I'm in a quandary - fixie, or road bike?

[Henry Hawthorne]

Hi,

I have been mountain biking pretty much all my life but I want another bike that I can blast about on the road with. But there's a problem.

What I want is a road bike for fitness stuff. However, I'm going to uni in October and will need a bike then for getting around, and I'm sure a fixie would be better in this respect (looks cheaper, easier to maintain, won't worry about leaving it outside). A road bike would be all kinds of hassle (and I'll look like a tt on road bike if I only want to go to town). The fixie I'm sure can also be used for fitness on the road (according to ring set up) and I'm not too bothered about hills as I used to have a Curtis SX24 and didn't have too much problem hefting that heavy lump up hills.

So, the fixie is probably cheaper, and a better long term option for uni. The road bike is a better bike and will be more useful further into the future. I cannot afford both a road bike and a fixie, so which one should I choose?

Thanks,

Sharief

[Beyond Rational]

This isn't the answer to your question, but when I had this problem, I went for a BMX. Several obvious disadvantages with a BMX but quite a few benefits; lots of fun, harder for miscreants to bend/damage, very simple and robust and easier to store/transport.

[Tall_Paul]

Go for the fixed gear! I recently picked up this, a Felt Dispatch, for the short commute to work and general riding. You'll get fitter much quicker on the fixed as you can't stop pedalling, and the only way get up hills is to blast up them, which the Felt does, courtesy of it's light weight and the momentum of the fixed gear.



There are a few different styles of fixed gear bikes, some are less 'road bike' looking as they have flat bars as opposed to drops, and traditional (i.e. not compact) frames, and some also have steeper track geometry.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Sunday 10th May 01:29

[mchammer89]

Go for the fixed, it's a lot more fun and you'll get much fitter.

[AnotherClarkey]

One unexpected benefit of fixed I found is that it is much easier to do proper powerslides with them on gravel!

[Henry Hawthorne]

Hmm, those weren't the replies I was expecting after reading threads on here about how fixies are for fashion wes! Oh well, looks like I'll be heading down to Brick Lane Bikes once I've finished my exams to pick up a tasty new fixie!

Liking the look of the Charge Plug but I think it might be a little heavy? Trek SoHo also looks quite cool but I think that's just an SSer rather a fixed-wheel.

[mchammer89]

The Charge Plug certainly is one of the heavier OTPs available, my recommendation would be either a Langster or a Fuji Track, both great lightweight agile bikes.

[Parsnip]

I really dont understand the whole fixie thing - what is the point? (unless its on the track obv.)

Buying a fixie just to make a fashion statement is a bit stupid - a fixie isn't as versatile as a road bike, and is much worse in every scenario - uphill, downhill and on the flats

Maintaining a roadie isnt hard - adjusting derailleurs is easy and cables need replacing every 7000-10000 miles - big deal?

If you really want to look like a unwashed, lentilist courier then buy a SS - you can still attend anti-war rallies and critical mass rides - but you wont knacker your knees.

[mchammer89]

Parsnip said:

I really dont understand the whole fixie thing - what is the point? (unless its on the track obv.)

Buying a fixie just to make a fashion statement is a bit stupid - a fixie isn't as versatile as a road bike, and is much worse in every scenario - uphill, downhill and on the flats

Maintaining a roadie isnt hard - adjusting derailleurs is easy and cables need replacing every 7000-10000 miles - big deal?

If you really want to look like a unwashed, lentilist courier then buy a SS - you can still attend anti-war rallies and critical mass rides - but you wont knacker your knees.

Haven't you read any of the responses? My main reason for riding fixed is for fitness, it works the body harder than a road bike, as you need to really push on the uphills which develops strength, and you need to spin like a bh on the downhills, which keeps your leg muscles supple, they're much lighter than the road bike equivilant (my £200 bike weighs about 8.5 kilos) which means they're much more agile and as a result more fun, especially in the city, speaking of which, riding through traffic is much easier fixed because you adjust your speed naturally, without having to have your fingers right on the brake just in case, which makes your ride much smoother and as a result more enjoyable. Some people just decide to ride fixed/ss in winter when the conditions aren't too kind to the gears and brakes, some use it as a winter training bike. The way I look at it, unless you're going on a really long, really hilly ride, why have a geared bike? I've done hilly rides over 100 miles on my fixed and was fine (though I do have a roadie for when I just want a nice leisurely ride through the country/seriously long hilly ride). Adjusting derailleurs is easy, but it's also tedious, and in the city, where you don't need all those gears, it's just another thing to go wrong.

For the record, i'm not a messenger, i've never been to an anti-war rally, or a critical mass ride, and my knees are fine.

[Parsnip]

Apologies if i came across a bit confrontational - but i still really dont see the point of a fixie.

You seem to be limiting yourself for the sake of it. I would argue a roadie is much better for fitness just because of the versatility. If you want to go do a hilly ride you can - not something you can do on a fixie(unless you are running a 39/21 in which case, you are useless on the flats) maybe your definition of hills is different to mine, or do you just enjoy climbing at a cadence of 20-30, which WILL break your knees?

[b2hbm]

hmm, I've got to say I don't understand the attraction either. I can see it's a good idea for messengers or for a bike that you're just using to pop round the shops, race in a hillclimb or a "10" on flat roads, etc, but for anything else I just can't see it.

Ok, I'm an old git & in the 60s/70s some club riders would switch to fixed for winter, so I have given it a go. But it wasn't to get fit, it was because it was cheaper. A cassette would get trashed over winter and in those days road bike kit was comparatively expensive.

For general riding there are lots of downsides; for example, you might think you're going fast but you aren't going to corner at anything like the same speed if you're pedalling whilst cranked over. And unless you're pedalling quite slowly or have thighs like Chris Hoy then the braking force is neglible compared with modern brakes.

For me the biggest snag was what gear do you use ? if you pick something mid ranged, say 70-74", then a 60-120 cadence will take you from about 12 to 25mph (ish). So unless you're truly gifted that takes out most steep hills and 25mph on the flat isn't that fantastic. Picking a lower gear just takes down your top speed and a larger gear cuts both your acceleration & climbing ability.

I'd certainly agree that fixed gets you a smooth pedalling style and a single gear option can make your rides tougher. But there's no reason why you can't do exactly the same on a geared bike; just stick on 42x16 and keep pedalling, where's the difference ?

If you're after one bike for all seasons then there's no contest, a road bike is far more versatile for all round use. After all, you don't see many fixies in road races, do you ?

[Parsnip]

b2hbm said:

If you're after one bike for all seasons then there's no contest, a road bike is far more versatile for all round use. After all, you don't see many fixies in road races, do you ?

If i saw a fixed in a RR/Crit i would be staying well clear and waiting for the inevitable pedal strike to throw him off his bike.

[mchammer89]

Parsnip said:

Apologies if i came across a bit confrontational - but i still really dont see the point of a fixie.

You seem to be limiting yourself for the sake of it. I would argue a roadie is much better for fitness just because of the versatility. If you want to go do a hilly ride you can - not something you can do on a fixie(unless you are running a 39/21 in which case, you are useless on the flats) maybe your definition of hills is different to mine, or do you just enjoy climbing at a cadence of 20-30, which WILL break your knees?

Your point about the road bike being better because it's more versatile, to me the comparison between riding a geared and fixed bike is like riding a geared bike with or without aerobars, if you ride without aerobars for so many months and do a TT with aerobars, all things equal (and assuming you can use them properly) you will be faster than if you'd rode for the same amount of time using aerobars, as you'd be fitter because you had less aids. I rode to Brighton and back and there are some pretty decent hills there, it's no Alpe D'Huez but there's a few steep ones, I was running on 74GI which got me up all the hills and is a great gear on the flats, lets me average just over 20mph at 100rpm, there are some pretty steep hills that I do regularly and I would be pedalling pretty slowly on them, maybe 40rpm, but they're only about 2 mins long so I don't think it's that big of a problem.

b2hbm said:

hmm, I've got to say I don't understand the attraction either. I can see it's a good idea for messengers or for a bike that you're just using to pop round the shops, race in a hillclimb or a "10" on flat roads, etc, but for anything else I just can't see it.

I live in London, which is relatively flat, so you don't need more than 1 gear

b2hbm said:

Ok, I'm an old git & in the 60s/70s some club riders would switch to fixed for winter, so I have given it a go. But it wasn't to get fit, it was because it was cheaper. A cassette would get trashed over winter and in those days road bike kit was comparatively expensive.

For general riding there are lots of downsides; for example, you might think you're going fast but you aren't going to corner at anything like the same speed if you're pedalling whilst cranked over. And unless you're pedalling quite slowly or have thighs like Chris Hoy then the braking force is neglible compared with modern brakes.

I admit when I moved to fixed pedal strike on corners was a big worry for me, but one day I got off the bike, put the pedal at the bottom of the stroke to see how much lean I could get, and it was more than enough, most purpose-built fixed wheel bikes and all track bikes have higher bottom brackets to take care of this.

b2hbm said:

For me the biggest snag was what gear do you use ? if you pick something mid ranged, say 70-74", then a 60-120 cadence will take you from about 12 to 25mph (ish). So unless you're truly gifted that takes out most steep hills and 25mph on the flat isn't that fantastic. Picking a lower gear just takes down your top speed and a larger gear cuts both your acceleration & climbing ability.

Like I said above i'm running 74GI and I can comfortably ride at a bit over 20mph, being able to hit 33/34 on the flat when I sprint. Like I said above, I use this for London, so there aren't that many big hills, it's a bike for getting around on, so most routes are 10-20 miles with traffic, so i'm not aiming for 25mph

b2hbm said:

I'd certainly agree that fixed gets you a smooth pedalling style and a single gear option can make your rides tougher. But there's no reason why you can't do exactly the same on a geared bike; just stick on 42x16 and keep pedalling, where's the difference ?

I've tried it on a geared bike, it doesn't work, first of all, the freewheel takes away from any advantage you would get for your pedalling motion, and even though you keep telling yourself you won't switch gear, you almost always do, whether you give in or do it out of habit, plus as I said before, they are noticibly lighter than the comparable road bike.

b2hbm said:

If you're after one bike for all seasons then there's no contest, a road bike is far more versatile for all round use. After all, you don't see many fixies in road races, do you ?

I've got both a fixed and a road bike, horses for courses. I have a few friends who regularly ride TTs and they use their fixed wheel bikes in those, like i've said before, if your ride is pretty constant gradient, then you only need one gear, why bother with more?

Apologies for the long posts guys

[hondafanatic]

Is it just me or has no one mentioned a single speed, not a fixie? I ride a single speed for commuting because it's near to zero maintainence (spelling??) as I can get. On my commute, I don't think a fixie would be any advantage. It's a specialized tricross SS if anyone wants to google it.

[mchammer89]

Well the OP did state fixed or geared, singlespeeds have the same advantage as they're about as low maintenence as fixed, but I find fixed much more fun.

[Tall_Paul]

hondafanatic said:

Is it just me or has no one mentioned a single speed, not a fixie? I ride a single speed for commuting because it's near to zero maintainence (spelling??) as I can get. On my commute, I don't think a fixie would be any advantage. It's a specialized tricross SS if anyone wants to google it.

Most (if not all) off-the-peg fixed gears come with a flip-flop rear hub, with a freewheel on one side and a fixed sprocket on the other. I rode for the first few days SS, mainly 'cos I hadn't ridden for about 5 years (MTB'ing before) but once I flipped I've not gone back.

Alos I live in Bristol which is certainly not flat! I have no problems getting up 99% of hills, although I am running 65 GI at the moment, but I'll probably change this to 70ish GI once my fitness has improved.

It's hard to explain riding a fixed unless you've done it, when it's windy or uphill it's great as the momentum makes it easier to pedal.

[Tall_Paul]

Parsnip said:

I would argue a roadie is much better for fitness just because of the versatility. If you want to go do a hilly ride you can - not something you can do on a fixie(unless you are running a 39/21 in which case, you are useless on the flats) maybe your definition of hills is different to mine, or do you just enjoy climbing at a cadence of 20-30, which WILL break your knees?

The whole thing about fitness and fixed gears is that if you're on a roadie, when you get to a hill, you can change down a couple of cogs and spin up it, exerting about the same energy as if you were on the flat. Same on a downhill, change up a couple of cogs and speed down, or coast down.

On a fixed gear, to get up the same hill you have to get out of the saddle and crank like hell to keep your speed (and cadence) up, using loads of energy. Like-for-like a fixed gear rider will beat a roadie to the top, but will be absolutley fked when he gets there!

On a downhill, some fixed riders can hit 150-180rpm which again helps fitness and suppleness.

Basically, a fixed gives you a much more intense workout compared to a roadie, hence improving your fitness quicker.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Monday 11th May 15:56

[mchammer89]

That's what i've been trying to say, I guess that with riding fixed, people either "get it" or don't.

[hondafanatic]

Tall_Paul said:

hondafanatic said:

Is it just me or has no one mentioned a single speed, not a fixie? I ride a single speed for commuting because it's near to zero maintainence (spelling??) as I can get. On my commute, I don't think a fixie would be any advantage. It's a specialized tricross SS if anyone wants to google it.

Most (if not all) off-the-peg fixed gears come with a flip-flop rear hub, with a freewheel on one side and a fixed sprocket on the other. I rode for the first few days SS, mainly 'cos I hadn't ridden for about 5 years (MTB'ing before) but once I flipped I've not gone back.

Alos I live in Bristol which is certainly not flat! I have no problems getting up 99% of hills, although I am running 65 GI at the moment, but I'll probably change this to 70ish GI once my fitness has improved.

It's hard to explain riding a fixed unless you've done it, when it's windy or uphill it's great as the momentum makes it easier to pedal.

Did you fit a locking ring when you flipped to fix? I keep getting conflicting advice...

[Tall_Paul]

hondafanatic said:

Tall_Paul said:

hondafanatic said:

Is it just me or has no one mentioned a single speed, not a fixie? I ride a single speed for commuting because it's near to zero maintainence (spelling??) as I can get. On my commute, I don't think a fixie would be any advantage. It's a specialized tricross SS if anyone wants to google it.

Most (if not all) off-the-peg fixed gears come with a flip-flop rear hub, with a freewheel on one side and a fixed sprocket on the other. I rode for the first few days SS, mainly 'cos I hadn't ridden for about 5 years (MTB'ing before) but once I flipped I've not gone back.

Alos I live in Bristol which is certainly not flat! I have no problems getting up 99% of hills, although I am running 65 GI at the moment, but I'll probably change this to 70ish GI once my fitness has improved.

It's hard to explain riding a fixed unless you've done it, when it's windy or uphill it's great as the momentum makes it easier to pedal.

Did you fit a locking ring when you flipped to fix? I keep getting conflicting advice...

Mine came with a lockring already fitted, you need a lockring if you're gonna be skidding or slowing down by back-pedalling, but it's probably a good idea anyway.