Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Two things

I am wanting to put bull horns on my Fremont, but the stock brake levers that are on there looks like they have a different type of screw to tighten/losten them. It looks like a 3 parts instead of a standard philips or standard head on a screw. Anyone know what this could be or if im looking at the right spot?

2. I am debating whether or not to keep brakes, how many of you use brakes on your fixed gear and how many of you dont?

anyone?

anyone know how to get them off?

a picture would probably help. or the type of lever or really any additional info. Or you could just unscrew everything until it comes off and hope you can put it back together.

keep brakes on after you convert it but the screw to get yours off is probably inside when you squeeze the lever it should be where it seperates from the housing

its like when i squeeze it i ther eis an oval in the front of the lever where you can see the cable and screw inside and it looks like a mercedes sign for the top of the screw

i ride brakeless, im still alive. i dont dangerously play in traffic and i am very aware of my surroundigs while biking...so it is possible to ride brakeless and still be safe

its really irritatting me that i can't seem to get the levers off since every other lever i've had it easy to take off.

Hacksaw?

if i use a hacksaw i have no way of getting the levers off that part of the bars to put on the new bull horns. I am not comfortable enough to ride withouth brakes.

If you really want to, go for a couple of brakeless rides and see if it's for you. I did for a few days and found I couldn't ride like a jerk, so I put a front brake on and now I'm a menace in traffic. And I'm recommending this because I'm assuming you wouldn't do it without being really comfortable a) on a bike, b) your bike, c) fixed ,and d) you've practised riding brakeless even on y our braked bike (whatever the hell this means...for some people it's riding really mellow and resisting a lot, for some people it's skidding all the time...whateva.)

edit: brake levers are extremely cheap...I'd recommend getting the $15 generic one from your LBS. While you're there, you can show them your handlebars, and they might have the weird tool for your brake spec. or know some weird hipster method of getting damaged screws out, handed down to them from starbucks barristas? Or they might tell you you're boned, but then you'd know for sure. Unless they're a crappy LBS then they might tell you you're boned just because they are weak in spirit.

yeah on my old nishiki fixed gear i have just the front brake on. I ultimately want to have no brakes on both of my fixies.

could you use a dremel to cut a flat head type slot in the screw head? Pictures would really help.

im going to go down there an try to snap some pics.

figured it out, it was an allen wrench with some weird center, but its just an allent wrench.

Awesome. Glad you figured it out.

sorry for dumb post, it was way more simple than i thought. ANd i think what im going to do is put the bull horns on (or just turn my stock bianchi bars into bull horns) and keep just the front brake. Also one more question. Where can i find those flat bars? I know a mountain bike bar won't fit unless it is a 26 clamp size. Anyone have links to some flat bars, i really would like those.

Go to your lbs and see if they have a set lying around. I was looking for risers, went into my LBS asked what used stuff was lying around and walked out w/ a free set of flat bars. Not exactly what I was looking for but it was FREE. Try that first.

EDIT: didn't read it all through. I'm lazy and only use cheap stems so I just gently pry it open to allow for larger bar diameter. Others will probably say its a terrible idea but I've ridden on setups like that for years, and know lots of others that have as well. No problems yet.

alright, but do they make 26 diameter flat bars?

Just use a shim on a 25.4 bar.