Has anyone given up the gears?
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Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Chillibones » Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:46 pm
I got a Wilier fixie at Christmas and have been using it a lot more than my geared bike. My regular rides take in hills and flats and on Monday I rode 52km with plenty left in the tank. This got me thinking about whether I need the geared bike at all or is just going to end up neglected.
Has anyone moved away from geared bikes?
How have you found it, did you go back?
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby bychosis » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:35 pm
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Mulger bill » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:26 pm
London Boy 29/12/2011
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Chillibones » Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:14 am
There's something about the fixie that makes it so much more fun to ride. I commute most days on it now, and it does become quite 'addictive'.
I have a geared mountain bike which I'll keep as an 'all rounder' but I may sell the road bike and buy another fixie. Decisions, decisions.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby BRLVR.v2 » Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:40 am
You obviously don't ride in(real) hills much.Chillibones wrote: but I may sell the road bike and buy another fixie. Decisions, decisions.
I was rolling fixed only (1bike) for awhile but missed being able to climb up To lofty or Norton Summit. A new Caad10 sorted that. I've been commuting fixed for the last 5 months but the novelty is starting to wear off and I'm gonna put lights on the roadie and ride that for bit.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby singlespeedscott » Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:33 am
However if the rides a fast group ride or anything involving some serious climbs I crack out the gears.
I love the fix, but gears have their place.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Chillibones » Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:59 pm
I agree gears have a place, I guess it depends on what sort of cycling we do. Speed is not the most important thing to me these days, and whilst there are some areas that have pretend hills there is nothing I can't get up slowly. I'm enjoying the challenge that the fixie has brought me, the daily commute is a 32k round trip and since I started it at the beginning of the year I've noticed a rapid improvement in my cycling fitness.
I don't want this to become a 'who's done the hardest, fastest, hilliest etc etc thread, just interested in peoples experiences.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby rkelsen » Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:18 pm
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby ColinOldnCranky » Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:44 pm
- no freewheel
- no brake pads, no cable, no calipers, no grips
- no derailleurs, no chain ring, no cluster, no levers, no chain. And again, no cable.
- no handle bars, no headset
- no training wheel!!!
- no legal requirement for helmet (Almost forgot that one)
- no legal requirement for lights, reflectors, bell
No penalties for riding home after a heavy evening at the bar.
None of those annoying freeloading uninvited drafters. (Of course, you also don't get much company either. )
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby HLC » Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:42 am
this.singlespeedscott wrote:I ride my fixed gear for commuting to work, 50 km round trip. Solo training or slow group rides. Either flat or rolling hills. Any distance up to 100km +.
However if the rides a fast group ride or anything involving some serious climbs I crack out the gears.
I love the fix, but gears have their place.
except i don't commute.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Bobbybobson » Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:19 pm
I rode nothing but fixed for about 3 years, mostly due to being unable to afford another bike. Only in the last month did I put together an old roady with a 1x8 set-up so I can tackle the long and steep hills I want to ride.singlespeedscott wrote:I ride my fixed gear for commuting to work, 50 km round trip. Solo training or slow group rides. Either flat or rolling hills. Any distance up to 100km +.
However if the rides a fast group ride or anything involving some serious climbs I crack out the gears.
I love the fix, but gears have their place.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Chillibones » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:23 pm
Three years is some going on a fixie in this day and age.
Your 1x8 is interesting to me. I'm working on a project bike at the moment, it was a 10 speed Europa, it's all stripped down and ready to go to the powdercoaters, I was going to keep it as a single speed but it's tempting to make it a 1X5 for the added flexability.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby BRLVR.v2 » Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:35 am
If its a steel frame then weight saving isn't a factor. So wny not have a second chainring and fd for the extra grams and enjoy a proper range of gears? You already have a solo geared bike. Whzts another coupla hundred grams on a 10 plus kilo 80's roadie any way. Fd prevents chain drop too.Chillibones wrote:Bobbybobson,
Three years is some going on a fixie in this day and age.
Your 1x8 is interesting to me. I'm working on a project bike at the moment, it was a 10 speed Europa, it's all stripped down and ready to go to the powdercoaters, I was going to keep it as a single speed but it's tempting to make it a 1X5 for the added flexability.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Bobbybobson » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:51 pm
What derailleur are you considering using? Is it old or new? If it's old and not in great condition, I'd recommend going a modern-ish 8 speed if possible. I've got a new SRAM 8 speed cassette and 1980-90s Shimano 600 groupset. Works great.
I'd definitely consider getting something to stop chain drop if you're running a single chainring. Mine's only dropped 3 times in 350kms but it's worth getting one of the little devices available (something smaller than a front der.)
BLVR: I haven't found 'range' to be a problem. 44x11 is plenty for downhill; I easily hit 65km which is about as fast as I ever need to go. 44x28 is low enough for hills. Any lower and I might as well get off and walk.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby master6 » Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:01 pm
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby landscapecadmonkey » Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:03 pm
I commuted on a fixed gear bike for about 12mths solid few years back, then intermittently .... then not ... but occasionally get it out for fun / a commute / thirsty thursday / bare foot bowls on a sunday / flat track ride to the coast.....
There are too many other bikes for fun and utility in the garage that have gears.
Hats off to the fixed only rider though.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby europa » Sun Mar 03, 2013 12:47 am
Fixed all the way ... except when I use the geared grid.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby sarrow » Sun Aug 18, 2013 4:23 pm
I don't feel the need for gears at all, and after the smooth silence of a belt drive, a clattering derailleur and gear changes would irk me. If I rode more competitively I'm sure I'd change my mind, but for me, fixed is where it's at.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby lobstermash » Sun Aug 18, 2013 5:59 pm
Riding SS has made me a better rider, but it's also made half my roadie's gear superfluous....
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby ldrcycles » Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:37 pm
I did 50km this morning on my steel Mercier which included a couple of reasonably steep hills and never needed to change out of the big ring, the big attraction of 1x on a steel road bike for me is the look .BRLVR.v2 wrote:If its a steel frame then weight saving isn't a factor. So wny not have a second chainring and fd for the extra grams and enjoy a proper range of gears? You already have a solo geared bike. Whzts another coupla hundred grams on a 10 plus kilo 80's roadie any way. Fd prevents chain drop too.Chillibones wrote:Bobbybobson,
Three years is some going on a fixie in this day and age.
Your 1x8 is interesting to me. I'm working on a project bike at the moment, it was a 10 speed Europa, it's all stripped down and ready to go to the powdercoaters, I was going to keep it as a single speed but it's tempting to make it a 1X5 for the added flexability.
And another +1 for this, except I would say like rather than love, going fast is too important to me .singlespeedscott wrote: I love the fix, but gears have their place.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby miml » Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:10 pm
I love it to bits, am actually thinking if it will be too much of a work out in Summer. You know, it is going to be HOT.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby brasstinman » Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:00 pm
I'll be happy to ride this longer distances and at the moment I don't feel like I need a geared bike.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby rkelsen » Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:57 am
Me three. It looks much neater and I didn't want to ruin the new paintjob with a clamp-on FD.ldrcycles wrote:I did 50km this morning on my steel Mercier which included a couple of reasonably steep hills and never needed to change out of the big ring, the big attraction of 1x on a steel road bike for me is the lookBRLVR.v2 wrote:If its a steel frame then weight saving isn't a factor. So wny not have a second chainring and fd for the extra grams and enjoy a proper range of gears? You already have a solo geared bike. Whzts another coupla hundred grams on a 10 plus kilo 80's roadie any way. Fd prevents chain drop too.
I've got a single 42t chainring and 11-28 cassette on my retro roady. Cranking top gear at ~100rpm, I can sit on 50kph. Plenty fast enough for me. I've contemplated switching to a 44 or 46 tooth chainring because they look better on paper, but then I go for a ride and always decide to stick with the 42 because it is so much fun.
There's plenty of range with the 11-28 cassette. Maybe I've been lucky, but chain drop hasn't happened to me yet.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby Clownshoes » Thu Sep 26, 2013 4:42 pm
Still got a 9 speed road bike (steelisreal spec) for 100km+ rides and a flat bar road bike with 2x10 shifters but the simplicity and stealth of that singlespeed means it gets ridden a lot. I also commute regularly on a fixed gear bike because beers instead of gears yolo.
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Re: Has anyone given up the gears?
Postby ldrcycles » Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:33 pm
Clownshoes wrote: because beers instead of gears yolo.
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