Anybody Ride Fixie?
Discussion
Did you get that V-Sprint? Awesome bike for the money if you did although if you are going SS you probably want some brakes!
I started out single speed but didn't find it "different" enough to regular riding and I wanted to learn a new skill so tried fixed.
Now I only ride fixed but I suspect that is because I am lazy about flipping the flip-flop wheel.
It is obviously a little different and some people swear by it but I just like the feeling of being fully attached to the bike.
I can't track stand and sometimes I get caught with my leading foot in the wrong position as the lights change so I look like a right muppet.
If I were you I would try both and see which you prefer.
I started out single speed but didn't find it "different" enough to regular riding and I wanted to learn a new skill so tried fixed.
Now I only ride fixed but I suspect that is because I am lazy about flipping the flip-flop wheel.
It is obviously a little different and some people swear by it but I just like the feeling of being fully attached to the bike.
I can't track stand and sometimes I get caught with my leading foot in the wrong position as the lights change so I look like a right muppet.
If I were you I would try both and see which you prefer.
princeperch said:
I'll admit. That was my first thought when I saw the thread title. Are there many advantages to a fixie bike? It seems kinda dangerous.
doodles19 said:
Singlespeed.
Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
That's 'fad' in a 'I don't understand them and have never ridden one' sense is it? There's nothing will hone pedalling style and strength better than a few weeks on a fixie.... and it's fun. It doesn't *need* to be flat either, you just need to gear appropriately so that in optimal conditions on the flat you can just about spin out, and that you can just about get up the worst hill you are likely to ride. Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
doodles19 said:
Singlespeed.
Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
A fad that started with the first bike that had a chain & cranks back in 1875, that's 125years, some fad.Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
I'm seeing it a
1. A means of improving my fitness
2. A "back to basics" form of cycling
3. A new skill to learn.
Edited by R500POP on Wednesday 8th December 11:05
Edited by R500POP on Wednesday 8th December 11:05
Forget single speed and just run it fixed from the off.
It's something you're going to want to do at some point and as long as you can already ride a bike, then spending days/weeks/months riding the bike with the freewheel isn't going to prepare you in anyway or make it easier when you do make the switch to fixed. And if it turns out fixed is your thing, then that time freewheeling will have been time wasted.
I really don't get the argument about the cranks being in the wrong place when you stop either. I mean, I get that it's something that can happen, but I can't think of a single time that I've been out when it's caused an issue.
It's something you're going to want to do at some point and as long as you can already ride a bike, then spending days/weeks/months riding the bike with the freewheel isn't going to prepare you in anyway or make it easier when you do make the switch to fixed. And if it turns out fixed is your thing, then that time freewheeling will have been time wasted.
I really don't get the argument about the cranks being in the wrong place when you stop either. I mean, I get that it's something that can happen, but I can't think of a single time that I've been out when it's caused an issue.
R500POP said:
doodles19 said:
Singlespeed.
Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
A fad that started with the first bike that had a chain & cranks back in 1875, that's 125years, some fad.Fixies are a fad imo.
Not knowing where the pedals are going to be is a major downside.
I'm seeing it a
1. A means of improving my fitness
2. A "back to basics" form of cycling
3. A new skill to learn.
Edited by R500POP on Wednesday 8th December 11:05
Edited by R500POP on Wednesday 8th December 11:05
However the part that makes it a fad is its resurgence in such times where superior technology widely exists. I see the attraction of single speed bikes, lightweight, rugged and reliable etc, fixies however I just dont get. Why you would want something that you cannot control the position of the pedals whilst moving completely baffles me. What are you going to do if you need to avoid something in an emergency and need to turn sharply? The threat of pedal strike in such situations really puts me off using my fixed gear on my flip-flop hub out and about in day to day commuting. I see no benefits to fixed gear riding other than the fad of being able to pedal backwards, trackstand a lot easier than on a single speed and skid/lock the back wheel without any brakes.
If you want to go riding as a means of fitness, I dont see why you would want a fixed gear bike. I have 3 bikes, 2 fixed and one geared road bike. For fitness I would choose the geared road bike every time.
The flexibility of the gears means I can cycle over hugely varied gradients a whole load easier than the single speeds. On single speeds I find it a lot harder to cycle long distances efficiently due the restrictive gearing. Having one single power band can be a nightmare, any headwind/slight incline you have to increase effort by a fair amount yet speed won't increase/stays the same. On my road bike, just flip down a gear and I'm in the power band of the gear again, meaning I don't burn myself out over short periods as well as making it a lot easier to keep an average heart rate etc etc.
I completely understand your desire to learn something new, which is the main reason why I got a flip-flop hub for my commuter fixie, but for anything other than mucking about on, the singlespeed wins.
Edited by doodles19 on Wednesday 8th December 14:25
Uriel said:
You argue that you'd use your geared bike for fitness and then try to justify this by describing how much more physically demanding riding without gears is. The fitness benefits come, among other things, precisely because it's more difficult.
Depends what you want out of riding. What I want is to keep my heart rate about 160/70 bpm as I only want cardio if im riding for fitness, any other muscle building etc is done via weight training. For this, the geared road bike wins hands down.
The other reason being, riding geared bikes allows me to ride for much much longer periods of time comfortably on a wide varieties of gradient etc in comparison to singlespeeds which I find difficult to cover lots of distance, varying gradients is also an issue.
doodles19 said:
Uriel said:
The other reason being, riding geared bikes allows me to ride for much much longer periods of time comfortably on a wide varieties of gradient etc in comparison to singlespeeds which I find difficult to cover lots of distance, varying gradients is also an issue.
Depends on your fitness. I've ridden 100 miles fixed without trouble and I've ridden serious hills in Scotland.
Part of the reason that I like riding fixed for fitness is that it's harder, but then I don't put limitations on what I'll so with it. Like Doodles saying he wants to use a geared bike because he wants to ride further than he could fixed, or on more varied terrain...if you have that mind set that you can only ride fixed for sort distances or on the flat then you're not going to have much use for one. If you accept that it's going to be harder, but just do it all anyway, then you'll benefit enormously.
If this guy can climb Mont Ventoux fixed (42-16 IIRC), then Bristol London shouldn't be a problem...at least for the bike
http://vimeo.com/groups/25783/videos/13001350
And getting back to the fad thing, because it comes up in every thread that touches on fixed bikes. I'm sure for a lot of people, Doodles included, it was a fad. It became popular, they tried it, didn't/couldn't get on with it and gave it up. That doesn't make that class of riding a fad. If you follow the mainstream media at the minute, you'll be told that road riding and high performance race bikes are a fad, cycle racing, the Tour and middle aged men in lycra are all just a new and passing trend; the new golf. I'd never use it as an argument to dissuade someone from getting into the sport.
Part of the reason that I like riding fixed for fitness is that it's harder, but then I don't put limitations on what I'll so with it. Like Doodles saying he wants to use a geared bike because he wants to ride further than he could fixed, or on more varied terrain...if you have that mind set that you can only ride fixed for sort distances or on the flat then you're not going to have much use for one. If you accept that it's going to be harder, but just do it all anyway, then you'll benefit enormously.
If this guy can climb Mont Ventoux fixed (42-16 IIRC), then Bristol London shouldn't be a problem...at least for the bike
http://vimeo.com/groups/25783/videos/13001350And getting back to the fad thing, because it comes up in every thread that touches on fixed bikes. I'm sure for a lot of people, Doodles included, it was a fad. It became popular, they tried it, didn't/couldn't get on with it and gave it up. That doesn't make that class of riding a fad. If you follow the mainstream media at the minute, you'll be told that road riding and high performance race bikes are a fad, cycle racing, the Tour and middle aged men in lycra are all just a new and passing trend; the new golf. I'd never use it as an argument to dissuade someone from getting into the sport.
Edited by Uriel on Wednesday 8th December 15:37
doodles19 said:
Uriel said:
The other reason being, riding geared bikes allows me to ride for much much longer periods of time comfortably on a wide varieties of gradient etc in comparison to singlespeeds which I find difficult to cover lots of distance, varying gradients is also an issue.
I use my fixed gear bike mainly as a beater to commute to work (its on the "show your bike off" thread somewhere) and the other to muck about on now and then. Furthest I've ridden on one was about 17 miles ish, by that point the lack of other gearing was really starting to irritate, getting up to speed requires more effort than on a geared bike especially when running "man" gearing on the singlespeed, so traffic lights etc are not amazing.
Edited by doodles19 on Wednesday 8th December 15:50
Edited by doodles19 on Wednesday 8th December 15:51
Fixed track bikes are for the weak.
Real men ride brakeless singlespeed tall bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEnvarwErw
Real men ride brakeless singlespeed tall bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEnvarwErw
HundredthIdiot said:
Fixed track bikes are for the weak.
Real men ride brakeless singlespeed tall bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEnvarwErw
Haha, I would say fail, but the fact that he even attempted that is awesome. Real men ride brakeless singlespeed tall bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPEnvarwErw
Being in Copenhagen alot, I find Fixies everywhere. Its great alot of old steel frames are back on the road (even with pink toeclips etc..).
It aint my thing and as long as they dont chop the derailleur hangers off the old steelies, then I am fine with it. That means when they are done, I can buy them all up and return them to gears again..hehe
It aint my thing and as long as they dont chop the derailleur hangers off the old steelies, then I am fine with it. That means when they are done, I can buy them all up and return them to gears again..hehe
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