# Q: Fixie's... Explain???



## cloggsy (17 Jul 2011)

Ok... I'm really struggling with the concept of 'Fixies.' Don't get me wrong, I have seen some truly stunning examples of Fixie bikes but...

What type of riding are they best used for?

What if you're knackered and you want to free-wheel for a while?

Expand and discuss (please?)


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## Herzog (17 Jul 2011)

Fixed gear bike are good winter-riding (i.e., no rear mech/cassette to get clogged up), and the rider feels connected to the road (allowing a better assessment of grip levels). Depending on fitness levels, fixed gears can be ridden anywhere; a friend of mine recently rode in the Alps on a fixie. 

Depending on anticipated terrain, you can change the gearing easily. If you fancy freewheeling, get a SS cog (i.e., on with a freewheel).


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## Bigsharn (17 Jul 2011)

Personally, I've just had a fixie conversion done on my old racer because I need to improve my riding technique... As most people do, I pedal then freewheel while I catch my breath, which isn't good technique... It's also the spare bike, because there's a hell of a lot less to go wrong with a fixie (as Herzoq said, nothing can get jammed, and if the brakes fail you have a plan B that doesn't end in A&E).


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## cloggsy (17 Jul 2011)

... but surely a fixie isn't a fixie if it has a free wheel, then it is just a single speed?

I'm strangely drawn towards this fixie...


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## Dave Davenport (17 Jul 2011)

From Sotonia CC Spring newsletter;

*A Fixed Wheel Convert*

Riding fixed wheel has long been a popular choice for winter training and indeed, many of Sotonia’s more senior members rode nothing else in their halcyon days, the only gear shifts being those made between winter, summer and racing when sprockets would be changed to give a circa 66”, 72” & 82” gear respectively. 

Whilst there have always been a few riders keeping the fixed faith, the last few years has seen a massive surge in the availability of fixed / single speed frames & bikes which has been almost exclusively stimulated by fashion. Yes, driven by the whole ‘messenger’ scene riding a bike without gears has suddenly become trendy. Of course, if you really want to be cool you’ll have short straight bars, no mudguards, be wearing a Rapha jersey and have the right leg (only) of your jeans rolled up! Oh, and you’ll need to be riding up Camden high street for the full hipster image.

For those of us who aren’t young metropolitan graphic designers, riding fixed has always been about the practical benefits of a simple, robust drive train that will cope with the worst the British winter can throw at it and the training benefits of having to labour up the climbs and spin your legs like a loon on the descents. It should also help to develop a smooth pedalling action.

Whilst I’ve been well aware of the supposed benefits of going fixed for some time it had just never really appealed, surely you’re in the ‘wrong’ gear 90% of the time? This all changed about four months ago when I was given an early ‘80s steel frame set with horizontal drop outs and having most of what I needed knocking about the garage, decided to build it up as a fixed. I reasoned that if I didn’t like it I’d be able to get a good price for it on E Bay.

As it turns out, I haven’t ridden anything else since. I’ve found not having to think about gear selection quite liberating and the climbs to be much less of a problem then I’d anticipated. Admittedly, descending steep hills has been a bit of a learning curve and has led to some hairy moments but I’m getting there (I fitted a rear brake after the first club run outing). I shall be getting my summer bike out for an airing soon and it will be interesting to see what difference, if any a few months of fixed riding has made.

On a recent club run there were six of us sans gears, perhaps it’s time we started our own group, with our stop at a trendy espresso bar of course! 

*Dave Davenport*


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## smokeysmoo (17 Jul 2011)

The correct terminology is a riding fixed gear, NOT a 'fixie' This seems to be a 'cool' name adopted by the hipster brigade that have adopted fixed gear bikes as inner city fashion statements, but it's not cool and it's certainly not correct. Rant over  

As for riding, you really do get the whole connected feeling going on, man and machine in perfect harmony, well, puffing and panting up hills kind of harmony, but there's nothing else quite like it  

There is a definate learning curve when you first ride one, and you generally only forget once that you can't actually freehweel, I did anyway, after that experience I made sure I didn't forget again.

Now I can jump on my Langster Steel even if I've not ridden it for a couple of weeks and I just sync with the bike and my riding style adjusts automatically.

I'd recommend anyone to give it a go, and I would always advocate the use of brakes. I have both front and rear, most insist you don't need a rear one, and complete knobs insist you don't need any. My feeling is that I'd rather have them and use them minimally/not at all under normal circumstances, but when a cock in a car pulls out on me I want all the stopping power I can find.

I built a fixed gear out of an 80's Peugeot, then having been bitten by the bug, and as the Peugeot was a tad too small, I bought my Langster Steel.

Give it a go, you can do it on the cheap, and even if you don't like it you should pretty much get your money back on fleabay if you advertise it to the 'fixie' brigade


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## gert_lush (17 Jul 2011)

I do around 100 to 150 miles a week on a "Fixie" - 77" gear with a couple of hills in the way.

I think you are asking for a bit of a pro's and con's list:

Pro's
1, Usually very lightweight bike (if well built, mine is around 6kg - Reynolds 531 SL Steel frame)
2, Very little maint
3, great fun to ride
4, develops a great pedalling style and promotes fitness and strength - constant pedalling and having to get through and up everything!

con's
1, No freewheel if you fancy a break from pedalling
2, no gears - you have to MTFU to get up hills or MTFU if it gets windy
3, can be daunting to ride at first

All in all, I use mine 5 days a week all year round. The frame is battered, but the bike is light and I do very little maint. I also found that I was really bloody fast on a geared bike when I went racing after riding fixed for a few months! In Fact, I kicked the bums of a few "triathletes" on their £5000 Specialized bikes (I was on a £100 steel framed beast!) on a Sportive.

Key points of fixie build:

If you buy a factory built fixie, it is probably going to be quite heavy and more tailored towards look than useability. Home built fixies tend to be stripped down and very lightweight. The frame I used is a very short wheelbase TT frame, the bike itself is light, stiff and very agile. I put 40mm deep V wheels on the bike to make it look more bitchin' - if I had any sense I would have gone with lightweight track wheels. Gear inch and picking the right gear for your route is essential - I used to ride near 90" gear, but I now have a new route to work and had to drop the GI to near 80" to make it more useable and to stop my knees popping out of the sockets!

It is knackering to ride and can be painful in a headwind or on hills, but I love it and it feels even better when I kick the ass of a few geared bikes with dudes in "team kit" mounted.


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## smokeysmoo (17 Jul 2011)

gert_lush said:


> I do around 100 to 150 miles a week on a "Fixie" *FIXED GEAR* - 77" gear with a couple of hills in the way.
> 
> I think you are asking for a bit of a pro's and con's list:
> 
> ...



That's better


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## brockers (17 Jul 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> That's better





I'm getting a bit over the whole fixed thing tbh, as I find it's pretty impractical for most rides. It's pretty lumpy where I like to ride necessitating a 63'' gear (I'm a slight build and prefer spinny gears) and anything higher gets my left knee twingeing on the long draggy climbs. And I've never really got that 'I feel so connected with the bike/road' malarkey either: it's just different, that's all. It does make me feel trendy and metropolitan though, which in all honesty is why I started riding the things.

I agree that it's a great way to get strong quite quickly, but it's quite a crude way of going about it, and I'd be worried about the long term aspects of pushing too big a gear viz a viz kneez.


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## fossyant (17 Jul 2011)

Fixed gear rider here - well it's a fixed gear road bike, two brakes and panniers. I do about 150 miles a week on it. Advantages listed above. Great for training and building fitness. Also teaches you to spin a bit more.

My bike isn't a trendy 'fixie'.


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## Bicycle (17 Jul 2011)

I built my fixie out of curiosity and an old 531 roadbike frame about a year ago.

I don't regret building it for a moment, or riding it.

Having said that, I can see very little practical use for such a machine.

Certainly it helps with pedalling technique, but that's not much of a reason.

It also stops you from free-wheeling when you grab a drink, take a peep behind you or crest that massive hill you've just struggled up.

There is a strangely addictive feel to riding fixed-wheel. Personally I see little real, quantifiable point to it, but I believe it has improved the following:

1. My ability to maintain high cadences (150+) without bouncing in the saddle. Riding more smoothly at 150 seems to make me ride more smoothly at lower cadences too.

2. My ability to grind away in a seemingly high gear when there's no option. 

3. My ability to continue pedalling the whole time the rear wheel is turning. That might sound a silly one, but it's surprising how often we stop pedalling, even for a second, when out on a longish ride.

4. The fixie also seems to help me to learn how to keep a nice even-ish pressure on the pedals throughout the stroke. This particularly on shallow climbs where I spin at about 50-70 rpm.

There may be more benefits, but like many people I built mine largely to see what all the fuss was about, as I had an old frame kicking around.

I fail to understand why people get overly excited by fixies; they are huge fun, but so are good pasta, the books of Damon Runyon and fornication. 

I'd build one all over again if I didn't have one. I'd also initially remove the rear brake and then put it straight back on after my first ride. 

The best thing (for a fool like me) is that my fixie makes me giggle when I ride it in a way that no bicycle ever has before.


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## smokeysmoo (17 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> I built my *FIXED GEAR* out of curiosity and an old 531 roadbike frame about a year ago.
> 
> I don't regret building it for a moment, or riding it.
> 
> ...



Is my OCD getting out of hand?


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## skudupnorth (17 Jul 2011)

I bought an off the shelf Boardman fixed/SS and have not looked back at the choice,great ride,light,perfect for any sort of riding including a few lumps which i was tested on during my last 212km Cotswold Audax ! 
I changed a few factory items to suit me including a Brookes B17 saddle,Profile aero bars with Sram bar-end brake levers and during the winter i chuck on a set of Crud musguards....perfect !


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## wheres_my_beard (17 Jul 2011)

cloggsy said:


> Ok... I'm really struggling with the concept of 'Fixies.' Don't get me wrong, I have seen some truly stunning examples of Fixie bikes but...
> 
> What type of riding are they best used for?
> 
> ...




Fixed gear bikes can be used for most riding that you would already be doing. Due to the usual nature of the snappy geometry and slim tyres they are generally suited to road riding, and city roads. However, some people do ride off-road fixed gear bikes, with a build oriented to that use. 

I use mine for commuting, popping into to town,and weekend jaunts. But fixed gear bikes do turn up at very long distance road races, and are of course used in velodromes, where they can achieve insane speeds.

If you want to freewheel, just disengage your feet from the pedals, like so.





(this is not a fixed gear bike.)


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## Jezston (17 Jul 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> Is my OCD getting out of hand?



Actually ... isn't the correct terminology fixed _wheel_?


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (17 Jul 2011)

gert_lush said:


> con's
> 1, No freewheel if you fancy a break from pedaling



not true, i ride a fixie with flat pedals (but i have a rear brake), need a break from pedaling, take feet off the pedals. i get upto +40mph and feel totally in control, just as tho i'm on my geared bike.


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## smokeysmoo (17 Jul 2011)

Jezston said:


> Actually ... isn't the correct terminology fixed _wheel_?




*AASHTA* LINKY

It certainly isn't 'fixie'


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## coffeejo (17 Jul 2011)

Whatever the correct term, one of the blokes on today's ride was riding one and my god, he flew! The naughty buggers leading the ride took us down a wonderfully steep and long hill. They went too fast to be able to hear the names he was calling them.


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## brockers (17 Jul 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> *AASHTA* LINKY
> 
> It certainly isn't 'fixie'



Bluddycreepingamericanismscampyetc


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## Jezston (17 Jul 2011)

Quite - with all respect to the venerable Sheldon Brown - he is an _American._


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## Bicycle (17 Jul 2011)

I'm not sure when the chosen term for a fixie became such an issue, in jest or otherwise.

As the father of football-playing boys, I listen every season to 'knowledgeable' parents lamenting the use of the 'americanism' _soccer.

_The word soccer is no more American than I am. It's provenance is 100% English, but that is of no matter. I used it as a child as did most of my peers. I still use it. I don't know why it has recently had such bad press.

Similarly, the provenance and use of the word _fixie are_ of no import. I can be American, Albanian or Finnish for all I care. It's just a word - and rather a nice one (like soccer). Is the bad press because we suspect that the term was coined by people who might be more interested in fashion than cycling?

I no longer listen to a wireless. 

I drive an estate car, not a shooting brake.

I have a duvet these days, not a continental quilt. 

I call my fixed-gear bicycle all sorts of things, but 'fix' or 'fixie' trip most easily off the tongue. 

It is a fixed-gear bicycle; it may also be a fixed-wheel bicycle; to me it it usually a fixie or a fix.


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## wheres_my_beard (17 Jul 2011)

I refer to mine as the Awesomobile. 

Or "my bike".


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## dave r (17 Jul 2011)

I use my fixed for commuting and winter club rides, I have a Pearson Touché, I find it ideal for commuting, about a 13 mile round trip that's a little lumpy in places, but no serious hills.


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## Canrider (17 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> I drive an estate car, not a shooting brake.


I believe, sir, you mean a station wagon.


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## brockers (17 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> I'm not sure when the chosen term for a fixie became such an issue, in jest or otherwise.
> 
> I have a duvet these days, not a continental quilt.



So do I. Thankfully I don't call it a comforter though like those blessed Americans! Sounds a bit infantile to me. Like 'pacifier' for dummy.



Bicycle said:


> I call my fixed-gear bicycle all sorts of things



So do I. Not all of them nice.

To me the short and hard monosyllabic word 'fixed' engenders quasi brutal imagery of determined heros battling through muddy and icy northern European wastes. With goggles on. In black and white. A bit like a Rapha catalogue.

Whereas 'fixie' rhymes with pixie.


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## Rob3rt (18 Jul 2011)

Just try riding one for yourself and make your own mind up, else you will just get the geared riders telling you freewheels and gears were an improvement and riding fixed is pointless etc whilst on the other hand fixed riders will spend all day romanticising the fixed wheel bike and the experience it gives.

I ride both, both are good, I prefer fixed, just because I do...


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## Bicycle (18 Jul 2011)

Rob3rt said:


> Just try riding one for yourself and make your own mind up, else you will just get the geared riders telling you freewheels and gears were an improvement and riding fixed is pointless etc whilst on the other hand fixed riders will spend all day romanticising the fixed wheel bike and the experience it gives.
> 
> I ride both, both are good, I prefer fixed, just because I do...



+1

Although I'm really not sure which I prefer.


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## smokeysmoo (18 Jul 2011)

Jezston said:


> Quite - with all respect to the venerable Sheldon Brown - he is an _American._



I think you meant he *was* an American.


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## Pennine-Paul (18 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> not true, i ride a fixie with flat pedals (but i have a rear brake), need a break from pedaling, take feet off the pedals. i get upto +40mph and feel totally in control, just as tho i'm on my geared bike.



  don't do it Shaun,
can you imagine the mess your legs would end up in if the pedals hit you


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## ColinJ (18 Jul 2011)

Pennine-Paul said:


> don't do it Shaun,
> can you imagine the mess your legs would end up in if the pedals hit you


I rode down from Blackstone Edge to Littleborough with Shaun last week. I bombed on ahead and expected him to be a few minutes behind me so I stopped at the bottom of the hill to check my GPS to see what maximum speed I'd done (50 mph). I suddenly heard a thwacking noise and I looked up to see Shaun shooting past with his feet off the pedals and his toestraps slapping the road as his pedals shot round!

I think it is dodgy to ride like that. Instead of 5 points of contact with the bike, there are only 3, and cornering fast without being able to put weight down through the pedals can't be as safe. 

Emergency braking without feet on pedals would scare me.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (18 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> I rode down from Blackstone Edge to Littleborough with Shaun last week. I bombed on ahead and expected him to be a few minutes behind me so I stopped at the bottom of the hill to check my GPS to see what maximum speed I'd done (50 mph). I suddenly heard a thwacking noise and I looked up to see Shaun shooting past with his feet off the pedals and his toestraps slapping the road as his pedals shot round!
> 
> I think it is dodgy to ride like that. Instead of 5 points of contact with the bike, there are only 3, and cornering fast without being able to put weight down through the pedals can't be as safe.
> 
> Emergency braking without feet on pedals would scare me.




just flats now, no straps, i was experimenting that day. why do you think it's more dangerous at +40 mph than a geared bike? have a look on youtube for penny farthing freewheeling. i'm quite capable of holding my feet out for a few mins, far far less dangerous than spinning out of control at 140 rpm (bin there done that on dan_bo's bike).


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## ColinJ (18 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> why do you think it's more dangerous at +40 mph than a geared bike?


Because when I go round fast, tight bends, I lean the bike right over and force the outside pedal down and the bike feels like it is glued to the road. If I took my feet off the pedals and tried it, I don't think I'd get round some of those bends at all!



bromptonfb said:


> have a look on youtube for penny farthing freewheeling. i'm quite capable of holding my feet out for a few mins, far far less dangerous than spinning out of control at 140 rpm (bin there done that on dan_bo's bike).


I think _all three_ activities are potentially more dangerous than riding a geared bike downhill!

I think if you have to brake suddenly or swerve to avoid a pothole or a cat (whatever) with your feet off the pedals, you could be in trouble. 

I'm sure that many people would have been killed endoing off penny farthings at speed. 

I bet you that lots of people have also crashed when their feet suddenly unclipped on fixed wheel bikes on fast descents!


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## YahudaMoon (19 Jul 2011)

Track bike fixed here. I don't use my track bike much as its uncomfortable and was used for track only. I put a brake on it for my commute to save money on spare bike parts. I reckon I was saving about £200 a year using fixed over a geared bike.

Went out tonight after a long spell off the bike. Verdict is, track bikes are a hard ride on the road and maybe a real road fixed bike would be best.
Basically they can be dam scary


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## YahudaMoon (19 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> I rode down from Blackstone Edge to Littleborough with Shaun last week. I bombed on ahead and expected him to be a few minutes behind me so I stopped at the bottom of the hill to check my GPS to see what maximum speed I'd done (50 mph). I suddenly heard a thwacking noise and I looked up to see Shaun shooting past with his feet off the pedals and his toestraps slapping the road as his pedals shot round!
> 
> I think it is dodgy to ride like that. Instead of 5 points of contact with the bike, there are only 3, and cornering fast without being able to put weight down through the pedals can't be as safe.
> 
> Emergency braking without feet on pedals would scare me.




Blackstone edge lol. Thats scary on a geared bike. Is Shaun alive then ? Hows his bike ?


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## Bicycle (19 Jul 2011)

One aspect on which I have to agree with the *'not-so-keen-on-fixed'* camp is stopping from speed.

On fast descents I'm spinning at *'knees invisible'* speeds and although I'm better now at slowing from high cadence on fixed, I'm not quite there yet.

*I love riding fixed-gear*, but I'd prefer to meet a hazard on a fast descent on a geared bicycle. 

As to the *feet-off-when-descending* thing, I guess that's something you're either happy with or not. I couldn't do it.

I've only ever ridden fixed-gear on Looks or Egg-Beaters and I don't think I could do it unless my feet were attached to the pedals.

People say you can safely lock the rear from speed.... I can't when I'm hammering downhill on the A417 at stupid cadences and a scary thing happens with an artic at my shoulder.

Riding fixed is a huge hoot and I do it whenever I can, but unless you're very good, they do not stop (or change speed) as quickly as a *'proper'* bicycle.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (19 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> I think _all three_ activities are potentially more dangerous than riding a geared bike downhill!
> 
> I think if you have to brake suddenly or swerve to avoid a pothole or a cat (whatever) with your feet off the pedals, you could be in trouble.
> 
> I bet you that lots of people have also crashed when their feet suddenly unclipped on fixed wheel bikes on fast descents!



i would gladly read any evidence you can find to support these claims. i have had to do emergency brake whilst descending going to uni at about 35 mph (dropping into bury down walmersley rd, came to a sliding stop perfectly safe and the artic lorry was undamaged. i felt in total control and having my feet off the pedals was handy, i was able to moto-cross stylee slide the back wheel out.

now i'm running 35mm kenda block tyres, i reckon i can stop quicker than when on my 23mm slicks (more rubber in contact with the road).

plus, as i'm running a rear brake i can lock the pedals at any time and put my feet on them, if needs be.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (19 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> One aspect on which I have to agree with the *'not-so-keen-on-fixed'* camp is stopping from speed.
> 
> they do not stop (or change speed) as quickly as a *'proper'* bicycle.



i have to disagree, my v brakes (front and rear) stopping power is far superior to my canti's on my cx bike. i can lock both wheels up whenever necessary at any speed.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (19 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> Because when I go round fast, tight bends, I lean the bike right over and force the outside pedal down and the bike feels like it is glued to the road. If I took my feet off the pedals and tried it, I don't think I'd get round some of those bends at all!




ahh, this is a problem inherent to all fixies due to pedal strike (whether feet on or off), when i built the bike i put shorter cranks on to try to give me a bit more leaning room.


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## cloggsy (19 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> i can lock both wheels up whenever necessary at any speed.



 Why would you want to lock your wheels up? Surely that is a skid? If you are skidding then you are not in full control of your machine!


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (19 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> I rode down from Blackstone Edge to Littleborough with Shaun last week. I bombed on ahead and expected him to be a few minutes behind me so I stopped at the bottom of the hill to check my GPS to see what maximum speed I'd done (50 mph). I suddenly heard a thwacking noise and I looked up to see Shaun shooting past with his feet off the pedals and his toestraps slapping the road as his pedals shot round!
> 
> *I think it is dodgy to ride like that*. Instead of 5 points of contact with the bike, there are only 3, and cornering fast without being able to put weight down through the pedals can't be as safe.
> 
> Emergency braking without feet on pedals would scare me.



not as dodgy as you riding with buggered bearings in your free hub at +50mph. the chain droop it causes put you at far far more risk (when the chain droops below the chainstays like yours was, locking the rear wheel is a real possibility) than i ever was (i agree that having not tied up the straps was lazy and could possibly have snagged something, but blackstone edge is a pretty smooth road)


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (19 Jul 2011)

cloggsy said:


> Why would you want to lock your wheels up? Surely that is a skid? If you are skidding then you are not in full control of your machine!



duuhhh!!!




, i was just making a point (in reply to the post i quoted) that a fixie can be stopped just as fast as any other road bike.


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## ColinJ (19 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> not as dodgy as you riding with buggered bearings in your free hub at +50mph. the chain droop it causes put you at far far more risk (when the chain droops below the chainstays like yours was, locking the rear wheel is a real possibility) than i ever was


A mate had a look at that a couple of days ago. He went to undo the rear skewer and was struggling with it. He asked me why it was so bastard-tight and I told him that I'd pulled my rear wheel out on a forum ride a few months back so I'd done it as tight as I could. 

It seems that that was definitely part of the problem because my wheel turned much more freely once we loosened the skewer. Since then, I've replaced the Mavic skewer with a Shimano one. I've never had a problem with Shimano or Campagnolo skewers but I and others have done with less chunky ones from other manufacturers.

It hasn't completely sorted out the dragging free hub though so I may well have buggered the bearings by overtightening the QR.

Having said all of that - the fact that my bike seems to be ailing is a completely separate question to the safety of different styles of fixed-gear descending! Thanks for pointing it out though, because I was completely unaware of the problem. (That's just reminded me that I need to take another look at it!)


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## samid (20 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> A mate had a look at that a couple of days ago. He went to undo the rear skewer and was struggling with it. He asked me why it was so bastard-tight and I told him that I'd pulled my rear wheel out on a forum ride a few months back so I'd done it as tight as I could.
> 
> It seems that that was definitely part of the problem because my wheel turned much more freely once we loosened the skewer. Since then, I've replaced the Mavic skewer with a Shimano one. I've never had a problem with Shimano or Campagnolo skewers but I and others have done with less chunky ones from other manufacturers.



If your wheel has traditional cones/loose bearings construction, you should be able to fix the drag by adjusting (making looser) the cones. In my experience, when the wheel is out it should be adjusted slightly on the loose side, then when it is put in the dropouts and the quick release closed, some of the play is taken up by the compression. The trick in adjusting the cones is to hit the sweet spot so that the looseness is just compensated by the compression of the quick release.


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## Bicycle (20 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> i have to disagree, my v brakes (front and rear) stopping power is far superior to my canti's on my cx bike. i can lock both wheels up whenever necessary at any speed.




I'm interested to hear that. I am by no means a skilled cyclist, but I cannot pull up my fixie from speed nearly as quickly or safely as I can my geared road bike. There is also the question of stability under braking with the fixed-gear.

Both have caliper brakes and very similar geometry. Tyres are similar.

Descending at 35+ mph and having to stop in a hurry, I am in all sorts of trouble on the fix and in good (ish) control on a standard road bike.

It may be that I have insufficient control of my lower limbs at 150+ cadences. I simply have the geatest difficulty stopping quickly and in an orderly fashion from 30+ mph. The gearing on my fixie makes anything over 34-35 a fantasy, but the road bike pulls up smartly from 40+ speeds with no more than the expected slight terror. 

I frequently stand the fixie on its front wheel when stopping in a hurry and have no worries about doing that, so I'm OK with the feel and efficacy of the brakes. My problem is with controlling the driveline (my legs). They are simply unwilling to slow in a quick and controllable way from 150+ cadence to zero.... At those speeds I am unwilling (and not brave enough) to lock the rear. On a geared bike, I just flatten the pedals, 'grip the tank' and drop my backside down somewhere behind the saddle. On a fixie I have to stay planted and keep pedalling....

I do take your theoretical point about locking either wheel whenever you want. I see it's not meant to suggest you'd choose to do that in every situation. I think I can do that on all my bikes, but locking up and stopping safely are two different things.

In hands as unskilled as mine, a fixie is much harder to stop from high speed than a bike with freewheel. Because of that, it is slower to stop; _ergo_ not quite as safe.

I believe that almost anyone on this forum would rather be on a geared bike than a fixie _(ceteris paribus)_ when executing an emergency stop from 35+ mph while descending in the Malvern Hills in traffic. I think that was my point.

If anyone thinks otherwise, I suspect them of having either a death wish or a big letter *S* on the skin-tight top under their cape.

However, it may be that I simply lack the skill or courage of which others possess a superfluity.


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## Dave Davenport (20 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> I'm interested to hear that. I am by no means a skilled cyclist, but I cannot pull up my fixie from speed nearly as quickly or safely as I can my geared road bike. There is also the question of stability under braking with the fixed-gear.
> 
> Both have caliper brakes and very similar geometry. Tyres are similar.
> 
> ...




Same here.


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## dave r (21 Jul 2011)

I've come back to reading this thread having not looked at it for ages, Why are people having problems stopping their fixed from speed? I can stop my fixed just as well as my geared bike from high speed, it doesn't feel any different. So what's different? is it a confidence thing? The last emergency stop I did was just after Christmas, I was on the descent between Norton Lindsey and Snitterfield, I tweaked a calf muscle at just over 30 mph and had to drop my speed before I could pull my foot off the pedal, I applied the brakes and the bike stopped that was it no dramas no problems.


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## fossyant (21 Jul 2011)

Can't see a problem with stopping a fixed. It has 3 brakes (2 callipers and legs).

My fixed stops just as well as my road bikes. If you can't stop a fixed, then I'd suggest cleaning your rims and getting better pads. (applies to any bike)


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## Ibbots (21 Jul 2011)

Me neither, and I only have a front brake and me legs to work with but then only my road and mtb's generally use the front and perhaps a little back brake for stopping and back on it's own just to scrub speed. It took a couple of months to develop strength and technique but on the fixed I do the same, just using my legs instead of a rear brake.


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## Woz! (21 Jul 2011)

Well I bought mine because it's so damned pretty  

I like the simplicity of the machine but to be honest I've used it far more in SS configuration than as a fixie because riding fixed hurts my knees. 

I know people will say that fixies aren't bad for your knees, but my knees are crap and I can REALLY tell afterwards if I've been riding fixed. I get no pain from riding single speed on the same bike.


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## swee'pea99 (21 Jul 2011)

In my opinion the practical reasons like low maiintenance really have very little to do with it. It's all about the riding experience, which is different, and very addictive. Nor does it hurt that they tend to be light, which helps you go faster for less effort. Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer.


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## Ibbots (21 Jul 2011)

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1311244969' post='1761051']
Nor does it hurt that they tend to be light, which helps you go faster for less effort. Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer. 
[/quote]


Mine's a Pompino so made out of pig iron or something and has rack, mudguards and cheap wheels; it's my heaviest bike. "Fixedwheel", "fixed-gear", "fixie", "fixed" whatever - usually call mine the bastud or the lump.


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## Bicycle (21 Jul 2011)

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1311244969' post='1761051']
Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer. 
[/quote]


I agree with that. Any of the following seem good to me: fixie, fixed, fix, fixed-gear, fixed-wheel, fixed-gear bicycle or fixed-wheel bicycle.

*Fixie* is my favourite.

The hyphen in the last four examples is necessary because it marks the use of a compound adjective.

A fixed gear bicycle is a gear bicycle that has been repaired.

A fixed-gear bicycle is a fixie. The hyphen has its purpose.

Some benign but haughty turnip replaced the word *fixie* with *fixed gear* in an earlier post of mine.

I'm sure it was done in jest - but if you're going to be pedantic, be right.

This includes not spelling 'definitely' 'definately' and other ghastly lapses. 

I think the same contributor had similarly altered someone else's input.

Fixie fixie fixie fixie fixie fixie....

Nyah nyah nyah!


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## samid (21 Jul 2011)

fossyant said:


> Can't see a problem with stopping a fixed. It has 3 brakes (2 callipers and legs).
> 
> My fixed stops just as well as my road bikes. If you can't stop a fixed, then I'd suggest cleaning your rims and getting better pads. (applies to any bike)



The difference between emergency stopping a fixie vs a freewheeling bike is, when you brake hard using your front brake you may have to move your weight back - i.e. slide behind the saddle. It is harder to do if you have to keep pedaling. That I believe was the "problem" some posters referred to.


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## dave r (21 Jul 2011)

samid said:


> The difference between emergency stopping a fixie vs a freewheeling bike is, when you brake hard using your front brake you may have to move your weight back - i.e. slide behind the saddle. It is harder to do if you have to keep pedaling. That I believe was the "problem" some posters referred to.



That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.


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## Bicycle (21 Jul 2011)

dave r said:


> That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.




Cripes!

I take my hat off to riders who can do an emergency stop and not move around on the saddle.

My backside goes several yards to the rear when I really have to hit the anchors.

I also stop my feet (stop pedalling) and 'grip the tank' with my knees.

Those actions are not possible on a fixie unless I lock the rear wheel, which I am not comfortable doing on a busy road at over 30 mph.

If my backside stays where it is on the saddle and I just slightly chirrup the tyres and maybe stand slightly on the front wheel, that's not an emergency stop in my books. It's a theatrical and fairly fast stop. 

I think we may have very different ways of riding a bicycle. I imagine mine is wrong, as I just ape what worked for me on a motorcycle. I move my weight around to keep the thing on two wheels until I've completed whatever change of speed or direction I'm attempting. When braking, that means back and arms stretched out and arse to the rear.


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## dave r (21 Jul 2011)

Bicycle said:


> Cripes!
> 
> I take my hat off to riders who can do an emergency stop and not move around on the saddle.
> 
> ...



When I came back to cycling, over thirty years ago, I moved from a motorcycle and started riding in a similar way to the way I did on the motorcycle. Over the years I've improved and refined my technique and now, though some of the motorcycle element is still there, I ride totally different to how I did then. Normally I sit still on the bike and rarely move about unless I'm stood on the pedals and honking. and I try to keep the ride smooth and read the road ahead.


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## samid (22 Jul 2011)

dave r said:


> That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.



I guess it depends on the emergency. I rarely have to move behind the saddle while on a road bike (be it freewheeling or fixed) - in fact I can only remember one occasion. But on that one occasion I had to really stop as quickly as I could to avoid a collision (my own fault) - and the fastest way to stop on a bike is to brake till the back wheel starts lifting off the ground. Obviously the more you can move your weight backwards the faster you can stop without going over the bars.


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## Allirog (22 Jul 2011)

bromptonfb said:


> ahh, this is a problem inherent to all fixies due to pedal strike (whether feet on or off), when i built the bike i put shorter cranks on to try to give me a bit more leaning room.


Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (22 Jul 2011)

Allirog said:


> Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.



no, i took the shorter cranks into consideration when i built the bike from scratch. i wanted 65" i got 65", but i'm upto 67" inch now because i've put 35mm tyres on so i can use canal towpaths and the ncn routes around manchester.


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## dave r (22 Jul 2011)

Allirog said:


> Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.




I find short cranks, I started with 170's and went to 165's, make spinning up on a descent a lot easier, but then I have short legs, I don't notice any difference on the flat and on climbs, if there's a difference its hardly noticeable.


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## Canrider (23 Jul 2011)

Well, as a cyclist of no particular skill, I slid myself backwards out of the saddle on a descent two days ago while fixed. As long as you're focused on the task(s) at hand, you will keep those pedals turning no matter where you need your arse to be at any given moment.


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## Bicycle (2 Aug 2011)

Canrider said:


> Well, as a cyclist of no particular skill, I slid myself backwards out of the saddle on a descent two days ago while fixed. As long as you're focused on the task(s) at hand, you will keep those pedals turning no matter where you need your arse to be at any given moment.




I find this reply totally credible and I take my hat off to you.

I've been riding fixed and geared recently, including some biggish climbs and descents.

You're quite right, it is possible to improve weight distribution on a fixie by moving arse rearwards (as on a 'proper' bike), but I still can't achieve the same retardation from speed on my fixie as I can on my 'proper' bike.

I don't know why that is.

I don't like to lock the wheel at 150+ rpm, or even 10 rpm for that matter.

I find it terribly difficult to slow my legs with a braking-type action from high cadences (150+).

In order to execute an emergency stoip from those speeds I have to sort of 'switch off' my legs and let them do whatever the pedals do as I apply the brakes.

This inability to brake from high speed with my legs seems worse on descents, but that might just be nerves on my part.

It could be that I've got stupido bull-horns on my fixie with t/t levers, so it's more of a reach to get to the brakes, but in truth it's easier to yank on them than it is on the ergos on my geared bike.

Well, whatever the reason, I simply cannot bring my fixie to standstill from speed as quickly as I can my 'proper' bike.

I'd love to be able to, but I can't.


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