Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Cheap brakeset?

Im building my lady a ss kilo and looking for a cheap complete brakeset. So far the best looking deal is the set on bike island, although it looks a bit janky. Anyone know of any deals? I couldnt come up with much in searches...

You can get Tektro brakes on eBay for less than $25/set. The R530s are pretty decent brakes. I scored a new set of Campy brakes on there for $20 shipped.

Im building my lady a ss kilo and looking for a cheap complete brakeset. So far the best looking deal is the set on bike island, although it looks a bit janky. Anyone know of any deals? I couldnt come up with much in searches...

Whats janky about the ones on bikeisland? I'm currently using the tektro calipers and levers on my Kilo and its working fine. Unless you know of some sort of impending catastrophic failure implemented in the calipers or levers of which I'm not aware of, brakes are brakes and they get the job done. Or are you speaking on behalf of aesthetic issues?

But if all fails, you can always try eBay.

Tektros are very decent and low priced, I've got a set that came on my Maddy, I don't even know what model number they are as they have no markings, not even the Tektro name, the only reason I know they're Tektro is I read it on the interweb, but I do love them.

Whats janky about the ones on bikeisland? I'm currently using the tektro calipers and levers on my Kilo and its working fine. Unless you know of some sort of impending catastrophic failure implemented in the calipers or levers of which I'm not aware of, brakes are brakes and they get the job done. Or are you speaking on behalf of aesthetic issues?

But if all fails, you can always try eBay.

they dont have catastrophic issues but if they were the same as the "unmarked" ones i had the pads fade at high heat. if your going fast and/or carrying a lot of momentum it may be worth upgrading the pads. my front nearly gave out on me one day and the pads turned to gum.

like i said, they may not have been the same ones.

I've got a Tektro R720 (which is a little higher-end than the ones on BikeIsland) and absolutely love it. It looks awesome and stops my bike.

I've got a Tektro R720 (which is a little higher-end than the ones on BikeIsland) and absolutely love it. It looks awesome and stops my bike.
+1
i have 720's and i just switched to jagwirepads. works perfectly for me. even in sudden downpours.

Shimano 105's. Or Campy Mirage.

Shimano 105's. Or Campy Mirage.

campag, but i may be partial...

2006 Campag brakes are really cheap at the moment. They work really well, but you'll want brake levers with quick releases as the brakes themselves don't have them. Fortunately, the Tektro road brake levers have these, as do certain older Shimano levers.

You should be able to find Tektro R200 levers on eBay for about $20 with shipping. They compare favorably to Campy levers, which makes them a steal. My previous post was somewhat inaccurate. I got brand a brand new Campagnolo Xenon brakeset for $10, and I just checked - shipping was $5! Be patient, and you can find deals. For the record, those same brakes in black just went for $30, so silver is the way to go if you're on a budget.

I use a Shimano 105 caliper, and it's amazing. I've used cheap brakes as well, and I can tell a big difference. These calipers feel snappier and have better pads. Not to say cheap ones won't stop you just fine, but nicer brakes do have a better feel to them.

I'll also comment on the lever I use...Paul E-Lever. This is the worst lever ever haha. It sucks. So overpriced and the size of it doesn't let you get much leverage. It also requires you to take off your grips/tape in order to instlall or remove it, which can be a pain for someone like me that switches bars out every few weeks. I picked it up b/c my friend got a set for cheap, so he sold me one for a lot less than they usually cost.

he makes a good point. cheap brakes work well but shimano 105 and up or campag stoppers are going to be a lot snapper (they have less flex) it is also normally easier to adjust the proper toe in in a higher end brake.

i'm glad you said that about the paul lever. i wanted one but couldn't justify it so i got a set of can creek cross levers (only use one) but it works great and i can switch bars easily.

Goldfingers are also good lever's. Maybe a bit to bulky looking for some, but I like the squat look of it. And it's a solid lever, nice pull action. $15 usually, and you can buy them as singles for either hand. The Paul E-Brake works well for me too, but it feels kinda flimsy, and the that fact that's it's non-hinged makes it a PITA to switch with. And, as mentioned previously, wildly overpriced. You're paying for looks with that one (although it looks killer).

Thanks for the lookin out...just scored new shimano levers, calipers and cables all for about $35 on ebay.

Oh and I wasnt implying those tektros have design flaws, they just look pretty cheepy