Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Brake Levers

I want to put a brake on my fixed for safety reasons (I don't want to move to england without a brake on there) and I"m having a problem, a road brake seems too large for my chopped drops, a mountain bike brake won't fit on because the handlebars are too big around. What do those of you who ride with brakes use? Any suggestions?

Cyclocross currently... Lever is salsa.

check out some of the Cyclocross styled brakes from Salsa, Paul, Tektro, etc

Cyclocross currently... Lever is salsa.

i thought you didnt run a brake for some reason...

I have the specialized cx lever (though not currently using it). Great for $25.

if you're on a budget, have you seen/tried the backwards road lever? it works if you hang out on the bar ends. not good for the next to stem position. i had an ancient dia-compe mx 1 finger bmx lever and it worked next to the stem. it had a removable bar clamp that fit the thicker bar with a longer bolt and nut. i've seen them around for cheap. or free.

Do like this....

The backwards road lever isn't too bad... I think that's what I'll probably do, but then I might have to tape it, and I really like my bars plain chrome right now. I heard an interesting idea the other day. You run the cable and housing under the tape, and you leave it taught, pulling the tape on the inside of the bar curve out a bit. THen you fix the cable but not the housing to the bar end. This way when you give the tape at the curve a good squeeze, it does the same thing as a brake lever. Sounds a bit sketchy, but then I wouldn't have to have a lever on my bars.

cyclocross, or the dia-tech goldfinger lever. that one's super tiny...and true one-finger lever. there's some really tiny lever made by dia compe or dia tech back in the '80s. MX-somethingorother. has this really cheesy, thin clamp, but somehow, it looks super nice on track bars.

i've been thinking abot canibalizing my Terrible One for it's Primo two-finger lever recently. but that'll never happen.

Do like this....
i was trying to find a picture of this... that's what i'd reccommend if yer on a budget...
just make sure it's mounted that direction... if you put it the other way around often times you can't pull the lever all the way...

another option is to find any lever with a hinged clamp... even if it's too small it'll still hold well enough... just make sure you don't clamp it down so hard you crimp yer bars...


dia-tech goldfinger lever
and these are real damn sexy...

The Dirt Harry lever is also pretty nice and is a hinge clamp to boot. Lot of leverage on that baby as well.

Try Tektro bar end brake levers

i thought you didnt run a brake for some reason...

I wasn't on the Bianchi, but I left the brake on when I built my winter bike.

That pic with the yellow bike is a good way to do the brake on a chopped drop bar tis true. Just remember if you do it with the front brake lever on the right hand the way that one is to remember it's usually the other way on a geared ride, road or mtb...or you may get a nice surprise hehe saw that happen once. "I saw Gag on your bike." "Yeah he wanted to take it around the block, try it out" "did you tell him you reversed the levers?" "uh..no" "He's been gone awhile" "yeah.."

...
"did you tell him you reversed the levers?" "uh..no"
...

Yep, that could be a problem-- although its pretty obvious when you have only one brake.
Next summer I might upgrade the yellow bike with a "syntace space control lever"--- because I just love the name!

http://www.trioutfitter.com/syspcobrle.html