# Too scared to ride fixed



## RedBike (6 Sep 2009)

I've managed to have a bump. I hit the bonnet of a car, just at the very moment I was seeing just how quickly I could pedal. 
(Great timing!)

To cut a long story short. Despite flying through the air like superman and completely trashing the bike I've somehow managed to walk away with just a few bruises. 
(Write up here http://redbikes.blogspot.com/2009/09/ive-hit-car-again.html )

However, i'm now too scared to ride fixed wheel again. Espeshially down a big hill. 
Should I just leave the bike as single speed indefinately. 
Fit a geared hub or just flog the thing?

Or maybe I should start off doing a few FLAT fixed gear rides to get used to it again. Cycling is suppost to be enjoyable and I know i'm not going to enjoy riding it until I've got over this fear it's the bikes going to end up killing me.


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## ColinJ (6 Sep 2009)

Ouch! 

It's a shame that your bike was damaged but at least you are okay...

I'm sure that somebody will tell you that they can stop a fixed wheel bike as fast as or faster than a conventional one, but I'd be surprised. I'd definitely want front and rear brakes if I was going to try fixed and I would want to be riding somewhere very quiet, no big hills and with good road surfaces - i.e. not round here!


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## GrasB (6 Sep 2009)

Sounds nasty but at least you walked away relativity unscathed & for that you should be going

As for getting back on the bike & do it soon, else you'll probably find you'll build up to much apprehension to get back on the bike. Find a nice quiet residential area & just do it. Wander around at 10mph or so & get used to riding it again then up the speeds etc. slowly. Braking wise I find that the length of the bike has far more effect on the ability to stop than the type of gears, the longer the frame the more torque can be applied to the front wheel before you lift the rear of the bike. To my mind the rear is irrelevant as when I'm braking oh-sh*t-I'm-gonna-die hard it's useless (& typically off the ground).


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## very-near (6 Sep 2009)

Can you not add a brake on the front end if you are taking it on the road ?. What is the weight penalty on this 1/2 - 1kg ?

I'd rather ride a m/cycle at 170mph than a fixed on the road @30mph without brakes


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## GrasB (6 Sep 2009)

> Originally Posted by *RedBike I've hit a car (again)!:*
> I've decided to test out just how quickly the fixie (with two brakes) stops compared to a normal bike. (I'm using a borrowed front wheel for the fixie having broke mine).


He has brakes.


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## yello (6 Sep 2009)

very-near said:


> Can you not add a brake on the front end if you are taking it on the road ?.



From my reading, RedBike has brakes on the fixed. Brakes wouldn't have made much difference in this instance either by the sounds of it.

RedBike, it's your call but I reckon you've got to get back on fixed asap. Don't let the fear overcome you. I think you acknowledge that this accident could equally have happened on a free wheel bike. The car pulled across your path with little time for you to do anything. So it's not the fixies fault! 

But perhaps you will have learnt that there's a time and a place to let the fixie go. Petrol station entrances are notoriously dangerous places, not just because people are entering and leaving but also because they've often switched off the road sense. 

Give it another go before you decide (if you do) to pack it in. Weren't the fixies fault!


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## Landslide (6 Sep 2009)

Hmm, having read your blog on it, I feel it's rather unfair to take the actions of a pair of motons out on your mode of transport. 

And Linf, fixed is not necessarily equal to brakeless.


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## RedBike (6 Sep 2009)

Right, i've decided. 

I will do one more fixed gear ride. No hills though!

This will be it's make or break (no pun intended) ride. I liked riding fixed. I really liked riding fixed. I just wasn't very comfortable spinning at crazy RPMs and this accident hasn't exactly helped me over-come that fear. 

It's a shame you can't get a rear hub that would allow you to freewheel for a bit then switch the bike back to fixed wheel for the flats / the climbs. Or even a geared fixed hub so I didn't have to spin like a nutter down the hills.


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## yello (6 Sep 2009)

Top man RedBike! That's the spirit!!



RedBike said:


> I liked riding fixed. I really liked riding fixed. I just wasn't very comfortable spinning at crazy RPMs



Me too. On all counts. I'm happy up to 150 but I'll be on the brakes to scrub off speed if it looks like getting more than that.


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## GrasB (6 Sep 2009)

Red, do you use any leg braking at all? I do what I call resistance spinning where I try and hold the peddle up on the down stroke but let the bike carry my leg around the upstroke. This in its self is hard work, good fun though


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## Will1985 (6 Sep 2009)

Not good - will you be contacting BC/CTC? No mention whether details were exchanged etc. I suppose it depends on how much the bill is?

I always say that a driver wouldn't do it if there were a car coming, so why go ahead if it's a bike? It certainly sounds like he caused you to crash.


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## RedBike (6 Sep 2009)

GrasB:. Yes i've tried leg braking but There's just no way I can hold the bike like this. On a 10%-15% hill as soon as I let the brakes off no matter what I do the bike speeds up quickly. 

Will: 
The driver offered to pay for everything (details exchanged). No insurance companies involved at the moment. It was clearly completely this drivers fault. He just turned without looking infront of me AND the car passing me. 

The car pasing me also hit him but had managed to scrub off enough speed before the impact so that we think no damage was done. I've no idea what sort of arrangement they've made between them.


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## Will1985 (6 Sep 2009)

Good to hear - from experience, leg braking from high cadence and speed is very difficult.


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## Young Un (6 Sep 2009)

Will1985 said:


> Good to hear - from experience, leg braking from high cadence and speed is very difficult.



I would agree with that - had to do it a couple of times on the track on friday 'cus of some tit who couldn't ride a bike in a straight line.

Sounds nasty Redbike, glad to hear that you escpaed lightly - hope you get the bike sorted, and return to fixed riding soon!

Ps Will, will you be coming tomorrow?


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## fossyant (6 Sep 2009)

Redbike, this is not your fault, and would have been as bad on a geared bike.

The fixed made no difference. I know what you say on hils over 10% - you need the brakes to hold it, although I'm comfortable at about 30-33 mph (160 rpm).

What's taken the 'knock' is your confidence - mine did after I was knocked off.


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## GrasB (6 Sep 2009)

RedBike said:


> GrasB:. Yes i've tried leg braking but There's just no way I can hold the bike like this. On a 10%-15% hill as soon as I let the brakes off no matter what I do the bike speeds up quickly.


Fair enough. I leg brake differently at 110rpm up. Below that I'm putting resistance into the whole leg rotation but at higher cadence I'm just trying to keep my let at the top of the stroke, it's a different technique & comfortable doing this up to about 190rpm, though it does lose efficiency from around 150rpm. I then use the front brake, disc, to keep the leg speeds acceptable.


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2009)

Doesn't matter what bike you are riding when someone pulls a move like that on you, glad you weren't badly hurt but I expect the bruising is painful.




RedBike said:


> It's a shame you can't get a rear hub that would allow you to freewheel for a bit then switch the bike back to fixed wheel for the flats / the climbs. Or even a geared fixed hub so I didn't have to spin like a nutter down the hills.



I once bid on an old bike on eBay which had exactly this: a fixed/free hub where you could change using a lever on the bars. I guess it went for more than I was willing to bid. I expect the hubs are pretty uncommon and I'm afraid I know next to nothing about them.

And a multispeed fixed hub is now available- saw something about that over at YACF.


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2009)

I guess this is it (Sturmey S3X)


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## RedBike (7 Sep 2009)

The Sturmey isn't available (yet?).

Sunrace were going to release it last year but then it seems nothing happened. They pulled the plug on it for some reason. 

There are a few 'old' models around that are fixed geared hubs but they're as rare as hens teeth and go for a pretty penny.


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## RedBike (10 Sep 2009)

I set off on a long ride on the fixie on Wednesday and lasted all of 3 miles before I stopped and flipped the wheel over. The next 130miles were done single speed. - I think it's fare to say the fixies had it's day! 

Talking of geared fixed wheel hubs I've just found this....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200381802772&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123


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## colinr (11 Sep 2009)

Better riding single speed than not at all.
Is that 133 miles in one day with one gear? If so, I feel totally inadequate.


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## 4F (11 Sep 2009)

colinr said:


> Better riding single speed than not at all.
> .



Yep I am inclined to agree.


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## RedBike (11 Sep 2009)

colinr said:


> Better riding single speed than not at all.
> Is that 133 miles in one day with one gear? If so, I feel totally inadequate.



131, I think? 
http://redbikes.blogspot.com/2009/09/120-fixed-wheel-ride.html


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## fossyant (11 Sep 2009)

RedBike said:


> I set off on a long ride on the fixie on Wednesday and lasted all of 3 miles before I stopped and flipped the wheel over. The next 130miles were done single speed. - I think it's fare to say the fixies had it's day!
> 
> Talking of geared fixed wheel hubs I've just found this....
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200381802772&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123



No good matey...I thought you were a hell of a lot hard core than me about fixed/single speed .......

I love my fixed for my work bike.....It's actually slower than my road bikes by a few mph.....so that's one benefit....REALLY... I can control speed now, it doesn't feel like a run away rocket......you have to change your riding style....I pedal 360 on a normal bike, ankles etc, not on the fixed - lock your ankles out.....it's really weird, but works...

Well as for stopping, I think a panic stop is faster on a fixed....... I nearly rear ended a car/bus/car/bus....... couldn't reach the levers in time...panic 'freewheel' jammed on......locked up the rear..... stopped........

I'm a roadie, really, but a fixed road bike is a good bit of kit in town....speed down, braking up (because you forget) - don't get into this 'skid' crap - certainly not on my excellent GP 4 Seasons.....


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## RedBike (12 Sep 2009)

If I worked in Manchester then I probably would still be using the fixie. The trouble is I live in a rather hilly area and i've found that 15% decents and fixies just do not mix. 

I'm going to keep the bike single speed but I wont be running it fixed again for a while.


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## Vikeonabike (12 Sep 2009)

My advice, see my Signature....The Allfather wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is *fixed*. Fear, profits a man nothing.


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## colinr (12 Sep 2009)

> 131, I think?
> http://redbikes.blogspot.com/2009/09...heel-ride.html



That's a crazy distance, at least by my standards, I tip my hat to you.


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