# Here goes..



## palinurus (16 Aug 2009)

So far little more than a spin around the block. Tomorrow the commute.

Got a 16t sprocket on Friday and I've just screwed it on to my Singlecross. I wanted a bigger gear than the spinny 42 x 18 that comes as standard. Why not fixed too? got to try it someday.

Too early to say whether I like it, still feels weird and unnatural.

Looking forward to my commute. Always do I guess.

More so, then.


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## Hugo15 (16 Aug 2009)

Remember just keep pedalling!!

It took me a good couple of weeks before I could manage my commute without trying to freewheel. Do stick at it though as it is good fun.

Good luck and enjoy!


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## longers (17 Aug 2009)

I'm back on my fixed in about 10 minutes after nearly a month off saving up for a new back wheel.

Must remember to keep pedalling!


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## palinurus (17 Aug 2009)

Well I did forget once. I realize I tend to coast across junctions. Bike gave me a little reminder.

Feels better uphill. Downhill is harder. Braking using legs alone is harder than I thought it would be. 

The toughest bit at the moment is when I have to do little things like scoot through the pedestrian gate at work 'cos the security guy's gone for a cig. Don't know what to do with my feet and pedals.


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## MajorMantra (17 Aug 2009)

palinurus said:


> Feels better uphill. Downhill is harder. Braking using legs alone is harder than I thought it would be.
> 
> The toughest bit at the moment is when I have to do little things like scoot through the pedestrian gate at work 'cos the security guy's gone for a cig. Don't know what to do with my feet and pedals.



I wouldn't sweat the leg braking. It's very useful for modulating your speed but for coming to a full stop it's hard work and will murder your knees if you overdo it. Learning to skid is fun though it's hell on tyres.

You should find that the slow speed stuff actually gets easier than it was on a freewheel bike, at least that has been my experience. I find that the very direct control makes slow maneuvering more accurate. Next comes trackstanding...

Matthew


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## RedBike (17 Aug 2009)

I thought I had got the hand of not wanting to freewheel. Then last week a car pulled out on me. I slammed on the brakes and stopped pedalling. Lets just say there was nothing gentle about the reminder I got.


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## palinurus (17 Aug 2009)

RedBike said:


> I thought I had got the hand of not wanting to freewheel. Then last week a car pulled out on me. I slammed on the brakes and stopped pedalling. Lets just say there was nothing gentle about the reminder I got.



I was thinking that this morning: I bet if I need to stop in a hurry I forget to keep pedalling.


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## longers (17 Aug 2009)

Twas good to be back on that bike, the hill is still there but it's mostly lovely and smooth now as they've finally put the tarmac back on it.
I was apprehensive about dodging the raised grids and manhole covers at 25mph and keeping pedalling.


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## Joe24 (17 Aug 2009)

palinurus said:


> I was thinking that this morning: I bet if I need to stop in a hurry I forget to keep pedalling.



If you do then just put effort in and you will skid the back wheel instead.
As for what to do when you need to scoot, either sit on the saddle and pedal slowly(i find you have alot more control at lower speeds on fixed, use your feet to control your speed. Or just push down on one pedal, let yourself go up, then come back down, just using one leg if you get me.
Pedaling slowly may be the easiest way though.


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## Joe24 (17 Aug 2009)

longers said:


> Twas good to be back on that bike, the hill is still there but it's mostly lovely and smooth now as they've finally put the tarmac back on it.
> I was apprehensive about dodging the raised grids and manhole covers at 25mph and keeping pedalling.



Is that not part of the fun? I love doing some weeving in and out of things on my fixed, great fun.
I even do it sometimes when i have nothing to weave for.


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## longers (17 Aug 2009)

Joe24 said:


> Is that not part of the fun?



Not on this road with it dug up. You'd have been fine Joe but I'm a big Jessie.

Mottram to Stalybridge for anyone round here reading this = nice and smooth now


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## Joe24 (17 Aug 2009)

longers said:


> Not on this road with it dug up. You'd have been fine Joe but I'm a big Jessie.
> 
> Mottram to Stalybridge for anyone round here reading this = nice and smooth now



I always think its fine when you can see them, its when you cant see them that annoys me.


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## akaAndrew (17 Aug 2009)

palinurus said:


> I bet if I need to stop in a hurry I forget to keep pedalling.



Probably. Especially if you ride a freewheel bike too. 

Trick is to try and ride so you don't need to stop in a hurry. Easier said then done, I know. Try to practice the art of 'all seeing, all knowing' and 'being one with your environment'... or something like that anyway!


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## Joe24 (17 Aug 2009)

akaAndrew said:


> Probably. Especially if you ride a freewheel bike too.
> 
> Trick is to try and ride so you don't need to stop in a hurry. Easier said then done, I know. Try to practice the art of '*all seeing, all knowing' and 'being one with your environment'... or something like that anyway*!



We arent going to get some stupid twat going on about 'zen' or some other bollocks are we?


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## dave r (17 Aug 2009)

Joe24 said:


> We arent going to get some stupid twat going on about 'zen' or some other bollocks are we?



We can do if you want B)

I came back to fixed almost 2 years ago, and I still forget to pedal once in a while, usually on a Monday morning after doing the club run the day before on gears, and I am still rubbish at leg braking and track stands. Palinurus welcome to fixed wheel, the important thing is to just relax and enjoy the ride.


palinurus


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## Joe24 (17 Aug 2009)

Then ride the club rides on your fixed then
Luckily, its been a while since ive had a mistake where i have stopped pedaling. Ive done just over a year of riding fixed seriously(with some breaks when the fixed broke) but since the new one was built there been no major problems.
Its when i go on a freewheel bike that it all starts to feel strange


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## RedBike (17 Aug 2009)

Am I the only one who forgets they can freewheel when they change back over to geared bike?


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## MajorMantra (17 Aug 2009)

RedBike said:


> Am I the only one who forgets they can freewheel when they change back over to geared bike?



I think everyone does that. I've found that after you've been switching back and forth regularly though you stop noticing and you can just enjoy the qualities of each. This afternoon for example I went shopping on the fixed Pompino and then had a quick blast on the geared Ribble in the evening without thinking about it or feeling anything strange.

Matthew


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## dave r (18 Aug 2009)

Joe24 said:


> Then ride the club rides on your fixed then
> Luckily, its been a while since ive had a mistake where i have stopped pedaling. Ive done just over a year of riding fixed seriously(with some breaks when the fixed broke) but since the new one was built there been no major problems.
> Its when i go on a freewheel bike that it all starts to feel strange



I do the club runs on fixed in winter, club runs on gears in the summer, the traditional way of doing things.


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## Joe24 (18 Aug 2009)

dave r said:


> I do the club runs on fixed in winter, club runs on gears in the summer, the traditional way of doing things.



Ahh, i just use fixed all year round.


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## palinurus (19 Aug 2009)

Feels easier today. On Monday even stopping was a challenge. Approaching a white line gave me the same feeling I got when I was a kid and I had to use an escalator and there's that bit at the top where the stairs disappear and it's like you'll get dragged in and torn to bits. 

I'd unclip one foot to put it down and then it'd be F***! WHAT'S GOING ON! SOMETHING'S GOT MY FOOT!

I'm starting to get used to that now. I can even stop with my starting foot in the right place (a skill that I've apparently unlearned since riding with toe clips and clipless pedals)

Plus I scooted through the pedestrian gate just fine today.

I thought it would be a bit more energetic but I've noticed that it tends to encourage in me a fairly relaxed pace, and a more anticipatory riding style (which seems to encourage bizzare overtakes at junctions). Easy to just keep up a low-ish cadence on the flat, feeling the momentum of the bike through the pedals. That, and climbing, feels good (haven't tried any serious hills yet, lumps only). I'm not used to the downhill bits yet. Just sit on and keep up, I got it up to 30 today. Christ knows what 45 is going to feel like.

I thought, while going downhill, I'd try to just let the legs go relaxed and just let the pedals pull them around. That seemed like it ought to feel natural. It didn't.

I'll save trackstanding for another time, first I'll learn to wheel it out of the shed without whacking my ankles.


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## MajorMantra (19 Aug 2009)

palinurus said:


> I'm starting to get used to that now. I can even stop with my starting foot in the right place (a skill that I've apparently unlearned since riding with toe clips and clipless pedals)



You don't really need to worry about where your clipped in foot ends up. Just pull the front brake and lean on the bars to lift the rear wheel a little - then rotate to the desired position.

Matthew


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## Joe24 (19 Aug 2009)

Nah, dont worry about where your feet are, do what MM says. I do this with the TT bike(too afraid to trackstand it, i did it one and when i went to move off felt the bike flex, didnt put too much power in either)
Trackstanding is very useful, and an easy thing to learn. You move off from traffic lights like when you would have flat pedals and would just pedal and be able to keep going. Much faster to move off then people that need to clip in
Not sure what size gear you have, never done 45 downhil on a fixed. Got up to 200rpm in my 72" fixed and on a 65" fixed.
Was 38mph on the 65" and 42mph(might be higher, cant remember now, knew at the time though) on the 72" fixed.
You should find your cadence goes up on the flat aswell when you get used to it. I used to just cruise on my first fixed, then got used to it and would just ride on spinning.
First club ride on fixed i came back from the cafe and the group was doing 27mph for ages. Legs spinning like crazy Soon learnt i wasnt as fit as what i thought!
Keep having fun


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

Lol, I haven't dared ride a club run fixed yet. I'm not quick enough down the hills. I'm still to nervous to pedal really quickly and tend to max out at just shy of 30mph (48/18) 

I've done a few club runs single speed. I was alright until they went up this killer climb. I got to the top (eventually) and my poor legs were wobbling all over the place.


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## Joe24 (19 Aug 2009)

Redbike, you just need to go out and do them!
You will soon get alot faster, and be at the top of most hills before people on gears. A mate that i go into Derbyshire with(he has gears) i beat up hills, so to get me back hes got a route which has some 1 in 4 climbs in to try and get me off and walking
Downhill you just need to go for it. relax and let your legs spin. Take it easy, find a faster hill thats clear and just let your legs spin! Your legs will soon get used to it and then you can just fly down them, faster then people with gears sometimes(done that alot!)
You will get your confidence on it
You may also find better ways to decend aswell, for example letting the peddles push your feet around, trying to push the pedals around or another way. Only way i can describe this way is lifting up your legs abit, which just means your legs spin Cant think of another way to describe it though But it does work!


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

I've got a very slow commute home on mine tonight having 'lost' one of the wheel nuts and my spanner off the frame. 

I parked the bike outside a post-office come off license this morning with the backwheel locked to a lamp-post (through the frame). like this...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

As I set off from the post-office I noticed the back wheel was rubbing on the frame, then when I stopped to look what was wrong I noticed one of the nuts was gone. I went to get my spanner to make sure the other side was tight but that was missing too. 

Maybe the nut and the spanner both came loose and fell off. I did use both just the other night to fix a punture so maybe I didn't put them back on right. 
Then again maybe some like light fingered **** tried to nick the bike by removing the wheel! 

Either way i'm about to find out how well chain tugs hold the wheel on!


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## RedBike (19 Aug 2009)

Tried two bike shops and Halfords on my way home to try and buy this nut. The two bikes shops couldn't help me and Halfords tried to sell me one the wrong size. 

Looks like i've got to order a track nut (or a set of) online. No more fixed wheel riding for me for a few days.


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## Joe24 (19 Aug 2009)

Well thats naff!!!
I would of thought a good LBS would have one to sell you.


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## palinurus (25 Aug 2009)

I was relaxed during the commute today. last week a lot of my concentration was taken up by trying to remember to keep pedaling. Today was the first commute where I didn't get a little wake-up call from the bike.

The downhill parts are easier now, I've learned how to control my speed better- it's a feel thing, just concentrate on maintaining a cadence and keeping the pedals spinning at the rate I want, keeping up a steady, gentle resistance. Using the brakes less now.

This morning I tried spinning my legs as fast as I could on a couple of the downhill bits (they aren't used to going very fast yet. I hit 31 today, I make that about 150 rpm). Swear my heart rate was higher than when going uphill. Last week it felt like the bike was in charge downhill and I'd have to spin ever faster to keep up, I'm now starting to feel more in control. Having said that I've been avoiding the local killer hills.

Nice ride in today, pleasant weather, and I followed a hot air balloon for about 6 miles, taking a small detour to watch it land in a field.


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## threebikesmcginty (25 Aug 2009)

palinurus said:


> Nice ride in today, pleasant weather, and *I followed a hot air balloon* for about 6 miles, taking a small detour to watch it land in a field.




It flies too!!!


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## palinurus (17 Sep 2009)

One month in and it's all starting to make sense. I've been going to work and back home all week by the longer, hillier route. I like riding it, I feel relaxed. I'm getting a proper feel for controlling my speed now- nice in stop-start traffic and when riding down twisty lanes with blind bends. The reflex action where I stop pedaling whenever I go for the brakes has gone.

It's still a bit crazy descending those ski-ramp type hills, but I no longer avoid them.


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## palinurus (17 Feb 2010)

Five months or so and I'm getting the zen thing now.


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