Fixed Gear ?

I agree with you Tyson.

And I must plea guilty too. I am the one who set this thread on fire.

There are few new members that I met this thread, under 'rougher' than usual circonstances. All the threads aren't that rough don't worry.

As a coach, security comes first. For most folks here, riding our bike is the most dangerous thing we routinely do. About a month ago, I witness a death during a ride. Nothing to do with fixed gear, it was just someone crossing the track without looking. He got hit by the leader of a paceline, who also happens to be a friend of mine (a former 15k track national champion in Italy, first name is Luis... maybe some people know him).

The poor guy felt on the ground no helmet. Started to bleed by the ears and died right there. Probably father of some childrens, husband of a widow.

So when I realized at the begining of this thread that proponents of fixed gear didn't even seem to be aware of the extra risk of riding these, I thought it would be worthwhile to leave "indelebile" comments.

Jenkins said:

just because its fixie doesnt mean you cant have dual brakes.

risks of fixie? learn how to ride it and its safer than any other bike. my chain and sprocket as a direct breaking mechanism has never failed me. its better on snow/ice/rain than any other real affordable breaking system.

I think this encapsulates part of why there is an "anti-fix" constituency in cycling.
Many people who have never ridden a fixed - are intimidated because they don't have the skills to ride a fixed. (and I'm not trying to flame anyone).
If you've never ridden a fixed - those skills cannot be gained using a freewheel fixed, for example.

Personally, I never liked riding fixed bikes.
But when I was racing, part of our training prgramme required us to ride fixed bikes. It taught us how to pedal more fluidly.
Therefore I can concur with what you and Eoin say here.

Sillyoldtwit said:

Sorry Norm, this is one statement I totally disagree with. This doesn't have to be the case. In my "It's killing me" thread, after 39,000 views there have been differences of opinion, but I'm pleased to say no flaming. It is possible to conduct constructive arguments without it becoming personal.
Now where did I put my unicycle? Now there's a bike that really improves your balance and handling - not sure a power meter would be much good on it though!😄

No doubt it's possible, but it rarely happens. There are just too many people reading and firing off at random for it not to be the case. And in general, I'm fine with it. I think a lot of people use the randomess of the Internet to vent frustrations of [work|family|lack of ability to ride fixed gear] onto people they don't know. Better than letting it build up inside, I say. These comments are not meant to refer to anyone in particular, BTW.

Is your unicycle fixed gear, single speed, or do you have gears? 🙂

normZurawski said:

No doubt it's possible, but it rarely happens. There are just too many people reading and firing off at random for it not to be the case. And in general, I'm fine with it. I think a lot of people use the randomess of the Internet to vent frustrations of [work|family|lack of ability to ride fixed gear] onto people they don't know. Better than letting it build up inside, I say. These comments are not meant to refer to anyone in particular, BTW.

Is your unicycle fixed gear, single speed, or do you have gears? 🙂

My problem is not with the debate over whether there are any training advantages to riding fixed, it is over the assertion that riding fixed is dangerous. I returned to riding fixed on the road in 1996 and don't see it as any more or less dangerous than riding freewheel.
Whilst fixed is not for everyone, I don't like to see people being scared off riding fixed by the comments of someone who is yet to say whether they have ever given it a shot (just as I wouldn't try to scare someone off using a powermeter, never having used one myself).
I just bought a 20" unicycle for my daughter and myself 2 weeks ago. It is fixed and it ain't easy! Schlumpf < http://www.schlumpf.ch/uni_engl.htm > make a unicycle with epicyclic gears, but that is an investment beyond my current skill requirements.

EoinC said:

I don't like to see people being scared off riding fixed by the comments of someone who is yet to say whether they have ever given it a shot.

Being scared is a good start to learn to stay aware.

If you give me an other occasion to point out that taking sharp turns in a group without the ability to coast can be dangerous, then I'll take it.

SolarEnergy said:

Being scared is a good start to learn to stay aware.

If you give me an other occasion to point out that taking sharp turns in a group without the ability to coast can be dangerous, then I'll take it.

SE, as I already stated, I've ridden road races on my fixie, inclusive of sharp turns. There are techniques for cornering on a fixie. Mine has a high BB and I'm using 165mm cranks (which is like pedaling a circus bike). My tires give out before my pedals touch. I ride a lot steadier in a peleton than many of my bretheren do.
As to winning on a fixie - Bugger all chance of that. I can hold my own and do my share at the front, until we get the long tailwind where I am undergeared. It doesn't matter - My serious racing days are over. Riding as a Vet, I'm just there to enjoy it.
I very much enjoy riding my fixie. The only times I've eaten tarmac on it have been my own fault, or from being taken out by cars or other riders (exactly the same as on my road bike).
There is nothing inherently dangerous in riding a fixed-wheel, just as there is nothing inherently dangerous in riding clipless pedals. I presume that you would not try to scare people who are looking at trying to use clipless pedals. Why, then, would you seek to scare people who are looking at trying to ride a fixie?
As to improvements from training on a fixed-wheel: It helped me improve my positioning and my pedalling technique. I ride more fluidly, fixed- or free-, than I did previously (and that was after quite a few years of road racing, and some track). Yes, a powermeter could have done the same thing, but I have a fixie and I don't have a powermeter. I certainly wouldn't berate anyone for using a powermeter - I just don't happen to have one myself.
To those who are thinking of it - give it a try - you'll either like it, or you won't.

EoinC said:

SE, as I already stated, I've ridden road races on my fixie, inclusive of sharp turns. There are techniques for cornering on a fixie. Mine has a high BB and I'm using 165mm cranks

Now This starts to sound like the begining of a sound advice.

EoinC said:

There is nothing inherently dangerous in riding a fixed-wheel

Then how can you explain this quote from wikipedia
"In the United States, fixed-gear bikes without brakes are illegal in many places." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle#Brakes

I can explain it. Statistics.

I started riding a fixed wheel bike, then moving to a road bike. I feel that it gave me a better start as i now climb better then anyone i ride with, I also feel that it made alot of my mates lazy when riding, a fixed wheel helps you keep going even when you feel you cant.

I don't care if fixed gear riding improves my performance on my road bike or not. I ride fixed because I enjoy it and chicks dig it. Besides, I do most long distance events fixed for that extra challenge and "wow" factor.

I agree with you I love my track bike and still get out on it. but for real riding i cant go past my road bike.

SolarEnergy said:

...Then how can you explain this quote from wikipedia
"In the United States, fixed-gear bikes without brakes are illegal in many places." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle#Brakes

I can explain it. Statistics.

Wikipedia is not my favourite source of information, there not being any controls on sourcing of information, but I don't have any particular reason to doubt the above. For example, where I live it is illegal to ride any bike (fixed- or free-) without brakes. My fixie has brakes (as required by the highest Justice in my land - ie. my wife). I very seldom use them, but they are there. I don't recall anyone here advocating that aspiring fixed-wheelers should not have brake/s, so what is your point? Is it that all bikes are inherently dangerous? If so, we'd all better go and hide under our respective beds.
Incidentally, those that I have raced and trained with have not complained about my being fixie-ated. If they don't have a problem with it, why would anyone else?
I first learnt to ride when I was 3....on a fixed-wheel that my grandfather built for my uncle (now 70 years old) to learn on. That little bike ("Wee McGregor"😉 now serves the same purpose for my sister's youngest son. That's 3 generations that have learnt to ride on 1 bike - and it hasn't killed any of us yet!

Fixed gear training can be a valuable tool for the advanced level athlete. Particularly benefitial in the General Preperation or Base Period of the training year it can help to improve strength, legspeed, technique along with endurance.
I would not recomend fixed gear training on the road for any athlete with knee complaints or who is new to the sport.

bikecoach said:

Fixed gear training can be a valuable tool for the advanced level athlete. Particularly benefitial in the General Preperation or Base Period of the training year it can help to improve strength, legspeed, technique along with endurance.
I would not recomend fixed gear training on the road for any athlete with knee complaints or who is new to the sport.

Can you suggest a rationale for how fixed gear riding would improve strength?

Ric

Fixed Gear training is definately not the most efficient or effective way of developing strength for a cyclist, but in certain situations it can be beneficial.
Initial fixed gear rides should be conducted on fairly flat terrain. In these conditions the exercise would not tend to improve strength at all. If after a period of flat rides, the athlete begins training over some light to moderately hilly roads, the athlete will gain some strength benefits from using a larger gear on the uphill sections.
I stress again that fixed gear is not the most beneficial way of increasing strength, but in certain situations strength will be targeted.

bikecoach said:

Fixed Gear training is definately not the most efficient or effective way of developing strength for a cyclist, but in certain situations it can be beneficial.
Initial fixed gear rides should be conducted on fairly flat terrain. In these conditions the exercise would not tend to improve strength at all. If after a period of flat rides, the athlete begins training over some light to moderately hilly roads, the athlete will gain some strength benefits from using a larger gear on the uphill sections.
I stress again that fixed gear is not the most beneficial way of increasing strength, but in certain situations strength will be targeted.

i think maybe you need to check the sticky gym thread at the top of the page. In short, you can't gain strength from cycling, except in a couple of circumstances -- e.g., you're a frail old lady (who would have very low strength), or you practice something like 30-metre standing start all-out efforts. For the rest of time and others, there simply isn't enough force involved to cause an increase in strength, as (endurance) cycle racing requires only low to moderate forces.

Ric

EoinC said:

My fixie has brakes (as required by the highest Justice in my land - ie. my wife).

😄

EoinC said:

so what is your point?

My points are :
1) I wouldn't mind sharing a paceline with you. You're an ex-track rider and you are well adapted to fixies. Your bike is also well adapted to cornering.
2) I do mind sharing a paceline with a fixie rider I don't know, based on passed experience.
3) There is nothing 'magic' in riding a fix gear bike. Many myths still exist about the 'benefits' of riding them. Why not take this occasion to bust few of them.
4) Most fixies I see here in my area don't have any brakes, hence my 2nd post in this thread. Here fixies are mainly ridden by courrier that show up once in a while on our interval course.

SolarEnergy said:

😄

My points are :
1) I wouldn't mind sharing a paceline with you. You're an ex-track rider and you are well adapted to fixies. Your bike is also well adapted to cornering.
2) I do mind sharing a paceline with a fixie rider I don't know, based on passed experience.
3) There is nothing 'magic' in riding a fix gear bike. Many myths still exist about the 'benefits' of riding them. Why not take this occasion to bust few of them.
4) Most fixies I see here in my area don't have any brakes, hence my 2nd post in this thread. Here fixies are mainly ridden by courrier that show up once in a while on our interval course.

and 5) Ive never been on one so my responses are completely based on conjecture

schmuzzy said:

and 5) Ive never been on one so my responses are completely based on conjecture

Riders like to take training and racing decisions, or like to provide advices to other riders based on their personal experience. That's normal.

Scientists for example, prefer to rely on scientific litterature. I am not saying that they are closed to other source of information, but they prefer scientific evidence.

Coaches rely on what they learned during their certification process, experience gained during the coaching process (feed back and results from riders 'good or bad'😉, experience shared with other coaches (feed back and results from their riders 'good or bad'😉, scientific litterature, etc...

SolarEnergy said:

Riders like to take training and racing decisions, or like to provide advices to other riders based on their personal experience. That's normal.

Scientists for example, prefer to rely on scientific litterature. I am not saying that they are closed to other source of information, but they prefer scientific evidence.

Coaches rely on what they learned during their certification process, experience gained during the coaching process (feed back and results from riders 'good or bad'😉, experience shared with other coaches (feed back and results from their riders 'good or bad'😉, scientific litterature, etc...

ooohhh yeah. the high and mighty "SCIENTIFIC" route eh?

well the basis of the scientific method is what? not sitting on your ass spouting out stupid ideas (accept maybe, theoretical astro-physics😉 )... but TESTING those ideas and seeing what is true and what is completely unfounded. that's why EVERY science class since Francis Bacon has LABORATORIES and FIELD RESEARCH

you've got all sorts of high and lofty ideas as to why fixies are unsafe and counter productive... and you've not a lick of personal experience with them.

youre just pissing in the well.

schmuzzy said:

ooohhh yeah. the high and mighty "SCIENTIFIC" route eh?

well the basis of the scientific method is what? not sitting on your ass spouting out stupid ideas (accept maybe, theoretical astro-physics😉 )... but TESTING those ideas and seeing what is true and what is completely unfounded. that's why EVERY science class since Francis Bacon has LABORATORIES and FIELD RESEARCH

you've got all sorts of high and lofty ideas as to why fixies are unsafe and counter productive... and you've not a lick of personal experience with them.

youre just pissing in the well.

i'm not sure what the argument is about... but let's be civil, thanks.

ric