# Fixed wheel/gears.........why ??



## Dave7 (10 Feb 2018)

OOPS.......just realised there is a specific section for fixies. Mods feel free to move or eliminate this.
Serious question.
Feel free to answer whether you or for or against but I am really interested in knowing WHY.
The only one I ever tried was 50 years ago.........that one didn't allow you to stop pedalling (until bike had stopped of course). Not sure how I got off it still alive 
I just don't understand the concept i.e. why not have a choice of gears and be able to free wheel when you want to?


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## mjr (10 Feb 2018)

Control, simplicity, efficiency, easier maintenance. I'm never likely to ride one on the roads but I can understand why people do. My personal compromise is a 3 speed: same beefy chain, still up further away from road crud, but freewheel and choice of gears at the expense of 8ish% typical efficiency loss IIRC. A clean derailleur in a gear with the ideal chain line will beat that but there are few clean derailleurs or ideal chain lines in winter.


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## raleighnut (10 Feb 2018)

Likewise I rode one once about 45yrs ago and hated it especially going down the big hill Enderby sits on, nearly the worst bike I ever rode but that accolade goes to Bill Moore's Sister's Moulton.


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## ChrisEyles (10 Feb 2018)

For me it's just something a little bit different to mix things up. I tend to be quite lazy on a geared bike, fixed/SS makes you attack every single hill, and on fixed since you've got to be pedalling all the time you might as well put some effort in. 

I love riding it on flattish/rolling terrain, and have had it out on a couple of dedicated cycling tracks which has also been great fun. On the Devon lanes, flattish and uphill roads are fine, but going down steep bends can be downright scary, and I've had the odd moment where a landrover comes barreling towards you and you instinctively try and brake and freewheel, and get shunted off the saddle and into the handlebars while still spinning like a ninny... which isn't quite as much fun. 

In summary if I could only have one bike, no way would it be a fixed gear, but I do enjoy the one I have.


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## Ian H (10 Feb 2018)

Whenever I climb off the fixed and on to gears, I think this is bliss: gears, freewheel.
Whenever I climb off gears and on to fixed, I think this is bliss: silence, simplicity, absolutely connected to the bike.


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## Dave7 (10 Feb 2018)

ChrisEyles said:


> you and you instinctively try and brake and freewheel, and get shunted off the saddle and into the handlebars while still spinning like a ninny... which isn't quite as much fun.
> .


That is my over riding memory


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## SkipdiverJohn (10 Feb 2018)

I find the whole idea of fixed wheels utterly pointless. It's the sort of bike Fred Flintstone would have had. Prehistoric. You might as well ride on a penny farthing. 
The argument about mechanical efficiency only stacks up against multi-geared bikes. There is absolutely no mechanical advantage to a fixed wheel over a single speed freewheel which has an optimal static chainline.


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## Biff600 (10 Feb 2018)

Fixed wheel is great, you pedal backwards and guess what ???

You go backwards !!

Great fun when you get the hang of it !!


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## midlife (10 Feb 2018)

Track stands


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## colly (10 Feb 2018)

When I was around 14 or so a fixed wheel was something I cobbled together probably because my mates had one. Fixed wheel with cow horn bars IIRC. Used it for a while and don't recall any mishaps on it. No idea when I gave it up or what superceded it.

I picked up cycling again some 30 years later and 5 or 6 years ago I made myself up a fixed wheel bike




from a frame bought off @biggs682 who gets on here. I loved it. Simple, almost maintainance free, pretty much silent, never hearing the chain rattling because it was just a bit out. I rode it pretty much as my only bike for around 5 years. 
It's quite hilly in Leeds and where I ride and much to my surprise it didn't really stop me getting anywhere I could on my geared bike.
Obviously there are some hills/routes I can't do on it but they are a struggle even on a geared bike. It's also odd that while getting up hills seems slower, and going down hills is limited the difference in journey times between fixed and geared is negligable.
I have been off cycling much for a year or so and in the mean time I have aquired a geared bike and made up another fixed.



I'm riding a geared bike atm, especially as I try to get some cycling fitness back but will always enjoy my fixed bike.


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## 12boy (10 Feb 2018)

Fixed bikes are good because they:
Are like beginning riding all over again.
Are cheap and easy to maintain. Tires, chains and one set of brake pads are the consumables.
Rims last a lot longer because the brakes are used far less.
Traction on mud, snow, wet roads or ice seems easier to control, at least to me. There are fixed gear mountain bikers here in Wyoming that enjoy the challenges a 63 gear inch rigid bike presents.
They are a bit more exercise than single speed or geared bikes.
They are a pound or more lighter since they don't have sprockets, multiple chainrings, rear brakes or IGH, as a rule. As a rule since Sturmey Archer does sell a 3 speed fixed hub.
On the negative, I don't enjoy going down steeper hills at 140 rpm.
All the disadvantages of having only 1 speed are there.
Setting up a fixie requires spot on chainline and the right amount of chain tension. Therefore, track ends or horizontal dropouts are preferrable although eccentric hubs and bottom brackets, usually expensive, do work.


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## Tim Hall (10 Feb 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> I find the whole idea of fixed wheels utterly pointless. It's the sort of bike Fred Flintstone would have had. Prehistoric. You might as well ride on a penny farthing.


Nonsense. A fixed wheel bike has a chain and gearing, something a direct drive bike, such as a penny-farthing, doesn't.


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## Phaeton (10 Feb 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> Nonsense. A fixed wheel bike has a chain and gearing, something a direct drive bike, such as a penny-farthing, doesn't.


Is that not made up for by the size of the wheel?


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## Smokin Joe (10 Feb 2018)

Everyone had a fixed gear bike in the stable back in the day. Mechanical simplicity, great control and a doddle to get used to. 

Almost thief proof too as the average scrote will break his neck should he nick it.


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## Venod (10 Feb 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> There is absolutely no mechanical advantage to a fixed wheel over a single speed freewheel which has an optimal static chainline.



Ride up a hill with the same gearing on fixed and on a freewheel and I'll bet you will be quicker on fixed.


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## Tim Hall (10 Feb 2018)

Phaeton said:


> Is that not made up for by the size of the wheel?


To an extent. It's where we get the concept of gear inches from. My fixed wheel bike is running a 67 inch gear, ie the equivalent of a 67 inch direct drive diameter wheel. The radius of that would be 33.5 inches. Add say seven inches for crank length and you are looking at over 40 inch inside leg, before you consider the distance between saddle and wheel. There's not many people built like that. A swift bit of googling suggests the largest size is 60 inches, ie like running a 48 tooth chain ring and 21tooth sprocket, which is quite low. I'd need something smaller, say 52 inch (42 x 21).


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## Ian H (10 Feb 2018)

Fixed is also good for keeping fit over winter. 

The pleasure of it is something you either get or don't, and you only get it by learning to ride it properly.


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## Old jon (10 Feb 2018)

Fixed is different fun.


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## Thorn Sherpa (10 Feb 2018)

Never had a fixed wheel bike so can't comment but had a single speed Dmr a few years back. I only used it for the work commute so at maximum was doing a 23 mile round trip but it was fun to use! Not sure if I was any fitter for using it as I didn't cover great distances or inclines on it but a definite bonus was ease of maintenance. I think as a city bike they definitely have their use especially when your hitting red light after red light


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## bozmandb9 (10 Feb 2018)

I only used fixed on the track (Velodrome), but I love it. I don't really see the attraction on the road, but that's probably just because I love my road bike. I only have the two bikes, and they are both wonderful in their different contexts. I do think that using the track bike, especially on rollers, can be beneficial for skills and pedalling technique, plus higher cadence cycling - my son had to do a 10 mile roller time trial with restricted gearing on his road bike - due to his track cycling he managed to average 138 rpm over the 10 miles (just over 17 minutes).


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## MontyVeda (10 Feb 2018)

Dave7 said:


> ...
> I just don't understand the concept i.e. why not have a choice of gears and be able to free wheel when you want to?



It does seem like a backwards step. I don't buy the 'ease of maintenance' angle either... i spend more time maintaining my chain and tyres than i do anything else so i can't imagine a fixie being any easier to maintain than something with plenty of gears (setting-up, maybe, ongoing maintenance, nah).



SkipdiverJohn said:


> ...
> The argument about mechanical efficiency only stacks up against multi-geared bikes.
> ...


I've spent maybe 20 minutes in the last eight years maintaining my gears, and that was replacing the cable and re-indexing them. Not touched them since, apart from actually changing gear.


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## mjr (10 Feb 2018)

MontyVeda said:


> It does seem like a backwards step. I don't buy the 'ease of maintenance' angle either... i spend more time *maintaining my chain* and tyres than i do anything else so i can't imagine a fixie being any easier to maintain than something with plenty of gears (setting-up, maybe, ongoing maintenance, nah).


(Emphasis added). A fixed chain is shorter, thicker, not flexed sideways and not dangled so low down in the dirt, which all reduce maintenance... and when it is time to replace it, you don't have to thread it through the derailleur, plus there's no gear cable to maintain and replace/adjust, although that's minor.


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## MontyVeda (10 Feb 2018)

mjr said:


> (Emphasis added). A fixed chain is shorter, thicker, not flexed sideways and not dangled so low down in the dirt, which all reduce maintenance... and when it is time to replace it,* you don't have to thread it through the derailleur*, plus there's no gear cable to maintain and replace/adjust, although that's minor.


(emphasis added) that'll save me what... three, four seconds?


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## mjr (10 Feb 2018)

MontyVeda said:


> (emphasis added) that'll save me what... three, four seconds?


Depends if you get it the right side of the tab first time and if not, if you figure it out before you have to post on a forum about how noisy your bike is since you replaced the chain 

Like I said, that's minor. The bigger saving is maintenance.


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## Venod (10 Feb 2018)

MontyVeda said:


> It does seem like a backwards step. I don't buy the 'ease of maintenance' angle either... i spend more time maintaining my chain and tyres than i do anything else so i can't imagine a fixie being any easier to maintain than something with plenty of gears (setting-up, maybe, ongoing maintenance, nah).
> 
> 
> I've spent maybe 20 minutes in the last eight years maintaining my gears, and that was replacing the cable and re-indexing them. Not touched them since, apart from actually changing gear.



That's 20 minutes more than a fixie then, no deraileurs and if your so inclined only one brake, so less to maintain.


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## Smokin Joe (10 Feb 2018)

It is worth noting that in 1993 Chris Boardman set a 25 mile competition record of 45:57 on a fixed wheel and it stood for 16 years.


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## colly (10 Feb 2018)

It's a bit of a pointless argument whether you like fixed or not. 

If you do ....................................you do.
If you don't ..............................you don't.

Me ? I'm a cycling slut...................I'm anybody's


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## MontyVeda (10 Feb 2018)

Afnug said:


> That's 20 minutes more than a fixie then, no deraileurs and if your so inclined only one brake, so less to maintain.


it's hardly here nor there though is it... 20 minutes in eight years.

Fixie riders probably spend more time grooming their hipster beards.


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## iandg (10 Feb 2018)

Smokin Joe said:


> It is worth noting that in 1993 Chris Boardman set a 25 mile competition record of 45:57 on a fixed wheel and it stood for 16 years.



I've won TT's on fixed. The majority of hill climb wins are probably on fixed too.


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## Ian H (10 Feb 2018)

MontyVeda said:


> Fixie riders probably spend more time grooming their hipster beards.



Possibly, but they're nothing much to do with riders of traditional fixed-wheel bikes (or trikes, I rode one of those for a year, back along).


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## Maenchi (11 Feb 2018)

the idea of riding through undulating terrain with no gears ?....for me i'd be off pushing it half the time, but in a flat city ,Berlin for instance , I guess it'd be 'echt giel' and 'voll im trend'.....


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## Ian H (11 Feb 2018)

Maenchi said:


> the idea of riding through undulating terrain with no gears ?....for me i'd be off pushing it half the time, but in a flat city ,Berlin for instance , I guess it'd be 'echt giel' and 'voll im trend'.....



For me, totally flat roads are worse than undulating, on a fixed-wheel. And it still surprises me what gradients I can climb, especially when grinding up the same hill another time on gears.


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## Alan O (11 Feb 2018)

I'm (slowly and very intermittently) building one, mainly because they exist and I've never tried one. And my dad rode one many years ago, so that's another reason to have a go.


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## Cycleops (11 Feb 2018)

Always remember a fixie that my friend had in addition to his ten speed. It was a A.S. Gillott in pale blue, lovely bike but a nightmare to ride without brakes. I think his brother gave it to him.


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## colly (11 Feb 2018)

Cycleops said:


> Always remember a fixie that my friend had in addition to his ten speed. It was a A.S. Gillott in pale blue, lovely bike but *a nightmare to ride without brakes. I think his brother gave it to him*.



Either brotherly love or sibling rivalry.


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## Ming the Merciless (11 Feb 2018)

There are a few here getting fixies nixed up by fixed gear bikes. Different beasts.


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## Ming the Merciless (11 Feb 2018)

User said:


> In what way?



Fixie is fixed wheel, with narrow flat bars, usually only one brake, no mudguards, short wheel base. Fixed wheel is drop bars, two brakes, mudguards, often to be found with saddlebag, longer wheelbase.


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## Smokin Joe (11 Feb 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> Fixie is fixed wheel, with narrow flat bars, usually only one brake, no mudguards, short wheel base. Fixed wheel is drop bars, *two brakes,* mudguards, often to be found with saddlebag, longer wheelbase.



Never knew any club rider who put a rear brake on a fixed gear bike.


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## midlife (11 Feb 2018)

Here's my fixed, now dismantled to get the frame more "Carlton" coloured lol


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## Venod (11 Feb 2018)

Smokin Joe said:


> Never knew any club rider who put a rear brake on a fixed gear bike.



Always ride with 2 brakes on my fixed wheel bike, YukonBoys interpretation is shite, none of my fixies have seen a saddlebag a long wheelbase or narrow flat bars, fixie is a generic term for a bike with a sprocket that is fixed to the wheel, its not an hipster invention.


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## Milkfloat (11 Feb 2018)

Maenchi said:


> the idea of riding through undulating terrain with no gears ?....for me i'd be off pushing it half the time, but in a flat city ,Berlin for instance , I guess it'd be 'echt giel' and 'voll im trend'.....



To be fair, your idea of undulating (Cornwall) is probably very different from the majority of the country. Fixed is great for undulations, the free power you get going uphill is lovely.


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## Tim Hall (11 Feb 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> Fixie is fixed wheel, with narrow flat bars, usually only one brake, no mudguards, short wheel base. Fixed wheel is drop bars, two brakes, mudguards, often to be found with saddlebag, longer wheelbase.


In your humble opinion of course.


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## Dan B (11 Feb 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> In your humble opinion of course.


I've always wondered what "humble" means in 2018


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## Ming the Merciless (11 Feb 2018)

Afnug said:


> Always ride with 2 brakes on my fixed wheel bike, YukonBoys interpretation is shite, none of my fixies have seen a saddlebag a long wheelbase or narrow flat bars, fixie is a generic term for a bike with a sprocket that is fixed to the wheel, its not an hipster invention.



Fixie has only been around as a term since the 90's. It really was used to describe a different type of fixed wheel bike to the more traditional fixed wheel. The only thing in common being the fixed wheel aspect of gearing.


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## Ming the Merciless (11 Feb 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> In your humble opinion of course.



And of all the fixed wheelers I cycle with.


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## Venod (11 Feb 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> Fixie has only been around as a term since the 90's. It really was used to describe a different type of fixed wheel bike to the more traditional fixed wheel. The only thing in common being the fixed wheel aspect of gearing.


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## Tim Hall (11 Feb 2018)

Dan B said:


> I've always wondered what "humble" means in 2018


Wikipedia says of the etymology of humble pie


> The expression derives from *umble pie*, a pie filled with the chopped or minced parts of a beast's 'pluck' – the heart, liver, lungs or 'lights' and kidneys, especially of deer but often other meats. *Umble* evolved from *numble*, (after the French *nomble*) meaning 'deer's innards'.


However I don't think this advances the debate, in my humble opinion.


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## woodbutcher (11 Feb 2018)

Eeee wen l were a lad , nearly 60 years previous , all of us lads had fixed wheel bikes (not poncy "fixes") . We had cow horns and no brakes, if you needed to slow down you stood on the pedal with one foot and jammed the other on top of the rear wheel so that it made contact , rather rapidly with the frame at the brake bridge. Lovely smell of hot rubber and skidding tyre. Mind you this was rural Lincolnshire and hills were like hens teeth.


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## jonnysnorocket (11 Feb 2018)




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## Tim Hall (11 Feb 2018)

woodbutcher said:


> Eeee wen l were a lad , nearly 60 years previous , all of us lads had fixed wheel bikes (not poncy "fixes") . We had cow horns and no brakes, if you needed to slow down you stood on the pedal with one foot and jammed the other on top of the rear wheel so that it made contact , rather rapidly with the frame at the brake bridge. Lovely smell of hot rubber and skidding tyre. Mind you this was rural Lincolnshire and hills were like hens teeth.


Sounds like a Po Valley bicycle.


> City people's bicycles are utterly laughable. With gleam¬ing metal gadgets, electric batteries, gears, baskets, chain-guards, speedometers and so on, they are mere toys and leg-exercisers. A genuine bicycle should weigh at least sixty-five pounds; it should have lost most of its paint and at least one pedal. All that should be left of the remaining pedal is the shaft, rubbed smooth and shiny by the sole of the rider's shoe. Indeed, this should be its only shiny feature. The handlebars (with no rubber tips to them) should not be at the conventional right angle to the wheels, but inclined at least twelve degrees one way or the other. A genuine bicycle has no mudguard over the rear wheel, and hanging before the front mudguard there should be a piece of automobile tire, preferably red, to ward off splashes of water. A rear mud¬guard may be allowed when the rider is excessively disturbed by the streak of mud that accumulates on his back during a rainstorm. But in this case the mudguard must be split open
> in such a way that the rider can brake in so-called "American style," that is by pressing his trouser turn-up against the rear wheel.


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## arch684 (11 Feb 2018)

My fixie/fixed gear bike has 2 brakes, bull horn bars and i have a beard but i'm no hipster.Some time i call it my fixie some times i call it my fixed gear bike and some times i call it my bastard bike


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## tyred (11 Feb 2018)

Fixed wheel is cycling in it's purest form and so long as you're not dealing with crazy mountainous terrain, a fixed wheeler with an appropriate gear ratio is a joy to ride and once you develop the smooth pedal strokes required you will be amazed what you can climb and be amazed how you can comfortably maintain high RPM cadence on the descents.


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## ChrisEyles (11 Feb 2018)

tyred said:


> amazed how you can comfortably maintain high RPM cadence on the descents.



Haha, yes, I would certainly be amazed if I ever manage this!


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## Drago (11 Feb 2018)

They never did it for me, but if they tug peoples rug then go for it.

I never got singlespeed either, although i do have one. Just stay in the same gear and pretend it's an SS!


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## tyred (11 Feb 2018)

ChrisEyles said:


> Haha, yes, I would certainly be amazed if I ever manage this!



Keep practising.


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## Tim Hall (11 Feb 2018)

Drago said:


> They never did it for me, but if they tug peoples rug then go for it.
> 
> I never got singlespeed either, although i do have one. Just stay in the same gear and pretend it's an SS!


The next step is to skip a bit of maintenance and wait for the pawls in the freehub to sieze up. Voila, a pretend fixie/ fixer/fixed wheel bike.


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## Ian H (11 Feb 2018)

British is 'fixed-wheel'; American is 'fixed-gear'. Both can be shortened to 'fixed'.

Re cadence, I used to be able to get over 200, but max is about 170/80 now. Comfortable max is around 120.


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## midlife (11 Feb 2018)

Ian H said:


> British is 'fixed-wheel'; American is 'fixed-gear'. Both can be shortened to 'fixed'.
> 
> Re cadence, I used to be able to get over 200, but max is about 170/80 now. Comfortable max is around 120.



BITD it was called "twiddling" lol


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## dave r (11 Feb 2018)

Rode 50 fixed wheel miles this morning, I ride fixed in winter and gears in summer and have done so for years. When I was working I rode fixed when commuting a lot of the time, they're great fun to ride.


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## swee'pea99 (12 Feb 2018)

I was thinking about this t'other day following an incident where in a split second I had to be _there_, and a split second later, I was. 

It brought to mind something I was told once by my good friend Bruce, who'd been a jackaroo (aka cowboy) in Australia. He said that if you had a good horse, it would be really sensitive and responsive and quick to the reins and/or feet; but when you rode a good horse all day every day for weeks or months, you didn't _need_ him to 'be responsive' - you & the horse were as one. The horse knew, at all times, exactly what you wanted to do and where you wanted to go, and would do it/move there instantly, without you (consciously) giving any indication. Riding my fixie is a bit like that. 

It is, I think, something to do with the lack of any intermediation. In a sense, your mind is not involved. You don't have to think about gears. Or, mostly, about braking. You want to accelerate; your legs push harder. You want to slow down; they drag. No decision-making, no delay, no 'in between'; it's instant, and direct in a way no geared bike can ever be.

I'm not knocking geared bikes. Far from it. I have two, and ride them. For distances, for touring, and for timed events. But for the kind of riding I do, which is five mile urban trips for the most part, the fixie is my first choice every time. They are low maintenance, and quiet, and less likely to get nicked, but that's not why I ride fixed. I ride fixed simply because I _enjoy_ it more. Much more. And I live on a hill!


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## Globalti (12 Feb 2018)

There are so many half-baked justifications for fixed wheel being trotted out on here that it's laughable, it looks like the cycling equivalent of a meeting of the Flat Earth Society!


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## iandg (12 Feb 2018)

It's just another cycling experience. Had a fixed in my stable since 1975. Started as a winter/hack bike then I started racing track in 1977, and then used it for suitable TTs. Even out in the windy, undulating Outer Hebrides, my fastest times around 2 loops are on fixed.

I just like the simplicity and it's a ''fixed' not a 'fixie'


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## iandg (12 Feb 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> Fixie is fixed wheel, with narrow flat bars, usually only one brake, no mudguards, short wheel base. Fixed wheel is drop bars, two brakes, mudguards, often to be found with saddlebag, longer wheelbase.



I've always considered fixed a more traditional term and fixie a modern term that originated when urban fixed riding was made cool by hipsters and couriers.


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## Phaeton (12 Feb 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> The next step is to skip a bit of maintenance and wait for the pawls in the freehub to sieze up. Voila, a pretend fixie/ fixer/fixed wheel bike.


I've only ever rode one once as I remember, I went to work in the car, somebody wanted to buy it, so as you do I sold it, needed to get home & borrowed a friends bike that had a fixed hub, it's so long ago now I can't remember if it was intentional or knowing him it was as you say lack of maintenance & the pawls had seized. Each to their own but I didn't particularly enjoy riding it, there was no way I could spin my legs quick enough on the pedals to keep up on the hill down to my village.


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## mjr (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> No justification required.


Aye. I wouldn't insult attempts to explain the attraction as justifications.


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## smutchin (12 Feb 2018)

swee'pea99 said:


> You don't have to think about gears.



The great advantage of fixed is that you're never in the wrong gear.


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## Alan O (12 Feb 2018)

Globalti said:


> There are so many half-baked justifications for fixed wheel being trotted out on here that it's laughable, it looks like the cycling equivalent of a meeting of the Flat Earth Society!


Careful what you say... you might fall off the edge


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## Tim Hall (12 Feb 2018)

smutchin said:


> The great advantage of fixed is that you're never in the wrong gear.


Heh. That reminds me of a post on yacf, where Malvolio (possibly) was recounting how he was out cycling with an increasingly grumpy young Ms Malvolio. "It's alright for you" she said "you've only got one gear. I've got 21 and THEY'RE ALL WRONG"


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## smutchin (12 Feb 2018)

Ian H said:


> Re cadence, I used to be able to get over 200, but max is about 170/80 now. Comfortable max is around 120.



When I was commuting on fixed regularly, I had a short, steep hill on my usual route where I got close to 200rpm a few times but never broke it. Very frustrating!


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## Phaeton (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> I'm not entirely sure what I'm missing but I may source an appropriate rear wheel and chainset for my Dawes (which is currently my "ice tyre" bike and has been ridden once in the past 2 years) and have a play around.


I'm sure somebody will come along shortly saying what a great idea, then somebody will say don't bother it's not worth it, it's like an episode of the Magic Roundabout.


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## mjr (12 Feb 2018)

Phaeton said:


> I'm sure somebody will come along shortly saying what a great idea, then somebody will say don't bother it's not worth it, it's like an episode of the Magic Roundabout.


Time for bed!


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## Ian H (12 Feb 2018)

smutchin said:


> The great advantage of fixed is that you're never in the wrong gear.



The version I heard was that you're never in the _right _gear.


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## Phaeton (12 Feb 2018)

mjr said:


> Time for bed!


I didn't know you cared


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## smutchin (12 Feb 2018)

smutchin said:


> The great advantage of fixed is that you're never in the wrong gear.





Ian H said:


> The version I heard was that you're never in the _right _gear.



The _really_ great thing about fixed is that both can be true at the same time. 

#quantumcycling


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## Ian H (12 Feb 2018)

Globalti said:


> There are so many half-baked justifications for fixed wheel being trotted out on here that it's laughable, it looks like the cycling equivalent of a meeting of the Flat Earth Society!



I'm bemused by the vociferousness of some of those who don't. It's almost as if they're fearful of something.


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## Threevok (12 Feb 2018)

I'd love to have a go at it, but too hilly here. (single speed is hard enough)

If I lived somewhere flatter, I could see me being an avid fixie fan


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## mjr (12 Feb 2018)

smutchin said:


> The _really_ great thing about fixed is that both can be true at the same time.
> 
> #quantumcycling


I'll tell you again, leave the cats alone!


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## Phaeton (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> The thing that bemuses me is people feeling the need to justify it to them.


Or refute the justification if them


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## Globalti (12 Feb 2018)

Ian H said:


> I'm bemused by the vociferousness of some of those who don't. It's almost as if they're fearful of something.



I've ridden fixed at the velodrome where it's entirely appropriate in the same way that brakes would be dangerous. But I would hate it on the road where gears and freewheels make life so much easier, especially on my ageing knees.


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## Racing roadkill (12 Feb 2018)

If you’re cycling around all day every day for a job, having a geared bike with brakes is a chore. You tire yourself out more on a ‘conventional’ bike, because you’re acceleration / deceleration tend to be less smooth. With a fixie, you tend to find you maintain a much steadier pace. The accel / decel is what tires you out most, so the less of that you do, the better. For example, on a standard bike, you typically tend to approach a stop, freewheeling, without thinking about it, then brake to a stop, then have to start from a standstill, and have to accelerate much more sharply, than you would if you had managed to approach the same point on a fixie. You soon learn to anticipate, and avoid so many ‘dead stops’ on a fixie. The only thing I found scary with a fixie, was turning a corner on an unfamiliar stretch of road, and finding a sharp steep descent. That’s not fun.


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## smutchin (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> I'm not entirely sure what I'm missing but I may source an appropriate rear wheel and chainset for my Dawes (which is currently my "ice tyre" bike and has been ridden once in the past 2 years) and have a play around.



You may not be missing anything - maybe it's just not for you. That's fine. Definitely worth giving it a go though, and that would be my advice to the OP - don't rule it out before having tried it, but if you've tried it and don't like it, there's no reason to persevere with it. I can understand why some people would feel a bit afraid of the idea of not being able to freewheel, or not having bail-out gears for climbs, but in truth those are two aspects of riding fixed that you get used to very quickly.

I started riding fixed at a time when I'd lost my cycling mojo and was looking for something a bit different. It really did the trick and revitalised my interest in cycling. There's a lot of pseudo-mystical guff spouted about 'feeling at one with the bike' or being more 'connected' with the road, but you can probably get that from any bike as long as it's the right bike for you.

I did find that commuting regularly on fixed did wonders for my fitness though.


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## Ming the Merciless (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> That sounds a completely artificial differentiation to me.



No more than a road bike being called a hybrid just because it has straight bars.


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## Phaeton (12 Feb 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> No more than a road bike being called a hybrid just because it has straight bars.


You mean a racing bike


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## Ming the Merciless (12 Feb 2018)

Phaeton said:


> You mean a racing bike



You can race on whatever bike you have


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## Ming the Merciless (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> Any more examples of artificial distinction you want to list?



In your world it would mean there is no distinction between road, mtn, recumbent, track, folding or any other type if bike. If you want to stick with "well they are just bikes" and call any other sub division artificial then you go right ahead. It is certainly one view.


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## Alan O (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> Any more examples of artificial distinction you want to list?


Given that there's nothing natural about a bike, aren't the distinctions all artificial?


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## iandg (12 Feb 2018)

Phaeton said:


> You mean a racing bike




World hour record was broken on a fixed straight handlebar racing bike


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## Alan O (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Can I get a 120mm reversible hub for (SS) freewheel plus fixed in a 622mm rim quite easily - and cheaply?


I got a pair of 630mm (27") wheels with a flip-flop hub at 120mm spacing pretty cheaply, and I'm sure I saw similar with 622mm rims too. Bought from an eBay seller last summer, but I can't remember who or any more details, sorry.


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## raleighnut (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Right. For my possible summer project ... I have an 80s vintage frame with 120(???)mm forward facing dropouts. It's currently running 622mm rims (with brakes that match) and has a JP400 square taper BB with a Stronglight 50/34 double on it. At the moment I spring a 130mm rear hub w freehub/8 speed cassette into the frame.
> 
> Can I get a 120mm reversible hub for (SS) freewheel plus fixed in a 622mm rim quite easily - and cheaply? If yes, Can I adjust the placement of the sprocket to line up with one or the other of the chainrings so I don't have to faff about removing the chainset for what is likely to be a short lived experiment?


The hubs are easy to get then get it laced onto a rim,

https://www.googleadservices.com/pa...hUKEwjv-If74KDZAhVGL8AKHRUrDkkQ9aACCDM&adurl=


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## iandg (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Right. For my possible summer project ... I have an 80s vintage frame with 120(???)mm forward facing dropouts. It's currently running 622mm rims (with brakes that match) and has a JP400 square taper BB with a Stronglight 50/34 double on it. At the moment I spring a 130mm rear hub w freehub/8 speed cassette into the frame.
> 
> Can I get a 120mm reversible hub for (SS) freewheel plus fixed in a 622mm rim quite easily - and cheaply? If yes, Can I adjust the placement of the sprocket to line up with one or the other of the chainrings so I don't have to faff about removing the chainset for what is likely to be a short lived experiment?



I'm riding these

fixed/fixed or fixed/free option

- Rear spaced 130mm, 126mm or 120mm OLN.


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## Alan O (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Thanks people. It's a possible summer project. Not a terribly practical one, as I live on the slopes of the South East London Alps..
> 
> Probably nothing will come of it.


I really must finish mine - I've got all the parts I need. (I just have two other bikes in various stages of completion.)


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## 12boy (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Right. For my possible summer project ... I have an 80s vintage frame with 120(???)mm forward facing dropouts. It's currently running 622mm rims (with brakes that match) and has a JP400 square taper BB with a Stronglight 50/34 double on it. At the moment I spring a 130mm rear hub w freehub/8 speed cassette into the frame.
> 
> Can I get a 120mm reversible hub for (SS) freewheel plus fixed in a 622mm rim quite easily - and cheaply? If yes, Can I adjust the placement of the sprocket to line up with one or the other of the chainrings so I don't have to faff about removing the chainset for what is likely to be a short lived experiment?


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## Smokin Joe (12 Feb 2018)

User said:


> The thing that bemuses me is people feeling the need to justify it to them.


Well, the OP started this thread saying he couldn't understand why people rode fixed gear bikes, so naturally those who do or who have done responded with the reasons. Not one of those who replied tried to convince anyone else that freewheels were pointless and they didn't see how anyone could ride them.


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## 12boy (12 Feb 2018)

The usual method to adjust chain line is by BB length, often 103 mm. Usually with a 120 rear that will be about 43 mm from the center of the seatpost to chainring. You can always add a couple of washers is the rear is too loose. Most like 42/16 or 48/16 in terms of gearing. Off-road or very hilly or studded tires you may like 63 gear inches or 42/18.


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## Old jon (12 Feb 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> I'm not entirely sure what I'm missing but I may source an appropriate rear wheel and chainset for my Dawes
> 
> and have a play around.



A very good idea indeed.


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## simongt (12 Feb 2018)

MY last experience of a single speed was about 30 years ago when, being sans car, I needed local transport. My inlaws fixed me up with a pre ww2 ladies single speed BSA. It certainly did the job required of it and when they were big enough, my two sons were amazed how fast they could go on it - !  The only issue I had with it was that the Bowden cables for the brakes were of a fixed length and there wasn't any facility for adjustment. Eventually couldn't get any replacements.  
Must admit, would like to get another single speed, but with ten bikes in the house already, where would it go - ?


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## Tim Hall (12 Feb 2018)

12boy said:


> The usual method to adjust chain line is by BB length, often 103 mm. Usually with a 120 rear that will be about 43 mm from the center of the seatpost to chainring. You can always add a couple of washers is the rear is too loose. Most like 42/16 or 48/16 in terms of gearing. Off-road or very hilly or studded tires you may like 63 gear inches or 42/18.


Some sprockets are "handed", with a lip on one side, giving a few mm chainline tweaking possiblity.


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## wheresthetorch (12 Feb 2018)

The problem I had with fixed was trying to get my foot into the toe clips/straps while the pedals were constantly turning - just couldn't do it. 

I also struggled with trying to pull away with the pedals in the random position they ended up in when I stopped. 

Finally flipped my flip-flop from fixed to freewheel (see what I did there?).


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## mjr (13 Feb 2018)

simongt said:


> The only issue I had with it was that the Bowden cables for the brakes were of a fixed length and there wasn't any facility for adjustment. Eventually couldn't get any replacements.


You can get barrels to screw or solder onto ordinary cables now. I can't remember what they're called, though!


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## Sharky (13 Feb 2018)

I ride fixed, mostly for time trials. These are mostly 10's on a typical flattish course, when you would only use a few ratios if you did ride with gears. A couple of seasons ago, I tried mixing between gears and fixed on two otherwise similar bikes and by the end of the season there was only a 20 sec difference between the two bikes. The fastest was on gears, but it was also towards the end of the season at the peak of my fitness for that year.

Now if you configure costs into the reasons, the fixed set up wins by a mile. It is difficult to justify the cost of gears just for a gain of 20 secs.


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## Ian H (13 Feb 2018)

mjr said:


> You can get barrels to screw or solder onto ordinary cables now. I can't remember what they're called, though!


An old friend of the parsimonious war generation would repair brake and gear cables that had frayed at the lever end. Cut the frayed part off and re-solder the nipple on to sound cable.


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## Tim Hall (13 Feb 2018)

Ian H said:


> An old friend of the parsimonious war generation would repair brake and gear cables that had frayed at the lever end. Cut the frayed part off and re-solder the nipple on to sound cable.


When I was about 12 the gear cable on my Vindec Speedster broke. Dad, being both practical and of the parsimonious war generation got out his blow lamp for that very purpose. The nipple turned out to be made of cheese though and instead of becoming unsoldered from the broken end vanished into a pool of molten metal.


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## smutchin (13 Feb 2018)

wheresthetorch said:


> I also struggled with trying to pull away with the pedals in the random position they ended up in when I stopped.



One foot down, lift saddle to lift rear wheel off the ground, rotate pedal with other foot until it's in the right place.

Or learn to trackstand, which also solves the problem of not being able to clip back in quickly.


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## Ian H (13 Feb 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> When I was about 12 the gear cable on my Vindec Speedster broke. Dad, being both practical and of the parsimonious war generation got out his blow lamp for that very purpose. The nipple turned out to be made of cheese though and instead of becoming unsoldered from the broken end vanished into a pool of molten metal.



I believe the trick is to heat the cable a small distance from the nipple, whilst pulling on the nipple (oo-er!) until it comes off.


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## andrew_s (13 Feb 2018)

smutchin said:


> One foot down, lift saddle to lift rear wheel off the ground, rotate pedal with other foot until it's in the right place.


Front brake on, bum off saddle, and lift the rear wheel by pushing forwards & down on the handlebars.



mjr said:


> You can get barrels to screw or solder onto ordinary cables now. I can't remember what they're called, though!


Solderless Nipples

for bicycle use, you may wish to look for ones that use a grub screw clamp rather than the normal screwdriver slot or hex head screw.


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## smutchin (13 Feb 2018)

andrew_s said:


> Front brake on, bum off saddle, and lift the rear wheel by pushing forwards & down on the handlebars.



That's advanced skillz!


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## Milkfloat (13 Feb 2018)

andrew_s said:


> Front brake on, bum off saddle, and lift the rear wheel by pushing forwards & down on the handlebars.



I do this, or in fact just stop slightly further back so my cranks are parallel to the ground (assuming I am not doing an awesome trackstand).


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## dave r (13 Feb 2018)

Milkfloat said:


> I do this, or in fact just stop slightly further back so my cranks are parallel to the ground (assuming I am not doing an awesome trackstand).


I've alway lifted the saddle.


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## swee'pea99 (9 Mar 2018)

It occurred to me today that another thing I like about riding fixed is that because I have to go up and over the ridge, both there and back, I have two brief periods every day when I am working as hard as I possibly can. And I suspect there's a benefit to that. When I'm riding a geared bike around town I never work at my actual limit. Going uphill in particular - I'll shift down and 'spin not grind'. But if you're climbing a hill in a high fixed gear, you have to push as hard as you possibly can. (I compound it by having a thing against standing on the pedals. A cad may stand; a gentleman remains seated. If it's steeper, push harder.) And that's a particular kind of exercise, which I suspect is actually beneficial....as part of your balanced riding diet. A bit like circuit training.


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## tyred (9 Mar 2018)

Ian H said:


> An old friend of the parsimonious war generation would repair brake and gear cables that had frayed at the lever end. Cut the frayed part off and re-solder the nipple on to sound cable.



I did that on my Raleigh Trent as I couldn't source the correct cables at the right time. Still fine several years later. The thing to bear in my mind is that most brakes cables today are stainless steel. You'd need to deliberately find the plain galvanised variety if you need to solder your own ends.


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## VeganWheels (24 Sep 2020)

Was just out in a car with a colleague & we came up behind someone on a slight incline that I cycle often,he was out of the saddle & working his nuts off.
I said to my colleague 'christ, he can't be that unfit,I fly up here' as we passed, I realised he was indeed one of those fixed gear lunatics...fair play to him ,however it's put me off ever trying such an insane thing!


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## All uphill (24 Sep 2020)

VeganWheels said:


> Was just out in a car with a colleague & we came up behind someone on a slight incline that I cycle often,he was out of the saddle & working his nuts off.
> I said to my colleague 'christ, he can't be that unfit,I fly up here' as we passed, I realised he was indeed one of those fixed gear lunatics...fair play to him ,however it's put me off ever trying such an insane thing!


Wow, I love these thread revivals!

I'm not confident to cycle fixed, but really enjoy single speed around town and for flattish rides. I'd encourage anyone to try it.


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## Sharky (24 Sep 2020)

VeganWheels said:


> Was just out in a car with a colleague & we came up behind someone on a slight incline that I cycle often,he was out of the saddle & working his nuts off.
> I said to my colleague 'christ, he can't be that unfit,I fly up here' as we passed, I realised he was indeed one of those fixed gear lunatics...fair play to him ,however it's put me off ever trying such an insane thing!


Reminds me of the old Guinness advert


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## simongt (27 Sep 2020)

tyred said:


> I did that on my Raleigh Trent as I couldn't source the correct cables at the right time. Still fine several years later. The thing to bear in my mind is that most brakes cables today are stainless steel. You'd need to deliberately find the plain galvanised variety if you need to solder your own ends.


Many years ago, I had a pre-ww2 BSA step through frame bike as it was all I could afford at the time ( but it did the job ). The tyres boasted the legend 'Dunlop war grade rubber' - ! The Bowden cable brakes were of fixed length with a lead nipple at each end. Fortunately I was able to source replacements from my LBS at the time.  Anywhere else; pre t'net days, was hopeless.


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