# First fixed road ride



## trio25 (17 Jan 2010)

I picked my langster up last week and have been for one ride on it in its singlespeed guise. Today was the first time I tried fixed. A ride round the back streets near me then to the supermarket and home, 14 miles in total. Hard to say how I found it as I was so scared the whole time. But apart from spinning like a lunatic at times and being scared turning corners and of cars suddenly stopping it was fine, I stayed on!


----------



## trio25 (17 Jan 2010)

I picked my langster up last week and have been for one ride on it in its singlespeed guise. Today was the first time I tried fixed. A ride round the back streets near me then to the supermarket and home, 14 miles in total. Hard to say how I found it as I was so scared the whole time. But apart from spinning like a lunatic at times and being scared turning corners and of cars suddenly stopping it was fine, I stayed on!


----------



## 4F (17 Jan 2010)

Nice one, it gets easier


----------



## 4F (17 Jan 2010)

Nice one, it gets easier


----------



## trio25 (17 Jan 2010)

Next ride is tomorrow! But will be going back to singlespeed for commuting till I am a bit more confident!


----------



## trio25 (17 Jan 2010)

Next ride is tomorrow! But will be going back to singlespeed for commuting till I am a bit more confident!


----------



## Ian H (17 Jan 2010)

Just relax into it, and be comforted by the fact that I'd been riding fixed for around 17yrs before it finally bit back and threw me off.


----------



## Ian H (17 Jan 2010)

Just relax into it, and be comforted by the fact that I'd been riding fixed for around 17yrs before it finally bit back and threw me off.


----------



## fossyant (17 Jan 2010)

You'll be fine..... took mine up The Wizard today - less than 40 rpm climbing in a 74"... nearly tried to freewheel a couple of times having not been on it for a month.


----------



## fossyant (17 Jan 2010)

You'll be fine..... took mine up The Wizard today - less than 40 rpm climbing in a 74"... nearly tried to freewheel a couple of times having not been on it for a month.


----------



## mike e (17 Jan 2010)

Try and stay with it fixed if you can, it will be worth it. Took me a good few rides to get the hang of mine. It scared me silly as well for the first few rides, felt like the bike was in control which in truth it was...


----------



## mike e (17 Jan 2010)

Try and stay with it fixed if you can, it will be worth it. Took me a good few rides to get the hang of mine. It scared me silly as well for the first few rides, felt like the bike was in control which in truth it was...


----------



## 4F (18 Jan 2010)

mike e said:


> Try and stay with it fixed if you can, it will be worth it. Took me a good few rides to get the hang of mine. It scared me silly as well for the first few rides, felt like the bike was in control which in truth it was...



Agreed, I remember my first downhill  and wondered what the hell I had done.


----------



## 4F (18 Jan 2010)

mike e said:


> Try and stay with it fixed if you can, it will be worth it. Took me a good few rides to get the hang of mine. It scared me silly as well for the first few rides, felt like the bike was in control which in truth it was...



Agreed, I remember my first downhill  and wondered what the hell I had done.


----------



## 4F (18 Jan 2010)

mike e said:


> Try and stay with it fixed if you can, it will be worth it. Took me a good few rides to get the hang of mine. It scared me silly as well for the first few rides, felt like the bike was in control which in truth it was...



Agreed, I remember my first downhill  and wondered what the hell I had done.


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

As mentioned above, the more you can relax the easier it is. Much easier said than done I know. 

I love the way the fixie climbs. It's as though someones giving me a helping push every now and then. If it wasn't for the fact it scares the cr*p out of me going downhill then I wouldn't ride anything else.


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

As mentioned above, the more you can relax the easier it is. Much easier said than done I know. 

I love the way the fixie climbs. It's as though someones giving me a helping push every now and then. If it wasn't for the fact it scares the cr*p out of me going downhill then I wouldn't ride anything else.


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

As mentioned above, the more you can relax the easier it is. Much easier said than done I know. 

I love the way the fixie climbs. It's as though someones giving me a helping push every now and then. If it wasn't for the fact it scares the cr*p out of me going downhill then I wouldn't ride anything else.


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

This is from someone who swore he'd never ride fixed again after crashing


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

This is from someone who swore he'd never ride fixed again after crashing


----------



## RedBike (18 Jan 2010)

This is from someone who swore he'd never ride fixed again after crashing


----------



## yashicamat (18 Jan 2010)

fossyant said:


> You'll be fine..... took mine up The Wizard today - less than 40 rpm climbing in a 74"... nearly tried to freewheel a couple of times having not been on it for a month.



You can get up to the Wizard from the A34 on a 74" gear?! Either you are super super fit, the bike is super super light, or both! That is hard work on my LHT with 27 gears to tinker with . . . last time I was in that neck of the woods with my SS (also a 74" gear), I avoided the Wizard and went across the lanes to Mottram instead. Mind you some of those climbs were pretty hard work too. I think I need to get fitter.


----------



## yashicamat (18 Jan 2010)

fossyant said:


> You'll be fine..... took mine up The Wizard today - less than 40 rpm climbing in a 74"... nearly tried to freewheel a couple of times having not been on it for a month.



You can get up to the Wizard from the A34 on a 74" gear?! Either you are super super fit, the bike is super super light, or both! That is hard work on my LHT with 27 gears to tinker with . . . last time I was in that neck of the woods with my SS (also a 74" gear), I avoided the Wizard and went across the lanes to Mottram instead. Mind you some of those climbs were pretty hard work too. I think I need to get fitter.


----------



## trio25 (18 Jan 2010)

Second ride today. Think the bike is in charge on downhills not me, I am braking constantly.

Now am I brave enough to commute fixed tomorrow?


----------



## trio25 (18 Jan 2010)

Second ride today. Think the bike is in charge on downhills not me, I am braking constantly.

Now am I brave enough to commute fixed tomorrow?


----------



## colinr (19 Jan 2010)

> Now am I brave enough to commute fixed tomorrow?



Of course you are, won't get the hang of it by _not_ commuting


----------



## fossyant (19 Jan 2010)

yashicamat said:


> You can get up to the Wizard from the A34 on a 74" gear?!



I only did it 'cos the other guy I was with said..'shall we' - he was on a 63" single speed. He set the pace, I followed trying not to pop a kneecap. 

I normally climb it geared on 39 x 19, which is 55",


----------



## palinurus (19 Jan 2010)

It took me about two weeks of commuting before I felt I was properly in control.


----------



## trio25 (19 Jan 2010)

There and back, not too bad but I think I am slower overall as going downhills involves braking! How do you cope with that feeling, my legs don't seem to spin that fast!

Still think i'll do it again tomorrow.

Can't decide if I like it or not!


----------



## 4F (19 Jan 2010)

trio25 said:


> There and back, not too bad but I think I am slower overall as going downhills involves braking! How do you cope with that feeling, my legs don't seem to spin that fast!
> 
> Still think i'll do it again tomorrow.
> 
> Can't decide if I like it or not!



It took me at least 4 weeks before I could get it into my head just to relax the legs and spin rather than trying to control it. I am normally a grinder at about 80 - 90 rpm however have once managed to get up to 184 rpm downhill fixed  however I would not want to go that fast again as it was starting to feel very uncomfortable  

Practice, practice and practice again is the only way


----------



## palinurus (19 Jan 2010)

trio25 said:


> Can't decide if I like it or not!



That was me for the first week or so. I kept going because although I wasn't sure I liked it at least it was different.


----------



## yashicamat (20 Jan 2010)

fossyant said:


> I only did it 'cos the other guy I was with said..'shall we' - he was on a 63" single speed. He set the pace, I followed trying not to pop a kneecap.
> 
> I normally climb it geared on 39 x 19, which is 55",



Pretty impressive stuff.

Did you get a well earned pint of Storm ale in the Wizard when you got to the top? They do quite a decent pint in there now it's been done up (and don't seem to mind cyclists marching in with SPDs and lycra).


----------



## RedBike (20 Jan 2010)

trio25 said:


> There and back, not too bad but I think I am slower overall as going downhills involves braking! How do you cope with that feeling, my legs don't seem to spin that fast!
> 
> Still think i'll do it again tomorrow.
> 
> Can't decide if I like it or not!



I've just come to accept the fact that I am noticably slower riding fixed than single speed. I am now happy to crawl down hills with my brakes on no matter how slow I go. 

This is why I do all group rides single speed even though I find fixed gear more engaging / fun.


----------



## Wocce Racer (21 Jan 2010)

You need to control the bicycle and not let the bicycle control you. That means peddling and not letting your legs go. Letting your legs go will seriously affect your braking through controlling the rear wheel and will damage your knees. After a while you will be surprised how fast you can peddal. Tony Doyle recorded a 56-30 for a 25 mile tt on a 72" freewheel in 1980. That is 124 rpm!

A lot of people when they start riding a fixed (not fixie, which like Campy, is an annoying American phrase) gear it too low; usually based on the gear they would use on a climb when using a geared bike. This is a mistake because a fixed wheel does not have the dead-point when the peddals are at the six o'clock position. At this position on gears there is no leverage and require effort to get the peddal "over the top", but on a fixed as long as the rear wheel is rotating the peddals come over with much less effort. This is the flywheel effect. Also the bicycle itself is so much lighter because of the lack of gears etc.

If on the hardest climb on your fixed wheel route you would normally use a 63" bottom on a geared bike, you will find that you can probably get away with something in the 67"-72" (depending on your peddaling style) to climb that hill.

I've been riding on, on and off, since 1978 and find it a fantastic way to enjoy cycling. I almost fell off on my first ride but now switch between gears and fixed without even thinking about it.


----------



## trio25 (24 Jan 2010)

Felt normal on friday to be constantly pedalling Then I had two stop pedalling moments, but at slow speed and I didn't get anywhere near locking the wheel up. Also had a car pull out on me and braked fine! I think I might like it!

New max speed of 25mph downhill as well. Think that might be as fast as my legs can go!


----------



## RedBike (25 Jan 2010)

trio25 said:


> Felt normal on friday to be constantly pedalling Then I had two stop pedalling moments, but at slow speed and I didn't get anywhere near locking the wheel up. Also had a car pull out on me and braked fine! I think I might like it!
> 
> New max speed of 25mph downhill as well. Think that might be as fast as my legs can go!



Its taken me months to kind of get the hang of it; and you've mastered it in 2 rides! - Grrrr. 
I still can't cope with the big peak district hills. I have to go down them SLOWLY dragging a brake. 

I also always stop pedalling when I have to brake hard. It's just force of habbit.


----------



## Sh4rkyBloke (25 Jan 2010)

trio25 said:


> Felt normal on friday to be constantly pedalling Then I had two stop pedalling moments, but at slow speed and I didn't get anywhere near locking the wheel up. Also had a car pull out on me and braked fine! I think I might like it!
> 
> *New max speed of 25mph downhill as well. Think that might be as fast as my legs can go!*


Clearly you must have known this when signing up for the forum... and named yourself appropriately... spooky!!


----------



## trio25 (25 Jan 2010)

Sh4rkyBloke said:


> Clearly you must have known this when signing up for the forum... and named yourself appropriately... spooky!!



Not like me to see into the future but I've had this username on various forums before I even cycled!

Anyone want this weekends lottery numbers?

Red remember I am cycling round Manchester nothing silly like peak district hills, I have a geared bike if I want to do that.

Did 59miles on it today, my legs hurt!


----------



## RedBike (25 Jan 2010)

I actualy find riding fixed (on the flat) easier than geared. Theres no temptation to push hard and the bikes noticably more efficient. 
Perhaps u just need to get used to the bike, or maybe a different gear ratio.


----------

