
I snipped off the mountain bike style end using my cable cutters (do not try it with pliers as you will make a mess of the end of the cable and it will make the job so much more difficult) and pulled the inner cable from the outer cover. I threaded the clipped end of the cable through the inside of the brake lever body and through the brake cable holder. It then went through a hole at the back of the brake lever and came out through a hole at the back.
I did the same process for the other brake. I loosely measured up the outer brake cables to the fixie and clipped them to size. At this stage it is worth bearing in mind that in the UK we attach the front brake to the right hand side brake lever. In the rest of Europe it is the other way around. It is ultimately a personal choice though (as long as you are the only person that is going to be riding the bike).
I threaded the inner cables through the outer cables. I then fixed them onto the handlebar with some electrical tape (this is to stop them moving around when I put the bar tape on later). The cables were way too long but I did not cut them down. I wanted to make sure I had enough length left just in case I need to alter the handlebar or brake lever positions after my test ride when the bike was complete.
Fitting the Brakes
The brakes are the calliper type that fit to the bike frame with one bolt. Once attached to the frame I threaded the cable through the top of the brake assembly and through the pinch bolt. I squeezed the brake arms together with 1 hand and then used my other hand to tug the cable and tightened the pinch bolt.
This part is very fiddly. Using an old toe strap (or even a piece of string) fastened around the tyre and brake arms to pull the brake arms together will make the job simpler. The angle of the brake pads can be adjusted in a couple of ways so they are level and flat against the wheel rim and do not touch the tyre when the levers are pulled. The outer and inner cables will probably be too long at this point but resist the urge to snip them down until the end of the build just in case you need to adjust the handlebar or brake levers.
So if you want to be safe fit either one or two brakes to your Fixed Gear Bike.
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