Fixed gear??

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

No, they can be very inexpensive. It's fairly easy to obtain an older
geared bike for almost nothing and convert it to fixed gear. It's
commonly done.

Meant for commuting? Well, they are meant for riding, and that includes
commuting for lots of riders. Fixies have their drawbacks in hilly
areas, but London, Ontario is not hilly.

Ask around. There are probably many fixed gear riders in town. Some
shops may be helpful, but some want nothing to do with them, citing them
as "dangerous".

--
Ted Bennett

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

if the local shops aren't helpful you could check with the riders at
the forest city velodrome

http://www.forestcityvelodrome.ca/

usually there's a few notices for bikes for sale there.

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

Dear Hugo,

You can listen to short, idle rumors dashed off here, or you
can get full-blown, polished insanity from a true believer:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

Despite the helmet, Sheldon is sensible, cheerful, affable,
and extremely informative. And how can you resist a page
about retro fixed-gear bikes that takes the trouble to use
appropriate Gothic letters at the start of each paragraph?

Right at the top is a link to Sheldon's page about
converting reasonable bicycles into single-minded devices:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html#frame3

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Tim McNamara said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level?

No. Well, you can buy a base level fixed gear bike for ~$500. Depends
on what you consider expensive.

Quoted message said:

Also, are they meant for commuting?

They're meant for track racing but have been adapted for all sorts of
purposes.

Quoted message said:

What is their purpose?

See above.

Quoted message said:

Good place to get a used one in the london ontario area??

Hopefully someone else can tell you.

If there were a dozen people riding fixed geared bikes on the street in
London, Ontario I would be surprised.
I don't see any on my rides, but maybe I'm riding at the wrong times or
in the wrong places.

I can confirm from experience that with a few exceptions the city is
fairly easily navigated with a fixed gear.

-Marcus

Ted Bennett said:

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

No, they can be very inexpensive. It's fairly easy to obtain an older
geared bike for almost nothing and convert it to fixed gear. It's
commonly done.

Meant for commuting? Well, they are meant for riding, and that includes
commuting for lots of riders. Fixies have their drawbacks in hilly
areas, but London, Ontario is not hilly.

Ask around. There are probably many fixed gear riders in town. Some
shops may be helpful, but some want nothing to do with them, citing them
as "dangerous".

Fixed gears are not dangerous if you add a front brake. Then, just like
a regular bike you have two brakes: one is mechanical and the other is
your legs.

Visit this site for inspiration:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com

Fuji, Specialized and IRO offer new fixies around $USD 600 (although
you'll have to by a track cog for the Specialized Langster).

They require the least maintenance of bikes, so if you place ease of
maintenance as a top criteria for a commuter, then a fixie would be an
excellent commuter for you. Fixies also don't have to be second-hand
track bikes. They can be something with a more relaxed frame, like a
converted hybrid or touring bike.

In article <[email hidden]>,

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level?

No. Well, you can buy a base level fixed gear bike for ~$500. Depends
on what you consider expensive.

Quoted message said:

Also, are they meant for commuting?

They're meant for track racing but have been adapted for all sorts of
purposes.

Quoted message said:

What is their purpose?

See above.

Quoted message said:

Good place to get a used one in the london ontario area??

Hopefully someone else can tell you.

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose?

A cheap fixed gear bike is, by definition, an old road bike that has been
converted. There are very nice fixed-gear road bikes that cost a lot less
than a derailleur-equipped model, maybe $500-$700 US.

Are they meant for commuting?  Long story. Originally, they were the
only bikes anyone had once they took over from high-wheelers. A "real"
fixed gear bike is a track bike, meant for going around in circles. But I
use my fixed gear, which was originally a real track bike, for commuting
(on nice days -- in the rain I like fenders), and for recreational rides
that aren't too hilly.

What is their purpose?  They are bikes.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is probably that television drama of high caliber and
_`\(,_ | produced by first-rate artists will materially raise the level
(_)/ (_) | of dramatic taste in the nation. -- David Sarnoff, 1939

Collin O'Neill said:

Ted Bennett said:

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for
commuting? What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in
the london ontario area??

No, they can be very inexpensive. It's fairly easy to obtain an
older geared bike for almost nothing and convert it to fixed gear. It's
commonly done.

Meant for commuting? Well, they are meant for riding, and that
includes commuting for lots of riders. Fixies have their drawbacks
in hilly areas, but London, Ontario is not hilly.

Ask around. There are probably many fixed gear riders in town. Some
shops may be helpful, but some want nothing to do with them, citing
them as "dangerous".

Fixed gears are not dangerous if you add a front brake. Then, just
like a regular bike you have two brakes: one is mechanical and the
other is your legs.

Visit this site for inspiration:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com

Fuji, Specialized and IRO offer new fixies around $USD 600 (although
you'll have to by a track cog for the Specialized Langster).

Giant now offers one now, too, called the Bowery.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

My experience has been that fixed hears are very good for commuting. I
commute through rush hour traffic in hilly San Diego. My fixed gear
limits my downhill speed, giving me more time to react when a motorist
does something dumb.

Tom

David L. Johnson said:

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose?

A cheap fixed gear bike is, by definition, an old road bike that has been
converted. There are very nice fixed-gear road bikes that cost a lot less
than a derailleur-equipped model, maybe $500-$700 US.

Doesn't have to be a road bike. I converted an old Fuji MTB to a fixer
for my son. He commuted to work all last summer (8 mi each way) on it.
Total cost was 0, since the bike was a discard and I used an old track
sprocket.

hugo said:

Are these expensive at entry level? Also, are they meant for commuting?
What is their purpose? Good place to get a used one in the london
ontario area??

Since they have no derailleurs, one chainring and perhaps only one
brake, they are inexpensive by definition. If the commute is flatish,
great for commuting, say a single speed FW, 2 brakes, a steel frame, a
cheap road crank, etc...if using a used frame, can be in the dozens of
dollars.

Quoted message said:

Collin O'Neill said:

Fuji, Specialized and IRO offer new fixies around $USD 600 (although
you'll have to by a track cog for the Specialized Langster).

Phil said:

Giant now offers one now, too, called the Bowery.

The Raleigh Rushhour seems like a pretty nice, and affordable bike as well.
\\paul