Illegal... problem

I went to the shop in my city today just to make sure a 52 was small enough for me. The shop owner made me ride his bike (fixed gear, 52), I didn't find it uncomfortable. I didn't reach high speeds, thus stopping was pretty easy.

The most important thing is that in Switzerland, NOT having BOTH brakes (working brakes) mounted on the bike is illegal. I could pay up to 200£ if the police finds me riding without brakes (normal thing on fixed gear bikes).....so....the Fuji I was going to buy is shipped without brakes, although the frame is drilled for them.

That means I have to buy the brakes separately. I really would like to have white or red brakes...I am looking for red or white dia compe brakes (I tried them and they seem to work fine, maybe the shimano 105 works better but I am a colour addict) but I am not able to find them. I have seen so many shops in the 'list of lists' thread...tried also so many but it isn't easy to find them (the dia compe)....I have also to find a shop that ships outside UK (to germany or switzerland would do).

Any advice? Maybe painting brake calipers (shimano 105), which I can find everywhere, will do the job?

You should ask Kent. He has Dia Compe parts in offer:http://www.singlespeedshop.de/

It's a Fuji track, don't over think it. Just put any old brakes on!

I bought some standard silver brakes, stripped them apart and then got the parts powder coated white:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4127/whitegoodspd5.jpg

It's a Fuji track, don't over think it. Just put any old brakes on!

+1

I could pay up to 200£ if the police finds me riding without brakes (normal thing on fixed gear bikes)

It's normal for a track bicycle on a velodrome, but it's not normal for a fixed wheel bicycle on a road.

get the fork drilled and ride with a brake (like other have said - any will be fine providing they're dual caliper) , find out if fixed wheel is considered as a brake under their laws (like the UK).

Colour coding sucks.

I bought some standard silver brakes, stripped them apart and then got the parts powder coated white:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4127/whitegoodspd5.jpg

powder coating looks nice...I could use it also outside the bike world...is there any tutorial? My experience stops to the airbrush and RC model paintjobs...

It's less illegal than building mosque with a minaret. Make a rear brake of paper mache.

fucking buck up and stop being a bitch and ride no brakes or brakes and shut the fuck up because you are causing me to consider suicide because i'm losing faith that humans can be anything more than a virus and you're not helping.

^ someone didn't have his shreddies this morning

^^CTFU (chill the fuck out). Op is saying they want to put brakes on their bike to be safe and legal, all they are asking is if anyone knows somewhere that stocks dia compe brakes in red. If thats all it takes for you to get suicidal do me a favour and dont turn on your tv, ever!

i found the dia compe on ebay.com for a crazy price...much cheaper than germany. I guess I'll buy them from USA since I don't think I'll need them so soon (I still have to receive my bike...). I find difficult only the cable part (the housing)...because I actually have never cut housings, I'll see how that turns out when the brake-mounting moment arrives.

Anyway yes, I must put brakes on because as I said it would be illegal. And illegal, in switzerland, is a word that nobody knows....if police says I must have brakes, and I have to pay if they find me....then that's true....it is incredible how rules have to be strictly followed here. I don't know, maybe in another city the rule is like that but if they find you, they 'close an eye'....someone got to pay even only because they crossed the street with RED traffic light, on foot, when no cars (and I mean NO cars) were on the street.

you are causing me to consider suicide

Go for it.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCPXULCNC/ultra-light-cnc-brake-calipers

They're not Dia-Compe, but they are red, and Planet-X do post to Switzerland.

Is the brakes law cantonal or federal? I've seen plenty of fixiebikes in Geneva without a full complement of brakes. I manage to get by with just a front one.

As I am Swiss I just wanted to chime in and say that the police don't give a fuck if you ride without brakes at all. I used to ride BMX for over 10 years all over in Switzerland (Bern, Basel, Zurich, Genva, Lugano) and no one ever stopped me for not having any brakes at all. The only time I was fined was for riding without lights on the pavement and that was 60 CHF - and they completely ignored the fact that I didn't have any brakes.

Stop being so paranoid. Most people won't even notice that you just have one brake lever... Just out of interest, where in Switzerland do you live? There are loads of road-bike shops that sell parts.

powder coating looks nice...I could use it also outside the bike world...is there any tutorial? My experience stops to the airbrush and RC model paintjobs...

Tutorial:

1) You take the brakes completely apart - so you have only the big main 'arm' parts.

2) Go to Google and type in these three words: 'powder coating switzerland'

3) Choose a local powder coating place, choose a colour, send or take the parts you want powder coating to the powder coating people.

Shit tutorial. Too much jargon.

Shit tutorial. Too much jargon.

Yeah, I tried to keep it simple but it's difficult to do without the technical explanations.

Here's a simple version for the non-technical, foreigners, women, gays and the Spanish.

1) buy some brakes.

2) get them powder coated.

Something simple like the Dia Compe BRS 100 comes in a variety of colours, is quite easily available, is cheap, looks good and works well. Been riding the 101's (long reach version of the 100's) and they do what they're supposed to do, good value.

Here's a German store: http://fixedgearshop.de/product_info.php?info=p605_DIA-TECH--BRS-100--Brake.html&XTCsid=215adbc2ea09d546b3c66419ba701923

http://www.englishforum.ch/transportation-driving/78877-powder-coating-swiss-romande.html

^ This is what you want to google, Help!

thanks for the help.

I live in Basel. I have never rode a bike without brakes....I just report what the man said in the shop....he said many people (in Basel...I am not talking about switzerland, maybe in geneve they weren't that strict) had to pay because the police found them without brakes. And they had to pay...it was not like the police 'didn't pay attention'. And I can believe that, it is not unusual that the police pays attention to such details.

Anyway I am not willing to pay that much money because I have one brake or none....is too big risk.

Let's leave the powder coating, the law and everything apart....last question: I like these levers very much

http://easternbikes.com/m/m/photos/Brake%20Lever%20Matte%20Red%20LoRes.jpg

But they will fit 22.2mm handlebars. I know that the one from the Fuji classic track is listed as 26mm, which should be the diameter in the stem point. The rest of the handlebar would be then 23.8mm ? Is that lever 100% not compatible with the handlebar or will it fit anyway? I know fuji has drop bars, of course i would put the brake lever on top.

So you never had personal experience and believe someone who in a shop that perhaps never had personal experience either? I tried to explain that I grew up in Bern and lived there until I was in my mid-20s until I moved to London... Rode street bmx with no brakes what so ever and never had a problem with that.

Get cross stop levers, they fit most drop bars.

Go for it.

oh i am, been stocking up on paracetamol over a few weeks as they won't sell you enough in one shop to kill yourself for sure, and i don't want to just fuck my liver and not be able to drink.

pfft. paracetamol is for lightweights. Suicide by a method that makes it not hurt?