Anyone hate fixed gears?

The complaints I've heard from various people about fixed
gear bikes are similar to the people with Hummers
complaining about gas mileage. Such brilliance such as: Its
hard to go up hills if it is geared one way Slower top speed
if geared another way Less agressive cornering (cannot turn
at angles where pedals would hit ground).

I am sure I am forgetting many others

_Kurd

"Bruce Rideout" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to taking the
plunge on a fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive though,
because I won't be able to try one for any length of time
before buying. However, EVERYONE I've spoken to (or read
about) that has tried a fixed gear has loved it. Is there
anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the road
and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you didn't
like or that just didn't work out for you?

Thanks,

Bruce Rideout

On 22 Jun 2004 18:24:48 -0700, [email hidden] (Bruce

Rideout) said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to taking the
plunge on a fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive though,
because I won't be able to try one for any length of time
before buying. However, EVERYONE I've spoken to (or read
about) that has tried a fixed gear has loved it. Is there
anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the road and
has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you didn't like
or that just didn't work out for you?

I created one by accident once, and rode it that way just
long enough (a couple of weeks, as I recall) to conclude
that I never, ever wanted to do that again. (Yes, it had
hand brakes. No, that didn't make it less intolerable.)

Rule of thumb for all such things: Your mileage may vary.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to
reply via email. Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.

Bruce Rideout said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the
road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you
didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

My first attempt or two, no fun. Part of "racer" lore, I
kept at it another time or two and had fun. If the fixed is
a pain, you can change to single speed, BMX freewheel.
Somewhat different animal but also possibly fun. Not a
mandatory assignment. --TP

"Tom Paterson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bruce Rideout said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on
the road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that
you didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

My first attempt or two, no fun. Part of "racer" lore, I
kept at it another time or two and had fun. If the fixed
is a pain, you can change to single speed, BMX freewheel.
Somewhat different animal but also possibly fun. Not a
mandatory assignment.

Are there many people running double-sided hubs with fixed
on one side and freewheel on the other?
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

When my riding had fewer steep hills I enjoyed riding a
fixed. I have all the parts now, so all I would have to do
is install the wheels but I don't. It's too hillly here for
me to enjoy.

But that's not hate, it's lack of enjoyment.

Bruce

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote >

Quoted message said:

Are there many people running double-sided hubs with fixed
on one side and freewheel on the other?

Yes, but I hardly ever flip mine. The only time I use the
F/W side is when I go off-road.

Bruce Rideout said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on
the road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you
didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

Don't think of it as a lifetime monogamous relationship,
just a little intern on the side 🙂.

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:4ydCc.92421$eu.14349@attbi_s02...

Quoted message said:

"Mark South" <[email hidden]> wrote >

Quoted message said:

Are there many people running double-sided hubs with
fixed on one side and freewheel on the other?

Yes, but I hardly ever flip mine. The only time I use the
F/W side is when I go off-road.

Would you care to describe your setup and what you would
change or improve about it? I've been vaguely considering
putting one of these together.

I was thinking that one makes the freewheel a little lower
than the fixed, would that be the right way round?
--
Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen

Mark South said:

Would you care to describe your setup and what you would
change or improve about it? I've been vaguely considering
putting one of these together.

I was thinking that one makes the freewheel a little lower
than the fixed, would that be the right way round?

That's the way I have mine set up - 42 chainring, 17 fixed
cog, 18 single-speed freewheel. I commute 10 miles each way
on this bike and switched it over to the freewheel side when
I started riding in stop-n-go traffic. I have a chicken-and-
egg problem here: if I had better trackstands I wouldn't be
so annoyed by trying to clip in/out of the fixed gear, but
as long as I ride the freewheel side my trackstands aren't
getting any better. Maybe this fall I'll put some more time
into trackstand practice.

I haven't done any rides longer than 20 miles or so on the
fixed gear, but the shorter rides are plenty fun. I like the
simplicity of the bike
- having fewer things to break is something of an advantage
for a commuter. The things I would change about this bike
aren't related to its fixed/free nature - the front-center
is a little short so I get some toe overlap, and the
seatpost slips a bit.

JLS
--
James "Nothing a new frame wouldn't cure" Scott www.jls.cx

[email hidden] (Bruce Rideout) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to taking the
plunge on a fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive though,
because I won't be able to try one for any length of time
before buying. However, EVERYONE I've spoken to (or read
about) that has tried a fixed gear has loved it. Is there
anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the road
and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you didn't
like or that just didn't work out for you?

I didn't "hate" them until they became popular. Now I
despise the whole philosophy. Here are grown people who
couldn't wait to buy the "10 speed" they could finally
afford and now they're back spending money on fixed gear
bikes. Of course, I don't mind them spending money (I'm in
the business). Like many, I spent my youth on a single speed
bike (never "fixed"😉. I can't see the idea of going back.

In my opinion, it's a fad and a toy, and there's no real
benefit. There are some drawbacks.

Amazing young couple guys came through the other day,
touring from East coast to West, one riding a fixed gear/flip-
flop, beat-looking Peugot, 35lbs of gear on a rear rack. I
got the feeling he was holding the other guy back.

Robin Hubert

[email hidden] (Bruce Rideout) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to taking the
plunge on a fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive though,
because I won't be able to try one for any length of time
before buying. However, EVERYONE I've spoken to (or read
about) that has tried a fixed gear has loved it. Is there
anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the road
and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you didn't
like or that just didn't work out for you?

Y'know you can try out a fixed gear without spending
much money.

Find a nice old bike with horizontal dropouts, freewheel,
and quil pedals with clips and straps. Such bikes can
usually be had for a song these days.

Purchase a 3/32 track cog and find an English bottom brack
lock ring. Choose your cog such that it will be a reasonable
gear with your small chainring. I used to train with a 42x15
with such a setup though most riders I met go with a 14.

Now all you really have to do is remove the freewheel,
thread on the track cog, then spin on the the english bottom
bracket lock ring to use as a lock ring and snug it down
with a bottom bracket wrench. Shorten your chain until it is
snug going around your small chainring and your track cog.
You will want horizontal dropouts so you can fine tune the
chain tension.

True rear track hubs have a plateaued left handed lockring
so the lock ring tightens when the rider brakes. The rear
road bike hub conversion lacks this but in practice I and
nobody I met had any problem with such a setup backing off.
You might have to tighten the lock ring after a ride or two
because the cog will tighten after being ridden.

If you are more ambitious you can respace the rear hub to
improve the chain line and reduce dish. This isn't necessary
just to try out riding a fixed gear though.

I generally take my rear brake off but leave the front
brake. I leave the front brake on for emergency stops but
while riding I almost never use it.

For me the alure of riding a fixed gear was to do something
different. After riding thousands of miles I felt like
trying something different for a while in the off season.
Another benefit of a track bike is that since there is no
coasting and braking is work too you don't need as long a
ride to get the same workout. This is a nice feature in the
winter when it is cold out.
--
Bruce Jackson - Sr. Systems Programmer - DMSP, a M/A/R/C Group company

Quoted message said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on
the road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you
didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

I read lots of positive testimonials and also had
reservations. I decided to watch eBay for a time, and if I
could snag a likely one cheaply, I'd do it.

That worked out pretty well. For about $100, I got a
decent bike from one of those 2 ebay sellers that always
have a couple on offer, and rode it for 2 or 3 months. If
I were riding somewhat levelish roads I probably would
have stayed with it, but it's pretty hilly on my usual
routes, and the 81 inch gear was a b**th on the climbs. My
knees were hurting.

It cost another $40 or so to convert it to a single speed
with a ratio I can climb with (68 inches), and now the bike
works great as my poor weather commuter.

Erik

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (Robin Hubert)

Quoted message said:

In my opinion, it's a fad and a toy, and there's no real
benefit. There are some drawbacks.

Pretty good legs for a fad. Close to 25 years that I've
known about FG, goes back way beyond that. One "benefit" is
fun. If it isn't fun for you, not a problem. "Drawbacks" in
context, please. --TP

(Robin Hubert) said:

(Bruce Rideout) said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to taking
the plunge on a fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive
though, because I won't be able to try one for any
length of time before buying. However, EVERYONE I've
spoken to (or read about) that has tried a fixed gear
has loved it. Is there anyone out there who has tried a
fixed gear on the road and has NOT liked it? If so, what
was it that you didn't like or that just didn't work out
for you?

I didn't "hate" them until they became popular. Now I
despise the whole philosophy. Here are grown people who
couldn't wait to buy the "10 speed" they could finally
afford and now they're back spending money on fixed gear
bikes. Of course, I don't mind them spending money (I'm
in the business). Like many, I spent my youth on a
single speed bike (never "fixed"😉. I can't see the idea
of going back.

In my opinion, it's a fad and a toy, and there's no real
benefit. There are some drawbacks.

In my case, there was huge benefit. After buying (on the
cheap) an old road frame for conversion, I was suddenly
motivated to read up on bike repair, maintenance,
technology, even wheel and frame building. A year later, not
only do I still love learning as well as getting my hands
dirty, I am also happy to be picking up a skill that could
someday result in employment, after my current employer
decides to reroute paychecks to Bangladesh.

And I don't think I'm alone here. The simplicity of fixed
gear bikes, as well as the fixie community that I've
encountered, seems to foster knowledge and self- teaching of
this sort.

Casey, two cents poorer

"Robin Hubert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Bruce Rideout) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm close to
taking the

plunge on a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

fixed gear. I'm a bit apprehensive though, because
I won't

be able to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

try one for any length of time before buying. However,

EVERYONE I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

spoken to (or read about) that has tried a fixed
gear has

loved it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear
on the

road and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you didn't
like or

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

just didn't work out for you?

I didn't "hate" them until they became popular. Now
I despise

the

Quoted message said:

whole philosophy. Here are grown people who couldn't wait
to

buy the

Quoted message said:

"10 speed" they could finally afford and now they're back

spending

Quoted message said:

money on fixed gear bikes. Of course, I don't mind them

spending

Quoted message said:

money (I'm in the business). Like many, I spent my
youth on a

single

Quoted message said:

speed bike (never "fixed"😉. I can't see the idea of going

back.

Quoted message said:

In my opinion, it's a fad and a toy, and there's no real

benefit.

Quoted message said:

There are some drawbacks.

Amazing young couple guys came through the other
day, touring

from

Quoted message said:

East coast to West, one riding a fixed gear/flip-flop,

beat-looking

Quoted message said:

Peugot, 35lbs of gear on a rear rack. I got the feeling he
was holding the other guy back.

It has become a huge fad with the bicycle messengers here in
Portland. A couple of them have super-spendy track bikes
with barely enough clearance for 20mm clinchers, a big gear,
and, of course, no brakes. Not a good set-up for rain,
slippery bricks and killer busses. A fixed gear is a good
approach in general because the downtown is not super hilly,
and a fixed gear is easy to maintain. But the whole machismo
no brakes thing is foolish. These kids do not have the quad
strength to stop on a dime. -- Jay Beattie.

(Bruce Rideout) said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on
the road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you
didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

I built a fixie MTB for the road about a month before I left
Austin for Seattle. For the first few weeks I was getting
the hang of it and enjoying it somewhat (though the mental
vigilance required to remember not to coast was more tiring
than pushing pedals). When I moved to Seattle, which is
covered with _much_ steeper grades than Austin, I found that
the gear (44/16) was too high to climb much of the available
cityscape, and I was unable to control my speed downhill by
means other than brakes. I switched to 44/18.

It didn't help. I just can't reconcile fixed gearing and
steep hills and still have any fun doing it. I imagine that
in a flat city, a fixie might be an excellent ride, but not
here. I doubt even that I could have enjoyed it long-term
in Austin.

The risk of not enjoying your fixie is not IMO enough reason
to refrain from having one. If it does not prove to be to
your liking, you can always freewheel it for a bike that has
most of the appeal of a fixie, without the ill temper.

Chalo Colina

Jay Beattie said:

It has become a huge fad with the bicycle messengers here
in Portland. A couple of them have super-spendy track
bikes with barely enough clearance for 20mm clinchers, a
big gear, and, of course, no brakes. Not a good set-up for
rain, slippery bricks and killer busses. A fixed gear is a
good approach in general because the downtown is not super
hilly, and a fixed gear is easy to maintain. But the whole
machismo no brakes thing is foolish. These kids do not
have the quad strength to stop on a dime. -- Jay Beattie.

No one has the quad strength to stop on a dime -- using a
front brake yields much shorter stopping distances, no
matter what kind of brake you use on the rear, quads or
otherwise.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Seeing is deceiving. It's eating that's believing.
-- James Thurber

[email hidden] (Bruce Jackson) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Bruce Rideout) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

<snip>

Y'know you can try out a fixed gear without spending
much money.

Find a nice old bike with horizontal dropouts, freewheel,
and quil pedals with clips and straps. Such bikes can
usually be had for a song these days.

Boy, I wish it was true, but it doesn't seem to be that way
in San Diego. I've been looking for nearly 2 years and not a
single road bike with horizontal drop-outs in my size and
price range has turned up (seem to be plenty in the 60+cm
frame sizes, but not in the 52-54cm range). I don't want to
do e-bay, so I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment (one LBS
has a Soma Rush that looks reeeeeal nice though...).

Quoted message said:

<snip>

For me the alure of riding a fixed gear was to do
something different. After riding thousands of miles I
felt like trying something different for a while in the
off season. Another benefit of a track bike is that since
there is no coasting and braking is work too you don't
need as long a ride to get the same workout. This is a
nice feature in the winter when it is cold out.

That is a large part of the allure for me also, something
different. I like variety. I converted my old Cannondale to
a single speed, so I have that for around town and bad
weather. My new Kogswell is really sweet for general
commuting, but I would like the fixed gear for variety in
commuting and for when I want a decent work-out but only
have time for a short ride. Oh yeah, and for riding during
the cold winters around here ;-)

Bruce Rideout

RE/

Quoted message said:

Is there anyone out there who has tried a fixed gear on the
road and has NOT liked it? If so, what was it that you
didn't like or that just didn't work out for you?

I've got a flip-flop hub. Tried the fixie implementation a
couple times so far. At this point in time, I'm definately
not a zealot. Not even an enthusiast.

To wit:

1) I fear it. Seems like *really* nasty things can happen if
things get out of hand.

2) I find it fatiguing not to be able to shift around like I
can when freewheeling....mainly my butt gets sore. This
may well, though, be an artifact of my not knowing what
I'm doing and having zero technique.

I'm still going to ride it some more...it's just that I
think I should be doing that riding on smooth
ground....which I don't get much of..... maybe down the
shore would be a good place...
--
PeteCresswell