Riding fixed gear.
Discussion
If you've got a low BB / long cranks / wide pedals (or any combo of the three) then cornering needs a bit of care as you can't just freewheel round with your inside pedal up. Steep downhills also need care as your legs are effectively engine braking, although you can ride the brakes too to help.
Most off-the-shelf fixies come with a freewheel and a fixed gear on either side of the hub, so you can use it as a singlespeed first and try out fixed riding once you're used to the bike.
Most off-the-shelf fixies come with a freewheel and a fixed gear on either side of the hub, so you can use it as a singlespeed first and try out fixed riding once you're used to the bike.
Riding fixed is fine, bunnyhopping is tricky though, you're better off going round potholes than over them - same as any road bike really.
It's fashionable but fun, give it a crack if you live somewhere flat it's fine.
I rode fixed for a while but got bored of not being able to freewheel down hills - my legs just don't go round fast enough for some of the hills in brighton.
It's fashionable but fun, give it a crack if you live somewhere flat it's fine.
I rode fixed for a while but got bored of not being able to freewheel down hills - my legs just don't go round fast enough for some of the hills in brighton.
I commute fixed in London.
The only wobbles I have had so far are when I forget the bike is fixed.
For example, coming up on a ramp in the road where they are resurfacing I would normally stand and freewheel to absorb the bump.
NOT a good idea when fixed; you end up with the bike attempting to throw you out of the saddle!
It sounds simple but you just have to keep your legs turning no matter what.
I also used to have a habit of freewheeling when I was coming up to a decision point such as "will that muppet pull out on me?". I would be covering the brakes about to either brake hard or continue on pedaling. I needed to learn to engage my brain fully on the likely outcome ahead while continuing to let my legs turn.
Also, when you stop you need to remember to bring your leading foot back up to the top of the pedal range.
I don't have the skills to stop with one particular foot at the top so I stop normally (I would rather be in my preferred road position).
Then with one foot down, applying the front brake and leaning on the bars I lift the rear wheel up and rotate the pedals into the desired position.
Otherwise when you come to start up you will be applying force to a non-clipped-in foot which is never that much fun.
If you know how to track stand then I guess you don't need to worry about this.
Obviously foot retention is an absolute necessity. I just kept my SPDs.
The only wobbles I have had so far are when I forget the bike is fixed.
For example, coming up on a ramp in the road where they are resurfacing I would normally stand and freewheel to absorb the bump.
NOT a good idea when fixed; you end up with the bike attempting to throw you out of the saddle!
It sounds simple but you just have to keep your legs turning no matter what.
I also used to have a habit of freewheeling when I was coming up to a decision point such as "will that muppet pull out on me?". I would be covering the brakes about to either brake hard or continue on pedaling. I needed to learn to engage my brain fully on the likely outcome ahead while continuing to let my legs turn.
Also, when you stop you need to remember to bring your leading foot back up to the top of the pedal range.
I don't have the skills to stop with one particular foot at the top so I stop normally (I would rather be in my preferred road position).
Then with one foot down, applying the front brake and leaning on the bars I lift the rear wheel up and rotate the pedals into the desired position.
Otherwise when you come to start up you will be applying force to a non-clipped-in foot which is never that much fun.
If you know how to track stand then I guess you don't need to worry about this.
Obviously foot retention is an absolute necessity. I just kept my SPDs.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I have found that I have learned to do a sort of half-stand while pedaling.My bum hardly leaves the saddle but my legs absorb all the rough surface (when you see it coming!).
You can still "ride light" but the difference is that your legs are still going round.
The other issue I forgot to mention is clipping into SPDs.
I now do this while standing and pedaling away from the junction/lights.
You want to get up to cruising speed ASAP of course and doing that from seated is a no-no, BUT you want to be clipped-in also ASAP.
You could stay seated and slowly start pedaling while trying to clip-in and then stand and apply power when secure but I find that harder than just giving it full beans, standing from the off and clipping in when you can.
It took a while and there is no way I could do it on road SPDs since I simply HAVE to freewheel to clip into road SPDs for some reason.
Eventually the muscle memory meant that I could stand a jam my foot onto the SPD almost from the first rotation.
Most of this is a question of preference and just doing what comes naturally - perhaps just go a little slower on the first few rides!
Also, BEWARE OF GROUNDING YOUR PEDAL!!
Don't think you can squeeze as easily between cars and the curb. If you hit the curb with your pedal it is going to wipe you out straight into that car you are trying to squeeze past. Trust me, drivers hate that even more than RLJing. Make sure the gap is wide enough!
If you see me on the commute do give a wave! I am usually in a lumo jacket, red rucksack and grey camo helmet, riding a baby blue fixie.
el stovey said:
The striker was the baby grifter wasn't it? Like the tomahawk and chopper.
I had a grifter, you could turn the little rubber mud guard inverted on the front wheel to make a cool motorbike noise. It obviously only lasted a few days before it wore away though.
They weighed a ton, and usually got stuck in red gear too. I had a grifter, you could turn the little rubber mud guard inverted on the front wheel to make a cool motorbike noise. It obviously only lasted a few days before it wore away though.
Out of interest, what is the advantage of riding fixed? I can see the advantage in single speed in that there are no gear mechs to have to keep in decent condition but I can't see the advantage in riding a fixed over a single speed for all the reasons above about standing on pedals to slightly jump potholes or freewheel down hill? Is it just a fad?
AyBee said:
Out of interest, what is the advantage of riding fixed? I can see the advantage in single speed in that there are no gear mechs to have to keep in decent condition but I can't see the advantage in riding a fixed over a single speed for all the reasons above about standing on pedals to slightly jump potholes or freewheel down hill? Is it just a fad?
For me:1. New skill to learn.
2. Better fitness (apparently, not sure why, perhaps the mad cadence whenever you go downhill...)
People also claim that you feel more "at one" with the bike, but that just sounds like fakenger BS to me.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fakenger
walm said:
AyBee said:
Out of interest, what is the advantage of riding fixed? I can see the advantage in single speed in that there are no gear mechs to have to keep in decent condition but I can't see the advantage in riding a fixed over a single speed for all the reasons above about standing on pedals to slightly jump potholes or freewheel down hill? Is it just a fad?
For me:1. New skill to learn.
2. Better fitness (apparently, not sure why, perhaps the mad cadence whenever you go downhill...)
People also claim that you feel more "at one" with the bike, but that just sounds like fakenger BS to me.
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fakenger
AyBee said:
Out of interest, what is the advantage of riding fixed? I can see the advantage in single speed in that there are no gear mechs to have to keep in decent condition but I can't see the advantage in riding a fixed over a single speed for all the reasons above about standing on pedals to slightly jump potholes or freewheel down hill? Is it just a fad?
Personally I would say your last comment about it being a fad is spot on. Most folks can't just step off an old MTB and ride fixed without spending some time learning, so there is an understandable sense of achievement in doing something most folks can't.Also in it's favour the bikes are much simpler, feel much lighter and accelerate quicker, so in an urban environment where you rarely need lots of gears, it's fine.
But the same would be true with a single freewheel and unlike the fixed you wouldn't have to worry about your cornering speed/cadence because you can freewheel and load the pedal just as you would do with gears. So you'd actually corner faster.
Having the ability to slow down without braking, yes, that's very handy in slippy conditions. But if you press on and have anything like a normal cadence of 90-100rpm, well, I don't think the braking is going to be that effective without scrubbing speed off with normal brakes. So braking with your legs is mostly going to be effective from 10-15mph, and no use at all over 25mph. Well, not if you want to stop in less than a lap of the track.
The main reason (apart from low maintenance/cheap bike) used to be that fixed gets you pedaling in a smooth style and at high cadences because you were restricted with gearing, so it was good for winter riding. Also if you are pushing on with a big fixed gear, then strangely it does feel better to have your momentum "help" you to keep the pressure on. Hard to explain until you try it, but that situation is far away from the low geared fixed bikes you see around generally, it's racing.
I've ridden fixed myself but fall into the category of folks who just "don't get it". To me it's like buying an Elise and then not using anything other than first gear, but each to his/her own.....
Just like when you first go to single speed and it's so much harder having to deal with hills and spinning at speed, but you eventually just accept it and become stronger and fitter because of it, when you go fixed, you have to deal with not being able to coast. It's hard at first, particularly when descending or sprinting until you feel you can't pedal any more, whereas normally you'd just coast and take a breather, riding fixed, you have no choice but to keep going. Eventually this becomes second nature and you become stronger and fitter because of it.
If you ride fixed regularly and then take a ride with someone with gears, you'll quickly see how much more you put into it when they start clicking down the gears as soon as it gets slightly tough and how often they spend not actually riding at all, but just sitting on a freewheeling bike.
Supposedly the constant, smooth motion of the cranks turning will help you develop a better pedal technique and souplesse.
Also, if riding anywhere remotely lumpy it's a little bit like having intervals forced on you.
I'm crap at bunny hops and couldn't manage a proper one on any kind of bike, but I can do a little one when pedaling fixed that, while not enough to clear a brick in the road or something, is enough to get over a pothole or sunken drain. Or at least take enough weight off the bike so that the bike doesn't bang into them. I've yet to get a pinch puncture with 23c tyres and my wheels are still perfectly true and I ride on some pretty s
tty roads.
If you ride fixed regularly and then take a ride with someone with gears, you'll quickly see how much more you put into it when they start clicking down the gears as soon as it gets slightly tough and how often they spend not actually riding at all, but just sitting on a freewheeling bike.
Supposedly the constant, smooth motion of the cranks turning will help you develop a better pedal technique and souplesse.
Also, if riding anywhere remotely lumpy it's a little bit like having intervals forced on you.
I'm crap at bunny hops and couldn't manage a proper one on any kind of bike, but I can do a little one when pedaling fixed that, while not enough to clear a brick in the road or something, is enough to get over a pothole or sunken drain. Or at least take enough weight off the bike so that the bike doesn't bang into them. I've yet to get a pinch puncture with 23c tyres and my wheels are still perfectly true and I ride on some pretty s
tty roads.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff