# Well this fixed lark is doing the world of good



## MrGrumpy (14 Dec 2007)

Think its been about a month and half since i started riding fixed and apart from yesterdays butt clenching experiences on two roundabouts its been great. I feel really fit, lost over half a stone already ( still eating all the pies as well ) Finding the 42x16 gearing good now, hills are becoming easier, reckon by spring I might have to up the gearing  and my route ain`t flat either so whatever i`m doing its working !!


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## spandex (14 Dec 2007)

keep it going Mrgrumpy. by the way what bike do you have?


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## MrGrumpy (14 Dec 2007)

its a Langster !!!


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## peejay78 (15 Dec 2007)

good for you.


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## bianco (18 Dec 2007)

Nice one, wait till you get back on gears, you'll fly.

I found after a couple of months I wanted to up my inches, but found it natural to increase my cadence, I'm now at about 110 all the time and I feel great!


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## bonj2 (23 Dec 2007)

bianco said:


> Nice one, wait till you get back on gears, you'll fly.



Why wait?
Why not just get back on gears now, then you can 'fly' even sooner?


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## bianco (6 Jan 2008)

bonj said:


> Why wait?
> Why not just get back on gears now, then you can 'fly' even sooner?



Quite simply bonj, you'll loose the extra fitness you'd have gained if you simply remain on gears. However I do believe gears are best for the longer runs, I don't have the stamina in my muscles yet and require the gears to break the workload for me for anything over 30 miles.

Mind you it is a quite complex idea to grasp...................


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## yello (7 Jan 2008)

Sod fitness! I just like riding fixed!! 

I've been riding fixed regularly for around a year now and now prefer it to geared. I've found I've learnt how to rest whilst riding and will quite happily be out for a solid 2 to 3 hours, doing around 60 or 70 km without feeling it afterwards. You don't need to push it - it'll come! A metaphor for riding fixed generally!


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## simonali (8 Jan 2008)

I'd kinda like to try this fixed lark, but don't have a bike to do it with, which means a purchase of one. What is putting me off is the thought of my little leggys going round at 300rpm going down hills. I think this would annoy me, but I guess you don't get the wonderful feeling of being at one with your bike, that seems to be conveyed by fixed converts, with a freewheeling single speed?


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## Graham O (8 Jan 2008)

The only alternative to high speed legs is to keep the brakes on . With fixed you do lose the fun of a high speed descent, but if the gradient is right, you get the benefit of a high speed ascent. That may sound wrong, but it comes in time.

You don't need to buy a new bike, just get a fixed back wheel and put it on. Disable or remove the gears from your bike for a few weeks and see how you get on. I've never put my gears back on


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## simonali (8 Jan 2008)

I only have one bike at the mo' and it has horizontal dropouts.


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## Chuffy (11 Jan 2008)

Buy one of these. Nowt wrong with going single-speed and having the benefit of a freewheel. Don't let this lot baffle you with their fixie-zen cobblers.


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## bonj2 (12 Jan 2008)

Chuffy said:


> Buy one of these. Nowt wrong with going single-speed and having the benefit of a freewheel. Don't let this lot baffle you with their fixie-zen cobblers.



werd. I see posties trundling along with them on, although i suspect that it's because PO standard issue bikes have got hub gears rather than single speed.


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## Chuffy (12 Jan 2008)

bonj said:


> werd. I see posties trundling along with them on, although i suspect that it's because PO standard issue bikes have got hub gears rather than single speed.


Really? How odd. The new (in 2004) RM bikes had a five speed hub gear. I don't recall them having, or needing, a chain tensioner. Oh well.


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## NickM (15 Jan 2008)

Chuffy said:


> Buy one of these.


Er, he's got horizontal dropouts. He doesn't need one.



Chuffy said:


> Don't let this lot baffle you with their fixie-zen cobblers.


Now there I might just agree with you. I've given fixed a fair trial, and have decided it belongs on velodromes.

Anybody wanna buy a fixie?


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## Chuffy (15 Jan 2008)

NickM said:


> Er, he's got horizontal dropouts. He doesn't need one.


Do not confuse horizontal with vertical
Do not confuse horizontal with vertical
Do not confuse horizontal with vertical
Do not confuse horizontal with vertical
x 1000


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## Chuffy (15 Jan 2008)

NickM said:


> Now there I might just agree with you. I've given fixed a fair trial, and have decided it belongs on velodromes.
> 
> Anybody wanna buy a fixie?


Freewheel it then. Seriously. All the simplicity and none of problems.


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## Dave5N (18 Jan 2008)

How big is it NickM - are you serious about selling?


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## Madcyclist (6 Feb 2008)

A little surprised at some of the comments regarding fixed wheels. I rode one as training/commuting bike for 6/7 years (42*16), always found additional control a real benefit in icy/snowy conditions and often rode it on 100 mile club runs. I used to fly on the race bike early season.

I often rode 52 * 16 in club time trials recording a best of 57m 12secs for 25 miles, personal best on my race bike being 52m 40secs.


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