Is it possible to add a rear brake to a fixte when the seatstay bridge is not drilled for one?

Is it possible to add a rear brake to a fixte when the seatstay bridge is not drilled for one?

Unless someone is making some sort of clamp-on brake mount (and there very well might be such a thing), you'll either need to drill the bridge or braze on some canti bosses. Personally, I don't see the need for a rear brake if you're running a fixed cog in the back.

Unless someone is making some sort of clamp-on brake mount (and there very well might be such a thing), you'll either need to drill the bridge or braze on some canti bosses. Personally, I don't see the need for a rear brake if you're running a fixed cog in the back.
Reason for the rear brake would be for when I take a flip-flop wheel for long rides and swap to the freewheel side.

I was hoping someone made a clamp of some sort that could take the stresses of braking. The bridge on my ride is too small for me to consider drilling it, so probably I would need to get a builder to braze some bosses onto the stays, as you suggest. For the time being, I'm sticking with riding only fixed cogs so no need to rush into anything.

Yes, a rear brake is nice when you're riding the freewheel side, although it can be done without it, if you mind your weight distribution. I feel like I've seen some sort of retrofitted brake-mounting hardware somewhere; I'm surprised no one here has enlightened us - or maybe I just imagined it. Hey, maybe we ought to invent/build/market one!

Unless someone is making some sort of clamp-on brake mount (and there very well might be such a thing), you'll either need to drill the bridge or braze on some canti bosses. Personally, I don't see the need for a rear brake if you're running a fixed cog in the back.


perhaps there is a bolt-on mount for cantis? I wanna think there is such a thing that looks like a "booster", but I don't remember for sure

perhaps there is a bolt-on mount for cantis? I wanna think there is such a thing that looks like a "booster", but I don't remember for sure


Yes, that's it! I found this one at Dan's Comp, a BMX mail order place. Problem is, you still probably need a hole drilled to mount it (unless you can zip-tie or otherwise lash it to the frame), but it enables you to run V brakes without braze-ons.

Yes, that's it! I found this one at Dan's Comp, a BMX mail order place. Problem is, you still probably need a hole drilled to mount it (unless you can zip-tie or otherwise lash it to the frame), but it enables you to run V brakes without braze-ons.
Thanks for the pointer. I would be nervous about trusting my life to zip-ties, so I'd have to machine up some kind of serious steel or aluminum clampage that would provide stability without crushing the stays.

Is it possible to add a rear brake to a fixte when the seatstay bridge is not drilled for one?

Yes, I mounted both a front and rear brake to my Bianchi Pista (which is for sale in the Classifieds --> Ad #58364 (http://classifieds.mtbr.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.pl?db=Road&website=RoadbikeReview&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=long&db_id=58364&query=retrieval))....works great!

http://www.pbase.com/onespeed/image/55864308.jpg

M.