Fixy Fixation

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Just curious.
I have read a number of posts from people talking about their fixy or
refering to fixies in revered tones. I have only ever ridden bikes with
multiple gears, except for many years ago as a kid, and was wondering why
fixies are held in such esteem? I feel like I am missing out on something.

http://www.twowheelfetish.com/bikepics/onecogringblue.jpg

--
Mark Lee

bjay said:

Just curious.
I have read a number of posts from people talking about their fixy or
refering to fixies in revered tones. I have only ever ridden bikes with
multiple gears, except for many years ago as a kid, and was wondering why
fixies are held in such esteem?

Because they're much harder to ride than regular bikes. There's probably
a cult of "true fixies", whose hubs are welded directly to the frame. They
really separate the men from the boys.

--
bpo gallery at http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/mvw1/bpo

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

Quoted message said:

Just curious.
I have read a number of posts from people talking about their fixy or
refering to fixies in revered tones. I have only ever ridden bikes with
multiple gears, except for many years ago as a kid, and was wondering why
fixies are held in such esteem? I feel like I am missing out on something.

Just 'cos it's different, more difficult than riding a geared bike,
and fun.

When you're riding a fixed wheel you have to pay more attention to
what's going on. You can't bunny-hop, you can't stop pedalling _ever_
and you have to match the bike's speed with your legs. I do it
because I think it improves my ability to spin at high cadence, which
can be useful when (for example) responding to a sprint in racing.
With a normal geared bike, there's never a reason to pedal at 150+
rpm, but with an appropriately geared fixed wheel, you pedal at this
sort of rate every time the road heads downhill.

It also makes a boring ride more interesting, as each uphill becomes a
sprint, and can be a useful leveller when you're riding with people
who are a bit slower than you are, so you still get a good workout.

But beyond that, it's just plain fun to do. It turns my commute into
a real adventure. You really have to do it for a few weeks to
appreciate it.

Regards,

Suzy

"Suzy Jackson" wrote in message

Quoted message said:

snip
Just 'cos it's different, more difficult than riding a geared bike,
and fun.

When you're riding a fixed wheel you have to pay more attention to
what's going on. You can't bunny-hop, you can't stop pedalling _ever_
and you have to match the bike's speed with your legs. I do it
because I think it improves my ability to spin at high cadence, which
can be useful when (for example) responding to a sprint in racing.
With a normal geared bike, there's never a reason to pedal at 150+
rpm, but with an appropriately geared fixed wheel, you pedal at this
sort of rate every time the road heads downhill.

Thanks Suzy. I feel a bit wiser now. I thought fixy meant fixed gear (ie
single speed with a freewheel hub) not fixed wheel, so now that I have been
enlightened I can better appreciate the passion some people have for them.

Bruce A

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>I thought fixy meant fixed gear (ie single speed with a freewheel

hub) not fixed wheel>>

Quoted message said:

Hyooooooooooooooooooooooooooge difference. Half the fun in spinning fast
on a fixed is knowing that slowing down quickly is a significant
operation. Therefore you tend not to bomb about but maintain constance,
momentum over start stop etc....... Single speed free wheel hub - WHY??

Yeah, that's what I thought, what's so exciting about single speed with a
freewheel, which is why I couldn't understand the fascination with what I
thought were fixies. I am a whole lot wiser now!!!

Bruce A

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>I thought fixy meant fixed gear (ie single speed with a freewheel

hub) not fixed wheel>>

Quoted message said:

Hyooooooooooooooooooooooooooge difference. Half the fun in spinning fast
on a fixed is knowing that slowing down quickly is a significant
operation. Therefore you tend not to bomb about but maintain constance,
momentum over start stop etc....... Single speed free wheel hub - WHY??

Yeah, that's what I thought, what's so exciting about single speed with a
freewheel,

Well even Hippy not quite mad enough (yet?) to go fixed on his mtn bike.

Rob

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

I'm not riding mine much because I still don't have a working brake
and I
can't stop quick enough to allow me to ride in heavy traffic... yet.

Under Victorian Road Rule 258 it is an offence to ride a bike that does not
have at least one effective brake. Penalty: one penalty unit.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

DRS said:

Quoted message said:

I'm not riding mine much because I still don't have a working brake
and I
can't stop quick enough to allow me to ride in heavy traffic... yet.

Under Victorian Road Rule 258 it is an offence to ride a bike that does not
have at least one effective brake. Penalty: one penalty unit.

Reading on news:rec.bicycles.uk it seems that in the UK
the law is that you must have two working brakes. Wonder what
it is in NSW, must go search the RTA website, although I
never can seem to find any bike-related stuff at RTA.

-kt

DRS said:

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

I'm not riding mine much because I still don't have a working brake
and I
can't stop quick enough to allow me to ride in heavy traffic... yet.

Under Victorian Road Rule 258 it is an offence to ride a bike that does not
have at least one effective brake. Penalty: one penalty unit.

Does the Fixy's "engine brake" count as a brake?

--
Please excuse my spelling as I suffer from agraphia. See
http://dformosa.zeta.org.au/~dformosa/Spelling.html to find out more.
Free the Memes.

kingsley said:

DRS said:

Quoted message said:

I'm not riding mine much because I still don't have a working brake
and I
can't stop quick enough to allow me to ride in heavy traffic... yet.

Under Victorian Road Rule 258 it is an offence to ride a bike that does not
have at least one effective brake. Penalty: one penalty unit.

I used to ride my old track bike to training, my emergency brake was
my right foot applied to the rear tyre. This was fairly effective, as
long as I didn't put my foot in the spokes, which was highly effective
but painful :-)

John L.

John L said:

I used to ride my old track bike to training, my emergency brake was
my right foot applied to the rear tyre. This was fairly effective, as
long as I didn't put my foot in the spokes, which was highly effective
but painful :-)

John L.

used to do that ona really cool scooter i had in grade 4-5 (with whitewall tyres) but on the front tyre. Would practice a manouver to plant foot on front tyre (just in front of kick/foot-board) and go over the bars, rollover onto shoulder and end standing up. extra style points if you could get the scooter to go upright again and catch it...

might try it down the hall at work...
or not!

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

Quoted message said:

Yeah, that's what I thought, what's so exciting about single speed with a
freewheel, which is why I couldn't understand the fascination with what I
thought were fixies. I am a whole lot wiser now!!!

Bruce A

I ride a 'single speed' with flip flop to fixed. The fixed is hard
work and beyond my patience capabilitys to bother to use it much. But
the freewheel side has made this bike my favorite of my stable.

Remember the feeling of a BMX when you were a kid? Just riding to do.
No tuneing gears fiddling with gizmos ect blah blah.. Big smile on
the face..

When I ride the single its noticably more efficient. My ride times in
Sydney are the same as my geared bikes, and I can get up and stomp a
full hundred kg of me on top without so much as a squeek from the
drivetrain. It also lets you understand new heights of power during
sprints up hills that you never discover with a geared bike. It feels
great.

Give it a go and see how it feels. Leave the preconceptions at home.

Oh and they are incredibly light! Throw away the derraileurs/extra
chain/two chainrings/7 0r 9 rear sprockets/two shifters/two cables..
and it can make a really cheap bike feel like a realy realy expensive
one, WITHOUT compromising the strength!

Tom
(Can you tell im a convert?? 🙂 )

"? the Platypus {aka David Formosa}" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

DRS said:

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

I'm not riding mine much because I still don't have a working brake
and I
can't stop quick enough to allow me to ride in heavy traffic... yet.

Under Victorian Road Rule 258 it is an offence to ride a bike that
does not have at least one effective brake. Penalty: one penalty
unit.

Does the Fixy's "engine brake" count as a brake?

Nope.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

DRS said:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Does the Fixy's "engine brake" count as a brake?

Nope.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

That's true, although it might be effective, the authorities won't see it that way.

It reminds me of an old motorbike magazine that told a story about a rider on a race-replica motorcycle that was busted by the cops for doing a wheelie for a quarter of a mile. The police said the rider was driving dangerously and was out of control. The article's author suggested a quarter-mile wheelie is a demonstration of above-average control...

Ritch

bjay said:

Just curious.
I have read a number of posts from people talking about their fixy or
refering to fixies in revered tones. I have only ever ridden bikes with
multiple gears, except for many years ago as a kid, and was wondering why
fixies are held in such esteem? I feel like I am missing out on something.

Took my fix out last night and noticed something else cool..
It's SOOO quiet!!! I thought the SS was quiet but this thing takes the cake.
Probably because it has chain and gears designed without shifting in mind
rather than the 'used to be used for shifting' setup of the SS. They are also
brand new parts. But anyway, other than a slightly rattly brake lever (which
was silenced with my hand anyway) the bike was ULTRA quiet and rolled
ultra smooth!

I'm still in need of some long-reach brake calipers.. anyone?

hippy

hippy said:

I'm still in need of some long-reach brake calipers.. anyone?

hippy

that's touring stuff, aint it? to accomodate guards, bigger tyres?
Peter Moore cycles?

flyingdutch said:

that's touring stuff, aint it? to accomodate guards, bigger tyres? Peter Moore cycles?

I was hoping for some of the older road calipers that were designed
for 27" wheels. Do you know of any touring calipers in black? 🙂

hippy

hippy said:

Do you know of any touring calipers in black? 🙂

hippy

hahahahahahahahaha

tourists have no fashion sense whatsover. they wear those neck-flap thingys and base everything on <thehorror> practicality :eek: </thehorror>

its either alloy colour or swap fork for black brakes, me thinks...

maybe a 'Sovos' hub comin my way. stay tuned...

hippy said:

flyingdutch said:

that's touring stuff, aint it? to accomodate guards, bigger tyres? Peter
Moore cycles?

I was hoping for some of the older road calipers that were designed
for 27" wheels. Do you know of any touring calipers in black? 🙂

I've got a few sets of really long reach black ones off kids BMX bikes
you are welcome to :-)

Brian