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How did it handle being fixed? I assume you used the standard tensioner? Skidable? Use two calipers still?
What hub did you use?Sorry for all the questions you've just pricked my ears to summin that could be very fun
B0N0R-
It rode well, unless you tried freewheeling while out of the saddle, in which case it crashed hard. I modibodgified a standard 6-speed tensioner. Not skidable, as trying to skid a Powertap rear hub makes Bad Things Happen when the internal torque tube unwinds itself - that's why Powertap track hubs use splined White Industry cogs rather than conventional threaded cogs. Still used two calipers, yes - I do on any non-track fixed gear bike. Used a Powertap track hub, modified to reduce the OLN.
Picture of modibodgified chain tensioner below:
Brommers
At the time the photos were taken, it had gears - a 5 speed SA rear hub. I then converted it to fixed gear, with a Powertap power meter track hub. The fixed gear system worked fine, but one of the few downsides of the Powertap track hub is that you can't use it to slow the bike down, at least not much. If you try to do a rad whip skid, the hub internals unscrew themselves and bad things happen quite quickly. I know this from personal experience, albeit not on that bike. So you can't really use the fixed gear to slow down, not much anyway.
Once I've finished building my new cross bike, the Brompton will be rebuilt with (amongst other changes) a 3 speed derailleur system and a freewheel hub. I'll be keeping the levers. They don't provide that much mechanical advantage, but IME it's enough.
So, tl;dr, no I don't agree. They do the job.