Fixed Gear Bike...

A shy person said:

I would like to buy a fixed gear bike for commuting. I went to a dealer and tried a single speed
bike, but it didn't have the properties that I read about, nor did they have a bike that did.

The properties of this bike are:

1) Single speed.
2) Will not coast (if it moves, you are forced to pedal)
3) Will let you pedal backwards to move backwards

If you can learn to ride backwards, my hat's off to you. I've been riding fixed for years, and have
tried to do that a number of times, and failed, sometimes spectacularly, each time.

Quoted message said:

4) Will let you slow down by slowing down the pedalling
5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

Get a brake on the front. You don't need one on the rear unless you fit a freewheel.

Quoted message said:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?

No. The difference is that a SS has a freewheel, which allows you to coast.

Quoted message said:

2) If so, is there a more specific name for what I am looking for?

Yes, ask about track bikes. A true track bike is probably not what you want, as they don't have
any brakes, no quick release wheels. It is sometimes possible to add a front brake by drilling the
fork crown.

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?

Custom is always possible and although it will be more expensive you can get just what you want.
There are quite a few makers of fixed gear bikes (non custom) and any shop can order one for you.

Quoted message said:

4) What are some brands/models?

Google will help you here. Some names that come to mind are Surly, Bianchi, Peugeot, Waterford,
Gunnar. Lots more.

Quoted message said:

I'm sorry if I don't have all the terminology down pat. I just read about this today and I would
like to find one.

For some good information, go to www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/

You may be happier with a road bike converted to fixed gear so that you have more relaxed frame
geometry and eyelets for rack and fenders, compared to a track bike. It isn't hard to do.

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

Have fun. Dont set your gear too high; be kind to your knees.

--
Ted Bennett Portland OR

Quoted message said:

I would like to buy a fixed gear bike for commuting.

Lots snipped.

These bikes are typically built up from parts. You may be able to find a Bianchi Pista at your local
Bianchi dealer. Otherwise an 80s road frame with horizontial dropouts is a good starting point. As
with most questions Sheldon Brown is the place to start. He has lots of info on the subject. Good
luck, it's lots of fun. Phil Brown

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

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I would like to buy a fixed gear bike for commuting. I went to a dealer and tried a single speed
bike, but it didn't have the properties that I read about, nor did they have a bike that did.

The properties of this bike are:

1) Single speed.
2) Will not coast (if it moves, you are forced to pedal)
3) Will let you pedal backwards to move backwards
4) Will let you slow down by slowing down the pedalling
5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

This leads me to ask the following questions:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?
2) If so, is there a more specific name for what I am looking for?
3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
4) What are some brands/models?

If it is any help, I live in Houston, TX (in case someone knows of an LBS that can handle this).

I'm sorry if I don't have all the terminology down pat. I just read about this today and I would
like to find one.

Surly sells a really affordable single-speed frame in a road geometry that isn't hard to build
(or you could get your LBS to build it for you). I think Fuji sells a "track" bike with water
bottle bosses and holes for brakes (you'll need the front for sure). The beauty of the Surly
Steamroller is that it has clearance for large tires and fenders, which are good ideas if you're
going to ride in bad weather. They *really* spare you and the bike from all the grit that comes
up with the water. Great for a commuter. The Surly Cross Check also has horizontal dropouts (and
canti bosses) so I would rate it as a better choice; it has fender eyelets and would allow you to
turn it into a "normal" freewheel commuter if you wanted, something that would be harder to do
with a true track bike.

Good luck! TC

Quoted message said:

I would like to buy a fixed gear bike for commuting. I went to a dealer and tried a single speed
bike, but it didn't have the properties that I read about, nor did they have a bike that did.

The properties of this bike are:

1) Single speed.
2) Will not coast (if it moves, you are forced to pedal)
3) Will let you pedal backwards to move backwards
4) Will let you slow down by slowing down the pedalling
5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

This leads me to ask the following questions:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?

no, single speeds also include coaster brake hubs and single speed freewheel bikes. There is a
new fashion among mtbikes of single speed freewheel bikes, for their "simplicity = less stuff to
get muddy.

Quoted message said:

2) If so, is there a more specific name for what I am looking for?

yes: fixed gear

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
4) What are some brands/models?

You can buy a new one, but using an old road frame is another choice. Find one with horizontal
dropouts, and clearance for your preference of tire width and fenders - will you be riding in the
rain? are your roads rough or smooth?

to make it a fixed gear you can buy a fancy new fixed hub - where the single cog screws on, or you
can use an old freewheel hub. Many here would say you MUST have a lockring due to the fear of
unscrewing the cog when you backpedal. But I and others have ridden years with never unscrewing a
cog by backpedaling. As long as the threading is good you will lock the rear wheel up and skid
before the cog unscrews.

so if you find an old road bike with freewheel all you need to buy is a cog, take off the derailers
and shifters, realign the rear hub so the cog lines up with the chainwheel you choose (left or right
- or you can remove one of them and use shorter bolts).

-Bruce

Ted Bennett said:

Quoted message said:

5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

Get a brake on the front. You don't need one on the rear unless you fit a freewheel.

What if the front brake fails? How hard can you brake with your legs?

Curious, Andy

Bruce said:

backpedal. But I and others have ridden years with never unscrewing a cog by backpedaling. As long
as the threading is good you will lock the rear wheel up and skid before the cog unscrews.

I wouldn't be so sure. Once I had the cassette removed and reinstalled by someone who did not fasten
it strong enough, confident I would do that with the first few pedal strokes. Unfortunately, I
started riding downhill and the ratched thing unscrewed by the time I got to the bottom.

Sergio Pisa

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

If it is any help, I live in Houston, TX (in case someone knows of an LBS that can handle this).

Dan Kan, Pro Cycles, 3816 S. Shepherd Drive

Planetary Cycles, 4004 S. Braeswood

Cyclone Bikes, West U Schwinn, Boone's-- you'll have to look those up. All three in/close to Inner
Loop (for Houston, all in the same neighborhood). Five pretty good possibilities to check out, visit
all. You're welcome, happy hunting. --Tom Paterson

xmp-<< 1) Single speed.
2) Will not coast (if it moves, you are forced to pedal)
3) Will let you pedal backwards to move backwards
4) Will let you slow down by slowing down the pedalling
5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

Soma fixie with our handbuilt wheels for $1100...you pick the gearing-pix available

xmp- << 1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear? No-fixed it 'fixed', cannot coast,
single speed you can coast(for nancys tho)

6) If so, is there a more specific name for what I am looking for?
7) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
8) What are some brands/models? >><BR><BR>

You can easily build one from an older bike with horizontal dropouts and a freewheel type bhub or
like us, we sell a complete one.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(9)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Quoted message said:

If you can learn to ride backwards, my hat's off to you. I've been riding fixed for years, and
have tried to do that a number of times, and failed, sometimes spectacularly, each time.

I have no idea if I can do it, but the idea is appealing. I doubt I'd try to go more than 10 or 20
feet. Heck, I'm just *STARTING* to get the knack of balancing with only one hand on the handlebar!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

4) Will let you slow down by slowing down the pedalling
5) Equipped with "regular" (eg: handbar) brakes (front and/or back)

Get a brake on the front. You don't need one on the rear unless you fit a freewheel.

That's what I was thinking.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

2) If so, is there a more specific name for what I am looking for?

Yes, ask about track bikes. A true track bike is probably not what you want, as they don't have
any brakes, no quick release wheels. It is sometimes possible to add a front brake by drilling the
fork crown.

They're also not the rugged types of bikes that I'm looking for. I was thinking of getting something
along the lines of a Fixed Gear mountain bike or cruiser. I prefer the upright riding position, and
the beefier tires get flat less often and are easier to change.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?

Custom is always possible and although it will be more expensive you can get just what you want.
There are quite a few makers of fixed gear bikes (non custom) and any shop can order one for you.

Excellent. The LBS I went to couldn't, but I'll check with a few others. They were willing to
convert a single speed cruiser into a fixed gear, but they said it would cost an additional $70 to
do it -- bringing the price of the $140 single speed to $210. This may not be a bad deal if I can't
find any other sources.

I'm ok with my hands, but I don't know if I'm mechanically inclined enough to do the conversion
myself. I can do basic maintenance on my bike, and this may push my skill level beyond what I'm
willing to take a chance on.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

4) What are some brands/models?

Google will help you here. Some names that come to mind are Surly, Bianchi, Peugeot, Waterford,
Gunnar. Lots more.

Thanks. I'll start searching for those.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm sorry if I don't have all the terminology down pat. I just read about this today and I would
like to find one.

For some good information, go to www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed/

That's what got me thinking about fixed gear bikes 🙂.

Quoted message said:

You may be happier with a road bike converted to fixed gear so that you have more relaxed frame
geometry and eyelets for rack and fenders, compared to a track bike. It isn't hard to do.

I definitely will want fenders, a rack (not seatpost), folding wire rack basket (side), and beefy
(~2 inch) tires.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

Have fun. Dont set your gear too high; be kind to your knees.

I read that the gearing on a fixed gear isn't equivalent to that on a multi-speed due to a more
efficient drive train on the fixed gear. Is this true? If that's the case, I was thinking of getting
the bike geared around "4th". I've got a 21 speed Fuji Boulevard FS (7 rear gears), and 4th is a bit
of a pain to start off with, but gets me to a pretty nice cruising speed (15 mph?).

Of course there's no upper limit to the speed -- as fast as my legs can pump, I can go -- so the
gearing is there to get me to an efficient yet comfortable pedal-to-wheel ratio right?

Thanks for the information.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?

no, single speeds also include coaster brake hubs and single speed freewheel bikes. There is a
new fashion among mtbikes of single speed freewheel bikes, for their "simplicity = less stuff to
get muddy.

Yeah, less stuff to screw up shifting and the derailleur 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
4) What are some brands/models?

You can buy a new one, but using an old road frame is another choice. Find one with horizontal
dropouts, and clearance for your preference of tire width and fenders - will you be riding in the
rain? are your roads rough or smooth?

I'll be riding in the rain and the roads will be mostly smooth, but there will be some nasty spots.
I may get stuck slogging through mud on occasion. The road conditions are just bad enough that I
don't want to take a chance with anything less durable than a mountain bike or cruiser. Plus I'm
around 210 - 220 lbs so that's more weight than I care to put on a road bike.

I was thinking of a fixed gear with 26 x 2.0 tires (or even wider).

Quoted message said:

so if you find an old road bike with freewheel all you need to buy is a cog, take off the
derailers and shifters, realign the rear hub so the cog lines up with the chainwheel you choose
(left or right - or you can remove one of them and use shorter bolts).

I take it a similar conversion can be performed with other types of bikes? Given a single speed
cruiser, I'm guessing it would be even easier? Ditto with the single speed mountain bikes I've
read about?

Quoted message said:

-Bruce

Thanks!

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?

no, single speeds also include coaster brake hubs and single speed freewheel bikes. There is a
new fashion among mtbikes of single speed freewheel bikes, for their "simplicity = less stuff to
get muddy.

Yeah, less stuff to screw up shifting and the derailleur 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
4) What are some brands/models?

You can buy a new one, but using an old road frame is another choice. Find one with horizontal
dropouts, and clearance for your preference of tire width and fenders - will you be riding in
the rain? are your roads rough or smooth?

I'll be riding in the rain and the roads will be mostly smooth, but there will be some nasty
spots. I may get stuck slogging through mud on occasion. The road conditions are just bad enough
that I don't want to take a chance with anything less durable than a mountain bike or cruiser.
Plus I'm around 210 - 220 lbs so that's more weight than I care to put on a road bike.

Unless you're looking at the "stupid light" range of road bikes, 220lb is no problem. You might look
at the touring-type bikes. Usually sturdier and more stable geometry than purebred road bikes, but
still sporty and not as heavy as MTB's and cruisers.

....

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Ted Bennett <[email hidden]> wrote:
: If you can learn to ride backwards, my hat's off to you. I've been riding fixed for years, and
: have tried to do that a number of times, and failed, sometimes spectacularly, each time.

groups.google.comgroupsOpen ↗

see messages 5,6,7 and on..

it's the holy grail for me. but i reflexively flinch at going backwards more than what's required
for a trackstand. damnit.
--
david reuteler [email hidden]

Link to Fixed Gear Bicycle Gallery: fixedgeargallery.comfixedgeargallery.comOpen ↗ tom #313

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

Quoted message said:

Ted Bennett <[email hidden]> wrote:
: If you can learn to ride backwards, my hat's off to you. I've been riding fixed for years, and
: have tried to do that a number of times, and failed, sometimes spectacularly, each time.

groups.google.comgroupsOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

see messages 5,6,7 and on..

it's the holy grail for me. but i reflexively flinch at going backwards more than what's required
for a trackstand. damnit.
--
david reuteler [email hidden]

xmp33 said:

I read that the gearing on a fixed gear isn't equivalent to that on a multi-speed due to a more
efficient drive train on the fixed gear. Is this true?

Not really. The difference in efficiency is very small. You do get used to spinning a fixed gear
fast -- because you have to -- so you can go a little lower than your optimal flatland option, but
it depends on the terrain.

If that's the case, I was thinking of getting the bike geared

Quoted message said:

around "4th". I've got a 21 speed Fuji Boulevard FS (7 rear gears), and 4th is a bit of a pain to
start off with, but gets me to a pretty nice cruising speed (15 mph?).

Hard to know what "4th" means -- either 4th from the top, or bottom, and in which chainring? How big
are each of those gears? We measure gears in terms of ratios, usually taking the wheel diameter into
account as well, giving a number called "gear-inches", which is (wheel diameter)*(chainring
teeth)/(sprocket teeth). On my bike, which uses 700c wheels, and a 42/16 gears, that works out to 69
gear-inches. Pretty standard.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or _`\(,_ | that we are to
stand by the president right or wrong, is not (_)/ (_) | only unpatriotic and servile, but is
morally treasonable to the American public. --Theodore Roosevelt

You might check our www.irocycle.com for a couple of relatively inexpensive frame options. Also, go
to ebay, cycling section and do a search on track. Gives you a good idea on what's out there and
what it should cost, but you pretty much get what you pay for.

HTH Sotos

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1) Is a single speed bike the same as a fixed gear?

no, single speeds also include coaster brake hubs and single speed

freewheel

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bikes. There is a new fashion among mtbikes of single speed freewheel

bikes,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for their "simplicity = less stuff to get muddy.

Yeah, less stuff to screw up shifting and the derailleur 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

3) Are such bikes sold, or is this a custom job?
4) What are some brands/models?

You can buy a new one, but using an old road frame is another choice.

Find

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

one with horizontal dropouts, and clearance for your preference of tire width and fenders - will
you be riding in the rain? are your roads

rough or

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

smooth?

I'll be riding in the rain and the roads will be mostly smooth, but there will be some nasty
spots. I may get stuck slogging through mud on occasion. The road conditions are just bad enough
that I don't want to take a chance with anything less durable than a mountain bike or cruiser.
Plus I'm around 210 - 220 lbs so that's more weight than I care to put on a road bike.

I was thinking of a fixed gear with 26 x 2.0 tires (or even wider).

Quoted message said:

so if you find an old road bike with freewheel all you need to buy is a

cog,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

take off the derailers and shifters, realign the rear hub so the cog

lines

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up with the chainwheel you choose (left or right - or you can remove one

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

them and use shorter bolts).

I take it a similar conversion can be performed with other types of bikes? Given a single speed
cruiser, I'm guessing it would be even easier? Ditto with the single speed mountain bikes I've
read about?

Quoted message said:

-Bruce

Thanks!