Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Brake!

I've got a Bianchi Pista and it isn't drilled for a rear brake. I want the option of a single speed freewheel. Now my LBS (who are super cool and knowledgable) say that the bridge isn't made for that and I just wanted a 2nd opinion on options. Oh...don't flame me I'm doing one of those cross a state tours and I'm a little concerned about wussing out for some of the hilly sections

jeff.

I've got a Bianchi Pista and it isn't drilled for a rear brake. I want the option of a single speed freewheel. Now my LBS (who are super cool and knowledgable) say that the bridge isn't made for that and I just wanted a 2nd opinion on options. Oh...don't flame me I'm doing one of those cross a state tours and I'm a little concerned about wussing out for some of the hilly sections

jeff.

Your LBS is correct. I, too, have a Pista ('03) and had my LBS drill the rear for a rear brake. I've got about 6 months on the bike since mounting the rear brake and haven't had any issues with it.

Ride Hard,
Mike B.
http://www.one-speed.com

I can't see any reason why you couldn't get the bridge driller for a brake. If SS_MB-7's experience is anything to go by, you shouldn't have any problems, but it may void any warrenty on the frame. It makes me wonder why they don't come drilled for brakes (I know it's a track bike, but still, they could call it weight saving :) )

Seems to me if it's tough enough to hold the rear triangles in place, it can probably handle a brake. Tought part will be making sure the hole is on-axis.

2nd thought: Why did bianchi use a flip flop hub and not drill in the rear bridge? Seems like they'd at least use a flip-flop with track threading on both sides.

Mike: its good to hear from someone one with experience. Do you use the rear brake on a regular basis?

Well.....my old Pista frame which I picked up used came with a drilled bridge.... but I'm not certain if it was factory drilled. It was a very clean job. Anyway, I ended up filling the hole before painting the frame.

George!

Since your front brake does all the work anyway, why do you want to add something you don't need.

I'm imagining cruising down some massively long grade after a day of climbing enormous hills (I'm being dramatic...see location). It would be nice to be able to freewheel and also be able to control my speed without only depending on my front brake. Especially in triple digits. I've had a tube blow up once during such a feat. You're probably right though...kinda silly.

I've got about 5000 miles on my Peugeot (freewheel), and the last 2500 have been sans rear brake. I took it off after it broke in a nasty wreck, and never bothered to put it back on. I do Mt. Tamalpais 3-4 times a week. Mt. Tam has several 40+ (50 if you push it) mph descents, and have never had a problem with just my front brake. I am picking up my Bianchi Pista tomorrow, and had the LBS put a front brake and dummy lever on, in addition to the freewheel. This is not to suggest, however, that you should ride anything you're not COMPLETELY comfortable on. Just my opinion.

I'm imagining cruising down some massively long grade after a day of climbing enormous hills (I'm being dramatic...see location). It would be nice to be able to freewheel and also be able to control my speed without only depending on my front brake. Especially in triple digits. I've had a tube blow up once during such a feat. You're probably right though...kinda silly.
SG-
I rode fr brake SS for a few years...nice compromise actually, but go with your gut instinct. Give Sheldon a line on this and see what he has to say. He is, afterall, well versed in mods.

coaster brake,... no drilling

I've got about 5000 miles on my Peugeot (freewheel), and the last 2500 have been sans rear brake. I took it off after it broke in a nasty wreck, and never bothered to put it back on. I do Mt. Tamalpais 3-4 times a week. Mt. Tam has several 40+ (50 if you push it) mph descents, and have never had a problem with just my front brake. I am picking up my Bianchi Pista tomorrow, and had the LBS put a front brake and dummy lever on, in addition to the freewheel. This is not to suggest, however, that you should ride anything you're not COMPLETELY comfortable on. Just my opinion.
I think the accepted theory is if you run a freewheel use front and rear brakes. The point being you have a second option for braking if your front brake fails.
If you run fixed gear, front brake is all you need. Many people do this and seem to get along fine using the fixed gear's braking ability of the rear wheel in lue of a rear brake.
Still others say "What the hell I don't need to show you no stinkin Brakes".
Life is full of choices.
Choose wisely.

fixedgearhead

Oh yeah? You think you're so smart huh? Mister "I'm fixedgearhead, Senior Member"... You know what? Just to prove you wrong, I'm going to keep running without the rear brake on my freewheeler, AND take the front one off too! How about that!




....wait a minute...

Oh yeah? You think you're so smart huh? Mister "I'm fixedgearhead, Senior Member"... You know what? Just to prove you wrong, I'm going to keep running without the rear brake on my freewheeler, AND take the front one off too! How about that!




....wait a minute...

i saw a few bmx kids riding around with freewheels and no brakes. i don't get it.

Were they doing flatland freestyle? I have seen guys doing flatland and they don't use a brake, it just gets in the way when they are spinning the bike around. They stop by jamming a foot on the front wheel.

a lot of the bmx/freestyle kids here in philly dont run brakes. and theyre not riding flatland....grinding all over city hall and love park and what-not

Maybe they don't run brakes to improve their chance of getting away from the cops.

Where I live, kids would rather have thier parents pay another $90 for a pair of shoes than have to pay some of thier own money for some pads. I wish I understood the logic behind that, but I guess I'm just getting old.

Trying out for a Darwin award, more likely.

you don't go so fast on bmx bikes. I have a fixed cruiser with a super easy gear ratio with no brakes. In a pinch I fred flintstone or jam my shoe on the rim. The smell of the burning rubber rules.

lucklust: How do you stop on a 40mph descent on a bike with a freewheel and only a front brake? Modulate? Weight shifting? How many pairs of shoes do you go through? :p

jeff

Stickerguy, I usually just slam into the nearest peloton. A single road geek hardly slows you down, with all that lightweight carbon fiber and slippery spandex.

Oh yeah? You think you're so smart huh? Mister "I'm fixedgearhead, Senior Member"... You know what? Just to prove you wrong, I'm going to keep running without the rear brake on my freewheeler, AND take the front one off too! How about that!




....wait a minute...
Go ahead. It's your life. Live it the way you want. I won't tell you how to do it. I will post some of the accepted opinions, which are not only mine, but that other more knowledgeable people agree with" :ie: Sheldon Brown. What you do with the information is your decision. I only have one request. "You can do anything you want, just please don't scare the horses". That is a famous quote from before you were probably born. I know it is from before I was born, but it is still apt.
Good luck,

fixedgearhead

2nd thought: Why did bianchi use a flip flop hub and not drill in the rear bridge? Seems like they'd at least use a flip-flop with track threading on both sides.

Mike: its good to hear from someone one with experience. Do you use the rear brake on a regular basis?

Ya, I too find it odd that Bianchi would spec a flip-flop rear hub with no provisions for a rear brake. My '02 Fuji Track came with a drilled rear arch for a brake....and, 2 (maybe 1, can't remember) water bottle mounts. I had to have my LBS also drill my frame for 2 water bottle mounts. Ah well.

I guess I use it on a regular basis. No more or less than I normally would.

Ride Hard,
Mike B.
http://www.one-speed.com

I'm not really sure why you're less likely to skid (this seems to be people's hangup with back brakes on fixies) with a free wheel that with a fixie. The real question is why do any bikes need back brakes?

Redundancy.

Is that some kind of weird San Diego law?

Is that some kind of weird San Diego law?
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21201.htm

Which doth state:


(a) No person shall operate a bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

Also found this in reference to my tickette.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d16_7/vc39011.htm

The real question is why do any bikes need back brakes?

I find braking with both wheels is often better than braking with just the front. At least when you really need to stop.

I'm not sure if the law varies much from state to state, but I believe William Karsten is correct throughout most of the US. Reading the CA law, it basically requires every bike to have a brake. That the brake must be able to lock up a wheel simply means that the brake must be powerful enough to do so. A pretty minimal requirement, really. Imagine if you had a solo rear brake that was too gutless to lock up the wheel, I suppose could lead to some rather scary moments, not because it can't lock up but because it's probably also a pretty useless brake.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21201.htm

Which doth state:



Also found this in reference to my tickette.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d16_7/vc39011.htm


hah!! i found the same law yesterday...man...so, if i have a front brake, and can make my rear wheel skid with my legs, it still doesn't count? even though i can skid and probably stop in a shorter distance than a rear brake only skid? that doesn't make any sense to me...i'll have to get kevin bacon to give ahnuld a call and explain to him the finer points of fixed gear riding...

Just to update a dying thread.

I emailed Sheldon Brown and he said that he'd drilled a pista before and it was difficult to get it centered but that overall it turned out okay. Not the most stirring recommendation I must say. He was also of the opinion that running a front brake only on a freewheel was out of the question, capital letters dangerous which I kinda figured.

Sheldon's answer for why Bianchi puts a flip-flop hub without a drilled rear bridge? They got a good deal on flip-flops! Kind of made me laugh. I keep forgeting these bike co. aren't always the high-minded artists we make them out to be.

I think I'm just going to suffer through my ride with my one gear ratio and maybe bring a couple cogs to throw on for hilly days. or get tougher or *gasp* suck it up and walk

take care,
jeff

Once again, coaster anyone? If it was good enough for Kevin B it should be good enough for everyone(Watch the scenes where he slams to a stop)

I think the Pista comes with a flipflop because that is whats out there. Look around for non-flipflop hubs that take a fixed cog and lockring that are less than $30

Coaster brake is a great idea. Simplicity. Cheap. Built in brake. All the disadvantages of single speed and fixed gear rolled into one! ;)

I've been riding a single speed coaster brake exclusively for the last two weeks. I'm loving it. I did add a front caliper, however. I'm way too attached to front brake to give it up, use it almost exclusively. Just today, I did find how well two brakes work vs. one when a car made a abrupt right turn right in front of me.