Dawes Fixie

I think I measured mine having 55mm of drop, maybe 65mm but it sounds like a lot to me. You're right they are a bit bendy but they work fine. Over 75mm and I think you're only going to find BMX brakes that deep.

Clean looking? I've seen tighter clearances on a bus shelter.

Get some foot retention, get a brake, don't be a douche. Not like you're having to drill your exotic Italian fork is it?

Hey Malaysian,

F*ck off!

Ah well, I tried, at least if you ride it into the back of a car it'll tighten up those clearances...

OP obviously it is your bike and your life so the choice is finally yours... But people here have given you truly sound advice. Even if you are the secret love child of Hans Ray and John Tomac I wouldnt recommend getting on a bike without any means of braking. Ive lost one mate (hit and run) and another is wheelchair for the rest of his life due to crazy drivers.

Remember It is not about your skills, but rather about the incompetence of the other idiots behind a wheel.

Stay safe brother.

Lots of the people advising you are people from LFGSS, who, ya know, ride fixed a lot. If you're riding without any foot retention or brake you are going to get into trouble at some point, I just hope you don't end up injuring someone else.

Good luck mate!

there's no way you'd catch me riding a bike with no brakes, no clips, and a top tube that close to bill and ben...

down here, the "fixie" thing has become big lately too. There are many many people who ride bikes just like this, and the latest fashion seems to be making the bars as narrow as possible. absolutely bonkers if you ask me... I love the look of track bikes, the clean lines and simplicity of them. but they are track bikes, and belong on the track and nowhere else. I have ridden fixed on the road, and my current project is being built with that in mind, but with both brakes installed and working!

The brakes vs skidding debate can, and will, go on and on and on and I don't ride fixed enough to get involved, but I do know that having NO way of stopping is just ******* stupid.

There's something classically pleasing about track bikes and the clean lines, but this a) isn't being ridden on a track where brakes make it MORE dangerous and b) isn't really that 'clean' looking.

No offence Steve, but you have kind of brought this on yourself.

What makes you think it's okay to ride a bike like that in public?

In fairness Steve you're probably on the wrong forum, or at least the wrong thread - there is a fixed/singlespeed thread on here. If we pitched up on a modern cycling forum (carbon frames, 11-speed groupsets etc) with steel-framed 10-speed bikes with shifters on the down tube there would be plenty who didn't agree with our choice of bike. Your Dawes looks fantastic but as others have said, it's not about your skills or reading the road, it's about being able to control the bike in a situation when some idiot in a car does something utterly unpredictable and irrational. As your only concern is aesthetics (and that's your choice) why not fit C-Record Deltas or some other easy-on-the-eye brake?

When someone calling himself 'AmberGambler' is giving you sensible advice you know you sould be thinking about it...