h_curtis

My track bike isn't drilled. I don't want to drill it, so that isn't an option. If I wanted to add a brake on the front, could I change forks for a while until I get used to riding w/no hand brake? Is there any other ideas? I could use my shoe like that one dude on youtube, but that may be a little hard on my shoes. I plan on learning how to stop with my legs, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a little back up. I guess you guys are giving me cold feet a little, but if there are no options, I am going for it!

dutret

new fork is your best bet. Measure the steerer tube and threading and start scouring ebay.

skanking biker

Wait.....

Let me get this straight----- you "plan on learning to stop with your legs" and are gonna ride with no brake, and your major concern is whether you will damage your SHOES?

zacked

1) Buy a new fork.
2) Build a drum brake wheel.
3) Drill your fork.

sprintcarblue

dont ride a track on street! BAM!

dmc

there are a few options, but new fork is probably the best one. the bikeworks chrome straight blade fork looks decent, has a bit more rake (i am assuming) than your track fork, is drilled, and it's cheap. it's nice to have two different forks and gives you nice options. my track bike has tight geo's and a low rake track fork and is really fun but i also have a fork with a bit more rake that is drilled which is really comfortable for longer rides or situations where i'd like to ride with a brake. if you can get an extra crown race for your second fork, the change takes just a minute or two.

dutret

Why is it more comfortable?

dmc

just a bit less twitchy, comfortable is not the right word.

dutret

More evidence that what most people *feel* about a bike is just a big ****ing placebo.

queerpunk

before scouring ebay and teh intertubes for the right fork, just go to a bike shop. preferably, the wonderful, cluttered bike shop in your town that has that guy who's been a mechanic since the 1960s. they probably have spare forks lying around somewhere, hopefully one will fit your frame. i'd do that before buying a new fork.

dmc

so are you saying that there is no noticeable difference between a road fork and track fork? i'm not sure what you are trying to argue.

dutret

no I'm saying if anything increasing the rake would increase the twitchiness not the opposite. Sorry, I set you up for that.

dmc

yes you did. a fork that gives me more trail was what i was looking for, correct? you weren't arguing the concept though were you?

okpik

https://www.dclxvi.org/chunk/tech/trail/

dmc

thanks

wetduck

I think stopping with your shoe would be a little more difficult with a fixy than a freewheel.

onetwentyeight 

its not.

kludge

plus a million on the drum brake. just something super cool, neat, and clean looking. drum brakes(i might be wrong on this) are supposedly better in wet conditions as well....so that should stop the whole rim-brake-dont-work-when-its-wet-out whine. there is also the option of the keirin rear plate fork. looks wierd but works. i think there is also the option of this:

k3nho

https://trackstarnyc.com/store/catalo...products_id=93

keirin brake from trackstar?

Aeroplane

That disc brake looks like it will wreck the **** out of your fork.

marqueemoon

And you need fender eyelets which are oh-so-common on undrilled track forks. Oh, and you'd need a new wheel.

lz4005

drum brakes(i might be wrong on this) are supposedly better in wet conditions as well

I've got a drum on my Steamroller, they work exactly the same in the wet. Drums don't fade/heat up on long downhills like some other kinds of brakes do. The downside is that its a 'slow you down gradually' kinda brake, not a 'stop on a dime' kinda brake. Still better than none, though.

mcatano

If you don't want to drill it, you should just braze canti bosses onto it. Problem solved.

dmg

E.G. Kraynicks on Penn ave. He's got a buttload of threaded 1" NOS Paramount forks for $25 - perhaps not the apex of style, but real nice for the money. Probably a bunch of other options on one of the 4 floors....

By the way - what's the stigma with drilling a track fork? I can't imagine it weakens it significantly, and it's not like you can't take the brake off. Is it a collector thing?

newnoise

from what I understand, track forks generally have round blades which are designed to withstand heavy side to side forces. a brake introduces front to back forces which can cause your forks to flex. I'm sure I've read this somewhere. someone back me up.

I think it's possibly also a collector type thing in the sense of not wanting to alter and potentially mess up an original part of your nice new bike. That's how I felt with my track fork, so when I want to run brakes i swap out my forks.