fixed

tcklyde

Around here in Boston MA I'd say literally 50% of the under 30 riders cruising around town are on fixed gear bikes. Courier chic is very, very hip.

I ride my track back and forth to work: great exercise! And I take it for long rides on the weekends. Nothing feels better than blowing by fancy pants weekend warriors huffing away on their $5,000 DA dreams machines on my single speed, one brake track!

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Harry

velomanct

I ride my track back and forth to work: great exercise! And I take it for long rides on the weekends. Nothing feels better than blowing by fancy pants weekend warriors huffing away on their $5,000 DA dreams machines on my single speed, one brake track! [/B][/QUOTE]


not every ride is a time trial for some people. i average 14mph on recovery rides, on my dura ace c'dale.

skin flute

i ride brakeless in downtown toronto traffic on a daily basis. as mentioned before, it forces you to be aware of your surroundings at all times...something a freewheel equipped bicycle certainly doesn't encourage. i see commuters blowing by parked cars with less than a foot between themselves and the doors, barely paying attention to what's in front, beside, or behind them. what's more dangerous....a concientious rider on a brakeless rig or some mindless clown with a regular set-up?

EoinC

Case in point :
Yesterday I took my fixed wheel (with the brakes as demanded by she-who-must-be-obeyed) through down-town Kuala Lumpur with its endemic lock-up traffic jams and total disregard of lanes & stop lights. It was absolutely pissing down with rain - I was nearly taken out by 2 albacore tuna on their way to the pilchard grounds - and had forgotten just how crappy my brakes are when they're wet. It was kind of weird that, when I had trouble pulling up, I'd lost the instinct to hold back on the pedals. I slapped myself silly and rode brakeless for the rest of the ride - much better control.

skin flute

agreed. i know some guys here that ride track bikes in the snow--something i myself will never do--but riding in the rain is cool, just gotta go slower. i slammed pretty hard earlier in january when i hit a patch of ice. however, that had nothing to do with going brakeless--rather because i'm poor and can't afford to change from my slicks in the winter riding months.

Ira in Chi

I like riding fixed in the winter because it gives me more awareness and control over what my rear wheel is doing in slippery conditions.

I like to run brakes because i've found that constantly backpedalling hurts my knees. I can stop equally as fast either way though.

It may only be psychological, but i think the fluid behavior of fixed gear bikes is more natural in traffic than the start-stop pacing of a freewheel.

holokaibrown

So we all know that bikes can think for themselves.

I got a fixed about 5 months ago and since then I'm sure that my three other bikes have been plotting to kill it. I've become addicted and can't ride anything else. It rules. In fact I love it so much that I'm buying a bianchi pista in a few weeks.

EoinC

I picked up my track bike when I was living near a Velodrome in Perth and wanted to start back track racing whenever I was home. I subsequently moved further away and the Fixie ended up spending all its time on the road, with the Roadies hangin' up in the shed. I love riding it on the road.It chases those cars and buses like nothing else (until I spin out) and behaves extremly well in decidedly dodgey circumstances. When I moved up to Malaysia, it was the Fixie that came with me.

Eoin C

Coileán

I too ride a fixed on the road. Snow, slush, sleet, rain, and whatever else comes my way. And if we're keeping track o' numbers, I do about 300 miles on your average week (pure city riding).

As for a brake, well, it's there. It doesn't work, but it's there.

gboff

Love ridin the track bike on the road... until i hit a hill! Big gear and no brakes dont work down hills!

teammiyata

All my bikes are fixed. The riding I do ranges from inner-city traffic chaos to long distance endurance-athons (200+ miles). I have 2 pistas and 2 converted MTB frames with 700c wheels. The MTB frames are so cool. They have a naturally high bb, are very stiff(lugged steel all the way) and when you strip them down are really light. Only drawback is the long wheelbase most MTB's have.
People ask me about the no-manual brake thing from time to time and I guess the best piece of advice would be to use big rear cogs and always use the high-carbon chains.
The bigger the cog is--the easier it is to slow down. You are actually grabbing more suface area of the cog creating less friction and saving your legs/life. You also get to run real big front rings making you look way strong... unless somebody shows up with a calculator.
Professional or keirin track chains are strong. You could tow a Buick with one. Maintain your chain. Don't be afraid to buy a new one every 3-4 thousand miles.
If you can't lock up the rear wheel-YOU MUST HAVE A MANUAL BRAKE.
Back pedalling muscles are the hallmark of the fixed-gear rider and are the root of most problems for beginners. You have to develop and condition a whole new set of muscles that your "gearey" bike has completely ignored. If you have to back pedal real hard and you don't have the muscle to back it up other parts of the knee are going to absorb the shock...and that ain't good

mr.goggles

I have been looking to get a fixie for a while and will definately be running at least 1 brake. Do you guys have any reccomendations for what size chainring/cog i should go with for mild hills/commuting on the street?


By the way whoever mentioned love n' haight - you made me salivate with an incredible craving for peppered veggie steak.... oh god

teammiyata

Some fixed riders like big ratios, but to me that kinda defeats the purpose of riding fixed. For myself I would run about a 65 inch gear for commuting and hills. You might need something smaller to start with perhaps 62 inch. I usually run a flip flop hub with 18t on one side and 19t on another. Throughout the year I'll go from a 45 front ring to a 50 or 51. A good starting gear would be something like 46x18. From there, just do what your legs tell you. Take it slow at first so as to build those backpedaling muscles. Cheers.

EoinC

What crank lengths are the rest of you using? I'm on 165's om my Fixie. I don't mind it and I never touch down unless the corner is reverse camber, but it certainly hits on the hills.