# +/- of riding SS



## Emile Flournoy (17 Jul 2019)

I'm curious to know what other riders think the pluses & minuses of riding a SS road bike are? I love the simplicity. I mean hell I never use more than 3 gears & 90% of the time only use 2 so the silent simplicity, less weight/complexity of a SS road bike suits me just right. To look at it from the other side of the coin I don't see a large or even a minor loss in not having more than one gear. 

In all honesty I am far from an expert & realize I have alot to learn so I welcome constructive criticism of my opinion. 

Thanks.


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## ColinJ (17 Jul 2019)

I made myself a SS bike, largely from spare parts so it didn't cost me much. I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. I thought I would just use it for trips to the shops and a few easy rides up and down the local valley roads but I have discovered that I can tackle modest hills on it, so I do.

I agree with the benefits you mentioned. I do experience disadvantages too though as soon as I try riding lumpier routes. The 52/19 gear is great for 24-27 km/hr (15-17 miles/hr) and usable to about 32-35 km/hr (20-22 miles/hour) but any faster than that involves too high a cadence for me. I spin out on modest downhills and have to freewheel. The disadvantage on steep local climbs is obvious... 15+% - no thanks!


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## fossyant (17 Jul 2019)

Go fixed, far better.


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## Sharky (17 Jul 2019)

I ride gears, fixed and single speed. All have their niche.

I use the 67" SS for short loops and like the work out it gives me. Slow strength training on the hills and fast cadence training on the flats/descents. This bike used to be fixed, but there are too many descents in Kent to make it enjoyable. Have ridden this as fixed for the Castle ride (100 ml), but the last few miles killed me in the shoulders as you can't quite relax as you would do on a geared/freewheel bike.

The fixed is a 95" set up for 10 mile TT's. I only ride our club's evening 10 series now, so never long events, although in the past have ridden a 50 or two on a fixed. A few seasons ago, I was experimenting and comparing a fixed bike with a gears bike and by the end of the season, only 20 seconds separated the two bikes. So now just use a fixed for TT's as it is just simpler and I think on the "perfect" night, will be quicker as it is lighter and has less drag than a geared bike.

My geared bike, which started as a 2x10, was converted to a 1x10, with a 40t chainring and I am using this for the longer leisurely and more hilly rides and find changing down and keeping the revs on the hills a luxury.

One other reason I have for riding a fixed for TT's, is the fact that my Dad rode fixed as did everybody in those days and he achieved a "5" for a 25 and I promised myself that I would wait until I could beat his time before I switched to gears. I am still waiting, although I am 37 years older than he was when he did that ride.


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## ColinJ (17 Jul 2019)

fossyant said:


> Go fixed, far better.


I was talking to @colly about that subject on the Humber Bridge ride on Saturday. (He did it on fixed and I was on SS.) 

What puts me off is the idea of riding one in traffic and on poor road surfaces. If I suddenly come across a big pothole at speed, I can bunnyhop it but colly said that he didn't fancy trying to bunnyhop on fixed. I also don't fancy the ridiculously high cadence needed to descend quickly - I would need to be doing 200-220 rpm on some of my local descents.

I can definitely see the advantage on climbs of fixed vs SS. The dead spots on the pedal stroke really kill my legs on my (71" gear) SS above about 8% gradient and 15+% just isn't on for me. I have seen people climb 20% on fixed.

I would love to be able to do away with the chain tensioner. SS on a bike with horizontal dropouts would be the answer for me, and I suppose I could give fixed a go if it had a flip-flop hub. No funds available for that though ... Maybe one day!


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## fossyant (17 Jul 2019)

I may have crashed once due to a pot hole on the fixed, but that was in 7 years.

You can still hop the front wheel over stuff, followed by the rear, but not bunny hop.


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## Emile Flournoy (17 Jul 2019)

Yall are right, bunnyhopping is an imperative skill on a SS. I failed to mention I ride a freewheel SS Windsor Hour+. The lightness, the razor sharp handling, despite having rim brakes it stops pretty quick. Now when I see any bike w/ a derailleur I think major overkill.


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## Rusty Nails (17 Jul 2019)

I am sure there are some superhumans on this forum who could ride a SS road bike on some of the rides I sometimes do in the Brecon Beacons. Good luck to them, but I wouldn't stand a chance.

I would say the only disadvantage of a SS road bike, for most riders, would be that you have to be selective of the routes you use.


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## colly (17 Jul 2019)

Taking up fixed a few years ago l did tend to be careful of thr routes l took.
However l found that all but the most difficult of climbs were still manageable.
If l fancy a ride that is hilly with some steep climbs then it has to be the geared bike.
Even so l've tackled and managed some surprisingly long steep-ish climbs on fixed, even ones where l'm slipping down to the lowest gears if l'm on my geared bike.
Being fixed the bike will roll you over that 'dead spot' and that helps.
If its too much....l just get off and push
No shame in that.


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## mudsticks (17 Jul 2019)

Thank goodness I thought, for a moment that someone was proposing Nazis on bikes 

My son rides a fixie, but then he's a bit of a hipster, I don't think they allow gears, just big beards..


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## KneesUp (17 Jul 2019)

I sort of get the fixie thing - the direct connection and all that - but like @ColinJ , I live somewhere too hilly to consider it (and my knees are borked from playing 5 a side when injured too often so they let me know if I'm in too high a gear quite quickly) 

I don't really get the single speed thing though - I mean, I get the challenge element, but I can (and do, sometimes) replicate it on my bike by just not changing gear. I guess it looks neater.


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## ColinJ (17 Jul 2019)

There is a little hill


KneesUp said:


> I don't really get the single speed thing though - I mean, I get the challenge element, but I can (and do, sometimes) replicate it on my bike by just not changing gear. I guess it looks neater.


It also keeps the weight and cost of the bike down, probably makes it less likely to be stolen, and has fewer parts to get covered in gritty crap in the winter.

I made mine because a friend gave me a surplus frame/fork, but I already had enough bikes with lots of gears on so there wasn't much point in making another. It only cost me about £70 on top of what parts I already had to build the SS.


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## Emile Flournoy (17 Jul 2019)

I ride fixed due to the simplicity and lightness. W/ a geared bike for me the +'s don't outweigh the -'s. Its an individual choice.


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## Emile Flournoy (17 Jul 2019)

KneesUp said:


> I don't really get the single speed thing though - I mean, I get the challenge element, but I can (and do, sometimes) replicate it on my bike by just not changing gear. I guess it looks neater.



I hear ya. For me its not being part of a faddish, hip or cool thing or any organized thought to it. I just like the 1:1 ratio and the stripped down to bare essentials of cycling. I do agree there most definitely does exist a movement of hipsters who soley ride an unbraked, fixed gear single speed bicycle to be part of some kind "cool club" which I want nothing to do w/.


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## Drago (17 Jul 2019)

I made myself an SS, and very quickly the realisation struck me that gears are really rather good, and if I'd thought about it I could have saved all that hassle and simply ridden one of my other bikes about for a bit without changing gear.

It's now my least used bike.

For all that I do appreciate that some folk dig it where I didn't, and respect their tastes.


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## Pennine-Paul (17 Jul 2019)

I once converted a S/S bike into a geared bike after riding fixed for a few years,worst weekend of my life!
Never been tempted to have another 
Don't ride fixed much these days as my commute to work is only a mile and I wear normal shoes and flat pedals on my S/S.


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## Emile Flournoy (18 Jul 2019)

I'm glad you mentioned shoes as I've found cycling shoes are more important on a road bike than cleats are in baseball.

I just bought a pr of Chrome 2.0's & unlike conventional cycling shoes you can actually dismount & walk around normally in Chromes without looking like an idiot duck-walking in a solid sole shoe.


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## fossala (18 Jul 2019)

ColinJ said:


> I was talking to @colly If I suddenly come across a big pothole at speed, I can bunnyhop it but colly said that he didn't fancy trying to bunnyhop on fixed. I also don't fancy the ridiculously high cadence needed to descend quickly - I



I did the Dartmoor ghost 160k last weekend and on a fast decent we came across a pothole and I bunny hoped it as I had no other option. I didn't die but it isn't something I'd want to repeat in a hurry. I'm not sure we would be having the same conversation if it was at the tail end of a 600k.


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## Milkfloat (18 Jul 2019)

Bunny hopping and farting, the two things I struggle with when riding fixed. My fastest times up some hills near me are on my fixed bike, however sometimes when I bite off more than I can chew it can be a bit painful.


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## fossala (18 Jul 2019)

Milkfloat said:


> Bunny hopping and farting, the two things I struggle with when riding fixed. My fastest times up some hills near me are on my fixed bike, however sometimes when I bite off more than I can chew it can be a bit painful.


Too right. I was spinning down Penpillick yesterday (1mile 10% decent) and miss bounced and got slammed into my unpadded SMP saddle, fun times!


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## ColinJ (18 Jul 2019)

Milkfloat said:


> My fastest times up some hills near me are on my fixed bike, however sometimes when I bite off more than I can chew it can be a bit painful.


I once watched the National Hillclimb Championships on Ramsbottom Rake, which has sections of 20-25%. Many of the riders were riding fixed. The ones who chose their gear ratio wisely made it look (relatively) comfortable. The ones who were overgeared suffered horribly. I have a vague memory of one or two of them coming to a dead stop and actually falling off!


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## Emile Flournoy (18 Jul 2019)

This brings up a great point that hasn't been made yet. Cycling, especially SS road cycling is IMO (feel free to correct me) at least 50%+ an athletic skill and the specific bicycle in question is secondary.


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## Emile Flournoy (18 Jul 2019)

Rusty Nails said:


> I am sure there are some superhumans on this forum who could ride a SS road bike on some of the rides I sometimes do in the Brecon Beacons. Good luck to them, but I wouldn't stand a chance.
> 
> I would say the only disadvantage of a SS road bike, for most riders, would be that you have to be selective of the routes you use.



What about a SS mtb? I'm thinking about getting this one >
https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Sing...3490461&s=gateway&sprefix=Gravity+moun&sr=8-4


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## Rusty Nails (19 Jul 2019)

Emile Flournoy said:


> What about a SS mtb? I'm thinking about getting this one >
> https://www.amazon.com/Gravity-Sing...3490461&s=gateway&sprefix=Gravity+moun&sr=8-4



The bike looks fine, but the same principles apply. How much climbing would you do offroad? The climbs tend to be shorter but steeper offroad, at least around where I ride.
If you feel you have the strength to do it give it a try, but why not first find a suitable gear on your geared bike then try riding it for a couple of weeks without changing gear? That will give you a taste of the issues.


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## Emile Flournoy (19 Jul 2019)

I actually found the rigid version of the G29 for $150 CHEAPER!!! So I bought it. I have a 52T ring coming so I might swap out the 32T stock ring once I get adjusted to the bike. Owning a cheap Schwinn full suspension mtb I hate the sag and lacking lockouts bottoms out the cheap Suntour front shock even off a 6in curb so screw it. Its flat as a pancake where I live & the only hills I encounter are man made little hills so I won't be missing much. Although quick starts won't happen w/ a 52T


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## colly (19 Jul 2019)

Milkfloat said:


> Bunny hopping and *farting*, the two things I struggle with when riding fixed. My fastest times up some hills near me are on my fixed bike, however sometimes when I bite off more than I can chew it can be a bit painful.



Agreed. 

Never tried bunny hoping on fixed. Can barely manage it on geared so I'm not missing much.


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## Oldfentiger (19 Jul 2019)

I was riding with toe clips & straps last weekend - conventional geared vintage bike.
Bunny hopped a pothole.
I’d forgotten to tighten the toe straps.
The result was comical


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## 12boy (27 Jul 2019)

I've ridden fixed for 5 years or but currently ride single speed, or , if steep climbing is involved, geared bikes.
The advantages of fixed are, at least for me:
It requires that I pay attention, which after riding the same routes for 25 years, is good as I tend to get high on endorphins and space out.
Climbing is easier in a given gear than the same gear in SS or geared bikes and better traction control on slick or icy roads.
Fixed is the simplest mechanically , no freewheel to wear out, no derailleur adjustments and maybe no rear brake either. More than any other bike I felt like I was wearing the bike rather than riding it
.The disadvantages are only one gear choice, spinning too fast on downhill stretches and a little awkardness in stopping invterms of pedal position especially with SPDs.
The advantages of SS over fixed are largely going down long grades and being able to rotate the pedals without moving the bike, as when stopped. Maybe not quite the "one with the bike feeling" but close.
I have a number of bikes I ride frequently and I ride my Surly Steamroller set up as SS often. I find it fun and comfortable. I could only have 1 bike it would be my Brompton, but the Surly is a close second


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## TheDoctor (30 Jul 2019)

The advantage I see of SS is that you're always in the right gear.
The disadvantage, obviously, is that you're actually always in the wrong gear!
Only an idiot would tour on SS or fixed https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/whats-yer.190717/#post-3994332


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## smutchin (31 Jul 2019)

Emile Flournoy said:


> What about a SS mtb?



I have a singlespeed cyclocross bike and have raced on it. I love it. 

For racing purposes, spinning out on the flat bits is more of a problem than getting up the steep bits. So much fun though.


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## rogerzilla (1 Aug 2019)

It's been said that SS has most of the disadvantages of fixed and few of the advantages.

It is lighter (but not as light as a fixie can be, since you need a rear brake)

It's simple, but single speed freewheels are rarely well sealed and need maintenance.

It won't help you turn the pedals on climbs.

It isn't like going for a long walk (a fixie is).

It won't make you look as cool ;-)


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## smutchin (1 Aug 2019)

OTOH people are less likely to accuse you of being a hipster daffodil


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## ColinJ (1 Aug 2019)

rogerzilla said:


> It's been said that SS has most of the disadvantages of fixed and few of the advantages.
> 
> It is lighter (but not as light as a fixie can be, since you need a rear brake)
> 
> ...


But when you build one from a donated frame/fork and (mainly) old parts from your box of old bike bits...

The bike is _still _light
It uses an old freehub which has never needed much maintenance
True that steep hills are a nightmare because of the deadspots in the pedal stroke, but 7-10% is 'character-forming'!
The downhills are much LESS character-forming, which is A GOOD THING! 

And...

If I want a long walk, I go for a walk 
Who wants to look 'cool'? Trying to look cool is NOT cool; real 'Cool' is looking cool by accident! 
You don't have the expense of buying a new frame with horizontal dropouts (much more expensive than a chain tensioner)


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## silva (27 Aug 2019)

A fixed gear is a minimalistic setup.
There is little to go wrong and what is left is simple enough to give even a two lefthands a DIY chance.
A singlespeed has the freewheel which can and does go wrong (it did for me, a sudden rainfall or temp drop below zero and freewheeling forward, not funny along the road in the middle of nowhere).
Another bonus of fixed gear is the ability to push back to slowdown, leaving the brakes only for emergency needs.
Little drawback: when people see you pedaling standing they think the opposite of slowing down. Or wait, did I say drawback? They stop to allow you passing alike you're the King, so just push a couple times back to make them stop then push forward again and wave to the People.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Aug 2019)

All my bikes were single speed till I turned 18 and got a racer. We didn't call them single speed, it was just your bike. Used to ride over to,Buxton and Hayfield etc. I remember the odd hill but we could get up most them. If you couldn't you walked. No idea what gear ratio I ran, that didn't interest me, as long as I could fix punctures I was sorted. Anything more serious it was find a phone box and call home.


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## silva (27 Aug 2019)

Home never had a car the choice was DIY or walk home hill or no hill.


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## CXRAndy (28 Aug 2019)

I have a single speed town shopper Genesis day 10. Gearing is 72" It has around 21/22 mph top speed. I find I ride it harder than a geared bike. I spin on the flats around 17/18 mph but stand up to power up short inclines.

Ive naturally lowered my cadence on the SS. but I tend to spin more on a geared bike
A well maintained bike will last, a poorly maintained wont. whether SS, fixed or geared


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## anothersam (5 Sep 2019)

Been riding SS exclusively for about a dozen years now (making use of regular old freehubs). No minuses for my style of riding; I’m not usually in a big hurry, and rather enjoy grinding my way up the Sussex hills. Were the local gradients steeper, it might be a problem.







The mechanical simplicity also served as a gateway drug of sorts to working on my bikes myself.

I’ll admit, whenever I try out something with gears I think “Wow, this is kind of nice.” But I have no plans to go back.


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## ColinJ (5 Sep 2019)

anothersam said:


> Been riding SS exclusively for about a dozen years now (making use of regular old freehubs). No minuses for my style of riding; I’m not usually in a big hurry, and rather enjoy grinding my way up the Sussex hills. Were the local gradients steeper, it might be a problem.
> 
> View attachment 483687


Ha ha - we do have climbs like that round here... (that one is the 25% section of 'Mytholm Steeps', Hebden Bridge)






There is no way that I would try and ride up that in my 52/19 ss gear!


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## Dogtrousers (5 Sep 2019)

anothersam said:


> Been riding SS exclusively for about a dozen years now (making use of regular old freehubs). No minuses for my style of riding; I’m not usually in a big hurry, and rather enjoy grinding my way up the Sussex hills. Were the local gradients steeper, it might be a problem.
> 
> View attachment 483687


A pedant writes: That's one's in Kent aksherly. Not far from Darwin's house.

I've long since reached my bottom gear by the time I reach the really steep bit on that hill. So you could say I ride up it on single speed.


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## palinurus (5 Sep 2019)

silva said:


> There is little to go wrong



But if it does go wrong it can be a little alarming.


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## anothersam (5 Sep 2019)

Dogtrousers said:


> A pedant writes: That's one's in Kent aksherly. Not far from Darwin's house.


Yes, I believe that’s a view up Downe Road, one of the hills masochists can choose on the way to Cudham. If memory serves, that defeated me a number of years ago, though I don’t remember what I was riding. Nearby Church Hill, on the other hand, has been vanquished (just) at 70” - though it's only the last bit that's the killer.


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## Sharky (5 Sep 2019)

Dogtrousers said:


> A pedant writes: That's one's in Kent aksherly. Not far from Darwin's house.
> 
> I've long since reached my bottom gear by the time I reach the really steep bit on that hill. So you could say I ride up it on single speed.


Do you qualify for a Darwin award if you get to the top without falling off?


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## Dogtrousers (5 Sep 2019)

Sharky said:


> Do you qualify for a Darwin award if you get to the top without falling off?


It's actually not that bad a hill. It just has a few metres of bonkers gradient right at the top.

But I'm strictly a geared rider so shouldn't really be in this thread


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## anothersam (5 Sep 2019)

I can see the appeal of fixed (if I squint really hard!), but take away the ability to freewheel and you take away one of the main pleasures of cycling: the free ride (if you ignore that you're forever paying in advance). Plus you really do have to pay more attention, which is contraindicated given how often I’m awheel thinking about almost anything other than the bike I’m on.



palinurus said:


> But if it does go wrong it can be a little alarming.



Fixed going wrong and SS going wrong are usually several orders of hurt apart. I’m sure the mechanically adept have it well in hand, but those of us who are forgiving of a little slop ride easier knowing we’re not as likely to be sitting on a potential catapult.



Sharky said:


> Do you qualify for a Darwin award if you get to the top without falling off?



Here’s one I made earlier – not that it applies here, I hasten to add








rogerzilla said:


> It won't make you look as cool ;-)



On the contrary, I’m always being asked about my fixed (usually when going up hills), thus collecting the same cool points – at least until I correct them, which by solemn SSer’s oath I’m bound to do. Evidently not everybody examines drivetrains as closely as we here.


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## palinurus (5 Sep 2019)

anothersam said:


> ... those of us who are forgiving of a little slop ride easier knowing we’re not as likely to be sitting on a potential catapult.



More like an out-of-control skidoo than a catapult.


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## palinurus (5 Sep 2019)

anothersam said:


> Fixed going wrong and SS going wrong are usually several orders of hurt apart.



Higher probability of retaining fingertips with SS.


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## anothersam (5 Sep 2019)

palinurus said:


> More like an out-of-control skidoo than a catapult.



I’m happy to stand corrected, though the catapult provides a more awesomely terrifying mental image.


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## ColinJ (5 Sep 2019)

palinurus said:


> More like an out-of-control skidoo than a catapult.


My one experience of 'fixed' was in a local gym - a long warm-up on a stationary bike which had a massive flywheel (when I say 'massive', I mean it - probably 20-30 kgs of shiny metal mass!). After about 20 minutes of high-cadence spinning I decided to get off and transfer to the Concept2 rowing machine. I completely forgot that I couldn't freewheel... The damn machine kicked me clear out of the saddle and almost tore my legs off! 

It put me off trying fixed on the road...


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## anothersam (6 Sep 2019)

Almost forgot: A Freewheeling Manifesto


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2019)

ColinJ said:


> My one experience of 'fixed' was in a local gym - a long warm-up on a stationary bike which had a massive flywheel (when I say 'massive', I mean it - probably 20-30 kgs of shiny metal mass!). After about 20 minutes of high-cadence spinning I decided to get off and transfer to the Concept2 rowing machine. I completely forgot that I couldn't freewheel... The damn machine kicked me clear out of the saddle and almost tore my legs off!
> 
> It put me off trying fixed on the road...



I expect the kick from a spin bike is worse! On those few occasions when I try to freewheel (it really doesn't happen that often) I'll feel a bit of a kick from the pedals but it's difficult to resist the momentum of the bike and drivetrain so it's momentary only, it's disconcerting since briefly the cranks are pulling your legs around and there's a bit of deceleration but it's not easy to stop the back wheel from turning- you need to really lock your legs in position, it takes a determined approach.


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## ColinJ (6 Sep 2019)

palinurus said:


> I expect the kick from a spin bike is worse! On those few occasions when I try to freewheel (it really doesn't happen that often) I'll feel a bit of a kick from the pedals but it's difficult to resist the momentum of the bike and drivetrain so it's momentary only, it's disconcerting since briefly the cranks are pulling your legs around and there's a bit of deceleration but it's not easy to stop the back wheel from turning- you need to really lock your legs in position, it takes a determined approach.


If I lived somewhere with decent road surfaces, low traffic volumes and no tough climbs/fast descents then I probably would give fixed a go. I just can't stand the thought of swerving round potholes in traffic (assuming that bunnyhopping them would be a problem on fixed?) and I really don't fancy a cadence of 180-200 rpm or having to brake hard down every descent!


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2019)

ColinJ said:


> If I lived somewhere with decent road surfaces, low traffic volumes and no tough climbs/fast descents then I probably would give fixed a go. I just can't stand the thought of swerving round potholes in traffic (assuming that bunnyhopping them would be a problem on fixed?) and I really don't fancy a cadence of 180-200 rpm or having to brake hard down every descent!



My commute is undulating but not hilly. I have ridden in hilly areas on fixed but I had two brakes fitted at the time- my legs don't go round very quick.


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## ColinJ (6 Sep 2019)

palinurus said:


> My commute is undulating but not hilly. I have ridden in hilly areas on fixed but I had two brakes fitted at the time- my legs don't go round very quick.


I have seen very fit riders on fixed tackle 15-20% climbs, which amazed me. I have also seen them do descents at crazy cadences. Not for me!

I would like fixed with a clutch mechanism, if a safe one could be developed. Ride it as fixed most of the time but use the clutch to enable freewheeling for fast descents...

Hmm... THIS sounds like an interesting bodge - a 37 inch gear with a freewheel, and a choice of 70 inch and 94 inch fixed gears!


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2019)

ColinJ said:


> I have seen very fit riders on fixed tackle 15-20% climbs, which amazed me. I have also seen them do descents at crazy cadences. Not for me!
> 
> I would like fixed with a clutch mechanism, if a safe one could be developed. Ride it as fixed most of the time but use the clutch to enable freewheeling for fast descents...
> 
> Hmm... THIS sounds like an interesting bodge - a 37 inch gear with a freewheel, and a choice of 70 inch and 94 inch fixed gears!



Years ago I was watching an old bike on eBay with a fixed-free hub- a quick search didn't throw up any hits- I think it was operated with a lever via a toggle chain.

There's this also.

Also there's the SRAM torpedo fixed-free hub, there's a screw on the hub to select the mode.


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## fossala (6 Sep 2019)

ColinJ said:


> If I lived somewhere with decent road surfaces, low traffic volumes and no tough climbs/fast descents then I probably would give fixed a go. I just can't stand the thought of swerving round potholes in traffic (assuming that bunnyhopping them would be a problem on fixed?) and I really don't fancy a cadence of 180-200 rpm or having to brake hard down every descent!


I bunny hopped on fixed a few months back. I was descending a hill on Dartmoor during an overnight ride, noticed a large hole at the last second. I had no other option. 

While it is possible, I'd only bunny hop on a fixed as a last resort.


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## palinurus (6 Sep 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Hmm... THIS sounds like an interesting bodge - a 37 inch gear with a freewheel, and a choice of 70 inch and 94 inch fixed gears!



That's great. I like the disclaimer: "This is a highly-advanced hack! Do not attempt it unless you have great confidence in your metalworking and mechanical ability"


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## ColinJ (6 Sep 2019)

fossala said:


> I bunny hopped on fixed a few months back. I was descending a hill on Dartmoor during an overnight ride, noticed a large hole at the last second. I had no other option.
> 
> While it is possible, I'd only bunny hop on a fixed as a last resort.


Yikes - that is exactly the kind of scenario that I fear!

I have bunny hopped to safety a few times** and it doesn't seem like it would be an easy/safe thing to do on fixed.



**An example was when large chunks of waste material suddenly fell from a skip wagon that I was riding behind.


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## swee'pea99 (6 Sep 2019)

Just stumbled across this most excellent thread.

Having crashed my fixie seven months ago, and now with a couple of months of geared riding under my belt, I'm just happy to be cycling again. 

Having said which. I miss my fixie.



Milkfloat said:


> Bunny hopping and farting, the two things I struggle with when riding fixed.



I don't actually know what bunny hopping is. I can guess, but I never did it, gears or no. I commuted mostly, so I knew every hole on the route. Into the middle of London for a decade or more. 

My fixie was my bike. I had other bikes, but they were my other bikes. 

Hills would rule out a fixie in many parts of the country, I would think. I ride almost entirely in London, which is basically flat. Having said which, I live at the bottom of a pretty big hill. What are the chances? Potholes are the big hazard. I can't bunny hop them on any bike. I look out for them, and avoid them as best I can. It can be unnerving riding unfamiliar roads that suddenly become crap. Add rain and cycling becomes Not Fun very quickly. I loved to commute, because I knew the route so well. On unfamiliar roads I think things can be a bit less fun.



ColinJ said:


> I completely forgot that I couldn't freewheel... The damn machine kicked me clear out of the saddle and almost tore my legs off!



Yeah, they will do that! I generally forget when I let my mind wander coming off a speed bump. It's kind of like the clipless moment of fixie-riding - everyone does it now and then. Or at least I've always assumed everyone does...maybe it's just me. Kicks like a mule!

Of course the flipside, and the fixie difference, is that you brake using your legs. The front brake is there for backup, and for going down hills, but basically you control the machine with your legs, directly, at all times. 



12boy said:


> More than any other bike I felt like I was wearing the bike rather than riding it



...pretty much nails it.

I have three bikes, and while I enjoy riding both the carbon and the geared steel-frame I'm riding now, riding the fixie is different. That directness. Reduces riding in and with traffic to its essence: anticipation, anticipation, anticipation.

I don't know. It is different. I do miss it. I will return to it as soon as I am able. 

But mostly it's good to be back on a bike. And I can fart at my leisure.

Ride on.


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## rogerzilla (6 Sep 2019)

A few weeks ago, a couple of us ground up Dragon Hill Road (to Uffington White Horse) just to see if it could be done on fixed. It can. Then my mate's fixie rewarded him for his silly idea by giving him a front wheel snakebite puncture on the cattle grid on the descent.

I've finished the Dunwich Dynamo on fixed in 2008 (for a bet), 2012 and 2019. It was always easier than on gears.


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