Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

So I've built up a fixie and taken it on a couple of rides, only short having a lack of time at the moment. I think I like it, but won't be ditching my geared bikes, especially the MTB (by far my favorite style of riding). I think it will have its place in my fleet for irregular use, occasional commuting etc. I love the simplicity, the silence and am getting used to spinning all the time.

What has been your experience trying fixed? Are you converted, have come from track, was a waste of time and money?

I rode fixie in my youth, when it was the only option, and tried it again recently. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. It's a hipster fad.

Just too many hills around here for me to enjoy riding with 1 gear.

Definitely appears to be a hipster fad, but Sheldon Browns site got me really thinking it would be worth trying, and when you can grab a set of wheels and tyres for $90 to the door and have the other parts on hand... Why not try it, someone will probably pay to much for it when I'm done!

Single speed, but not fixed. I absolutely love my single speed, obviously it has limitations but when the terrain suits it it feels fantastic.

Free for the road, fixed for the track.

I pretty much never stop pedalling anyway, so the only difference to me is that a fixie doesn't let me position my pedal where I want it to restart. And occasionally if I specifically want to coast, the stupid drivetrain won't let me. Switching from freewheeling singlespeed to fixed just cripples my bike slightly, for no benefit whatsoever.

Riding on road without brakes is a dumb idea, so that's a non-issue either way... my bike will have brakes, and if I have them, I will use them.

Freewheels were a great invention. I see no reason to deprive myself of this invention.

tim

Tell yer in a week or so...

Mulger bill wrote:Tell yer in a week or so...

Maaate, you are not still working on that ss/fixed you've been threatening us with since forever are you?

barefoot wrote: Riding on road without brakes is a hell of a challenge, but heaps of fun

FTFY.

Oh and the poll is probably not a true representation now any way as some of the above softies have voted ,and they are confessed single speeders only.
Flip ya wheel and go for a ride ya Nancys

I tried fixed and it wasn't for me but I do strictly ride single speed. I live in a pretty flat area with a few minor inclines and can go for a decent ride keeping a good cadence. Fixed made my knees ache too much and I'm on my feet 12hours a night at work so can't afford too much pain in them!

I love riding a fix gear. Been riding them for years.

One of my fondest memories is riding my uncles track bike up and down the rd out front of his house when I was 10 (God knows how I didn't knacker myself on the top tube ).

I use mine for commuting, solo training on flatish terrain and slower group rides. I love how you never get to rest. Every hill is an effort, every descent a sprint. I read somewhere that Sir Oppy always rode one for his pre-season LSD (Long Slow Distance) training.

Honestly I can't see why I won't continue to ride one for as long as I can ride a bike.

I just need a chain and I am back to riding fixed again after almost 2 years without one. I still have my other bikes though.

BRLVR.v2 wrote:

barefoot wrote: Riding on road without brakes is a hell of a challenge, but heaps of fun

FTFY.

Yeah, in the same way as Russian roulette, juggling chainsaws and swimming with sharks is fun.

Maybe I don't have enough faith in my fellow road users and their ability to act predictably.

I'll keep my brakes thanks.

tim

BRLVR.v2 wrote:

barefoot wrote: Riding on road without brakes is a hell of a challenge, but heaps of fun

FTFY.

Yeah, in the same way as Russian roulette, juggling chainsaws and swimming with sharks is fun.

Maybe I don't have enough faith in my fellow road users and their ability to act predictably.

I'll keep my brakes thanks.

tim

Been riding fixed on the road for 3 years now. 2 years brakeless pushing 80gi.

Built myself a fancy road bike with 2012 campag and haven't put 1000km on it in 9 months. I don't enjoy riding it like my track bikes.

I mostly ride fixed for work...10 hours a day, roughly 90-100km a day as a courier
At the end of a busy day it's usually my backside that hurts from the (almost) non-stop pedalling when riding fixed but, I love it
Sometimes I choose to ride my single-speed freewheeler and I love that too

I enjoy riding both types but, I get a bigger kick out of trackstanding my freewheelers at the lights because it's not as easy
I don't know if I could ever go back to riding with gears though

I love riding single speed, you really feel the benefit in the drive train. I'm happy to ride SS anywhere, furthest I've been is about 80k. SS really gets you outta the saddle, best training! I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. I'll only take it out on slow family rides or on a simple weekend run, something with no traffic lights, not much traffic and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

BRLVR.v2 wrote: Flip ya wheel and go for a ride ya Nancys

My commute includes an 80+kmh downhill, i want to be able to coast! .

RobertFrith wrote:I love riding single speed, you really feel the benefit in the drive train. I'm happy to ride SS anywhere, furthest I've been is about 80k. SS really gets you outta the saddle, best training!

+1, there's this feeling i get through the pedals, the first words that come to mind are 'smooth' and 'tight' but i think 'efficient' is a bit closer to the mark. It just feels right, none of my geared bikes feel as good to pedal. And i don't know if it's that 'efficiency', the fact i'm forced to work hard on the hills, or the top end limit stopping me from going too hard and blowing up, but i've recently taken chunks off my previous best (geared) times for my commute and a local climb using my SS.

When i first rode a SS it was a real love/hate thing, but i'm finding the fitter i get the more the balance is swinging to love.

RobertFrith wrote:I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. SNIP ...and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

Gotta admit this is my biggest worry with my impending experiment with FG. All tips welcome...

Mulger bill wrote:

RobertFrith wrote:I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. SNIP ...and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

Gotta admit this is my biggest worry with my impending experiment with FG. All tips welcome...

Get a proper frame, ie a track frame with a higher BB, and run 165/170 cranks.
Pedal strike is overstated though.Just ride it and you will adjust.

Mulger bill wrote:

RobertFrith wrote:I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. SNIP ...and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

Gotta admit this is my biggest worry with my impending experiment with FG. All tips welcome...

Yes, I have memories of a painfully mangled toe from my early fixed gear experiences.

Oxford wrote: I ran 180mm cranks on my fixie, on an MTB frame, never had pedal strike problems..

MTB has a higher BB, and if you run 700c it'd be an advantage too.

BRLVR.v2 wrote:

Mulger bill wrote:

RobertFrith wrote:I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. SNIP ...and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

Gotta admit this is my biggest worry with my impending experiment with FG. All tips welcome...

Get a proper frame, ie a track frame with a higher BB, and run 165/170 cranks.
Pedal strike is overstated though.Just ride it and you will adjust.

I might just end up doing that if I enjoy the experience. For the moment, I'm happy to go down the tightwad path to enlightenment

Mulger bill wrote: I might just end up doing that if I enjoy the experience. For the moment, I'm happy to go down the tightwad path to enlightenment

I'm using that technique too. Test it with budget gear.

As for the pedal strike thing, scares me too, I think that before next ride I might put the pedals at bottom of stroke, and lean the bike over until they hit to see how far to take it while riding.

Mulger bill wrote:

RobertFrith wrote:I have one vintage fixed bike, freaks me out. SNIP ...and definitely no sharp corners that risk a pedal meeting the road

Gotta admit this is my biggest worry with my impending experiment with FG. All tips welcome...

Toe overlap is a bigger issue if you are running a proper track frame rather than some pox conversion.