Help me understand fixies

"Rosebud"?!?

kdelong said:

What is the allure of a single speed or fixed gear bike? There seems to be a lot of people using them and I am wondering why.

I personally like to ride fix because it's fun. Its a bigger challenge for city cycling, and long rides. I also like the control I have at stop lights and intersections, I don't have to actually get off my bike.

It's the pretty colors on the wheels.

from what i understand, it's a much better training tool as you don't have the option to wimp out and drop into an easier gear when the going gets tough.

I like fixies for thier simplicity. There are less things to break. And when something does break, chances are, it's an easy fix.

This brings up the question: How many cycling forums fixed gear cyclists have brakes on their bikes? When I rode fixie, I had mine equipped with a front brake...

Cullen
Appleton, WI

let me tell you a story of a great rider. there once was this nonstoppable ss rider who took it to the max, defining and redifining the very defintion of single speed as i do believe he now holds the record at leadville for a single gear. i might be wrong there but let me tell you another story about the same guy. recently there was a tt up a mountain here in the states where a pro italian roadie won the overal but this ss dirt rider, on his dirt ride with about 50 psi in his dirt tires, not in the competition, decided to try it as well. low and behold and under those circumstances, he came in three minutes behind this pro roadie guy with all the fixings on his bike.

i guess i should also mention that this guy has also been a world ranked cross champ and has something like 250-300 wins under his belt, a few of those to Lance Armstrong himself. a few losses to him too.

i also like to mention that i now wear his jerseys, but we'll keep that a secret. 😄

They seem to be insanely popular around San Francisco, which is odd given some of the really really f$%king steep hills in The City...

... maybe there's just less to concentrate on so the riders have more time to be getting on with packing each others fudge.

swampy1970 said:

They seem to be insanely popular around San Francisco, which is odd given some of the really really f$%king steep hills in The City...

... maybe there's just less to concentrate on so the riders have more time to be getting on with packing each others fudge.

as far as the fudge, from first hand experience from the witnessing of others fudge packing one another ( cycling websites i should have said, not in person and thank the lord for that as homie don't play that!), i agree but let it be clear that a fixie offers much more control in all aspects of the drivetrain than a single speed. the difference is that a fixie, which i didn't fully comprehend what the thread was about earlier as i was sober, is not in any way, shape or form the same as a single speed.

three beers and right no matter what you say. 🙂

Well, the best training method is the one that works for you. If fixies were the best, cyclists the world over would be training on 'em. You'd see pelotons of fixies. Alas, that don't happen.

Now fixies are fashion. They're the "it" bikes on college campuses, along with single speeds.

As for control.......my azz.

roadhouse said:

as far as the fudge, from first hand experience from the witnessing of others fudge packing one another ( cycling websites i should have said, not in person and thank the lord for that as homie don't play that!), i agree but let it be clear that a fixie offers much more control in all aspects of the drivetrain than a single speed. the difference is that a fixie, which i didn't fully comprehend what the thread was about earlier as i was sober, is not in any way, shape or form the same as a single speed.

three beers and right no matter what you say. 🙂

Three beers? Lightweight...

A fixed gear bike only offers greater control if you're able to pull trackstands at every traffic light or stop sign. Failing that you're better off with a multi geared road bike.

swampy1970 said:

Three beers? Lightweight...

A fixed gear bike only offers greater control if you're able to pull trackstands at every traffic light or stop sign. Failing that you're better off with a multi geared road bike.

Then there's the whole braking thing. Two brakes stop better than a fixie, and a skidding tire....well, wheels stop better and with more control when the tires aren't skidding. See, it's that whole friction thing. Trackstands? Meh. Bikes are about riding not standing still.

While actual racers may get a good workout with a geared bike by measuring their work with power monitors, hr monitors, and pick the gear they are in according to a specific training philosophy, I think singlespeed/fg are a much better workout for the casual rider because you have to work harder. They also do nice things for your legs because you have to mash your way up hills, whether or not you need a lot of strength for high speed performance.

I like singlespeeds. I like being able to spin on the flats or handle mild hills with the same gear. Get a $20 singlespeed kit and give it a try. It's just neat that a simple bike is enough. It's nice that you can get decent performance out of them without a complicated drivetrain. I like 3 speeds for the same reason. A 30 speed bike may take you farther and faster but unless the ride you picked is very long or fast, 30 speeds don't seem to add to the enjoyment of riding.

I love my fixie been riding it for years. Its neat when I stop at the coffee shop and all the other old coots are hanging around I pull up to the bike stand and back her in with out geting off. Or I find a nice crack in the sidewalk and sit there doing a track stand sipping my coffee.

bike guy said:

I love my fixie been riding it for years. Its neat when I stop at the coffee shop and all the other old coots are hanging around I pull up to the bike stand and back her in with out geting off. Or I find a nice crack in the sidewalk and sit there doing a track stand sipping my coffee.

I guess that's what coffee shops are about. Flash.

swampy1970 said:

A fixed gear bike only offers greater control if you're able to pull trackstands at every traffic light or stop sign.

I commute on a MTB with nice juicy hydro brakes and 27 glorious gears, and seem to be able to trackstand at lights and stop signs no problem. Same when I'm out and about on my road bike.

I ride about 1/4 of my time on the track on a FG. I can't possibly think of any advantage or benefit that a FG or SS offers on the road over a geared and braked bike.

Though I'll be happy when the next craze kicks in and the dickwad hipsters start selling off their gear so i can reap the bargains. Maybe next year you won't be hardcore unless you're on a unicycle (with spokey dokeys).

Yeah, it sorta looks like it is the latest greatest fad. I have since tried both fixed and single speed rides since my original post and I can't see how there is really any advantage either. If you don't want to ride in different gears as the terrain changes, then just don't shift.

I won't try to belittle anyone who rides a FG or SS. The only concern that I have is that there are some really nice older frames out there being stripped of their down tube shift bosses and derailleur hangers to make fixies. Might be better than rusting in a junk pile somewhere though.

I think a part of it is that a lot of folks don't try STI before converting their '70s road bike. It is nice to just pick a compromise ratio to install and be forced to stay in it. Then you don't feel like you always have to be letting go of the controls in order to reach to the shifter.

If more people had gearhubs, indexed thumb shifted MTBs, or brifters, singlespeeds would probabaly lose some of their appeal.

According to this site, Unicycling will be big among hipsters. What's next?

Maybe, wearing dorky suspenders and smashing watermelons with a large mallet like Gallagher?

I imagine climbing a 15% grade with a unicycle would be a challenge, and descending that peak could be, uhm, interesting.