The huge majority of fixies in San Jose have no brakes... I didn't start seeing lots of fixed gear bikes with brakes until i came to this forum

the no-brake trend has also got idiots making SS conversions without brakes.. had a kid interested in my flip-flop hub this weekend, said his dad bought him a "fixie" but it was really just a ghetto single speed conversion of a geared bike with no brakes or derailleurs