# First fixed commute!



## Blonde (8 Aug 2007)

Yay! I enjoyed it. It's not much different really, though there a few instances of leg braking and almost/nearly trackstanding (well, very slow rotation of pedals, without a wobble, at about 00.1 mph or something) but when I did have to stop I had a couple of times when I didn't get the pedal in quite the right position for starting and had to sort of hop about and lift the back end of the bike up  but no major problems. 13 urban miles and many sets of lights at just over 18mph average which isn't that far off my normal 'non-fixed' speed, and I was deliberately going especially carefully too, so I'm well chuffed!  The route home is mostly a slight uphill though and the final 2 miles is all uphill, with a particularly steep bit right near the house,  which may prove a bit knackering. Think I better not go swimming at lunchtime today - I need all my energy for later!


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## BentMikey (8 Aug 2007)

Awesome! Don't worry about the trip home, you'll be fine and you'll love it.

You probably know this already, but to get the pedals into the right place you can a) start with either foot, that way you have twice as much chance of getting one of the pedals into the power position or  put on the front brake, push the handlebars forwards, and then spin the pedals to the power position.  is easy and cool when you get the hang of it, but I prefer a) because it's better to be a balanced cyclist and able to start off with either leg.


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## peejay78 (8 Aug 2007)

your fitness will rocket, especially your stamina.
also changes your cadence pretty quickly, i spin much more than i used to, and am no longer afraid of the small ring.


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## Mr Phoebus (8 Aug 2007)

Blonde said:


> The route home is mostly a slight uphill though and the final 2 miles is all uphill, with a particularly steep bit right near the house,  which may prove a bit knackering. Think I better not go swimming at lunchtime today - I need all my energy for later!


You might well find it a lot easier than what you're expecting !


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## Blonde (8 Aug 2007)

It's not my legs - they are OK, as the lack of freehub means once I've got some momentum going, the pedals seem to get turned round at a fair whack anyway which saves any painful grinding - the gear is pretty small. It's my lungs that may burst on the long-ish hill as I won't really get the usual option to go any slower - or at least, not without it hurting my legs! I suppose I have the option of either turning the pedals more slowly, meaning less gasping for air but more pain, or, faster pedal rotation, meaning less pain but more danger of exploding lungs....

Regarding cadence - It's interesting: 'practicing' for fixed, by spinning a smaller gear than usual yesterday I acheived a higher speed than normal. Today, even though I was deliberately taking it easy, I wasn't really any slower than usual either, so I reckon that contrary to what may seem logical, faster spinning of a slightly smaller gear, actually equals faster cycling, not slower! I think many people don't realise how over-geared they are and turn a slightly too large gear, thinking they must be able to go quicker like that, than if they changed down a gear, when in fact, they aren't - not unless they really are very strong and able to turn it quickly enough.


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## Mr Phoebus (8 Aug 2007)

It's surprising how quickly you adapt and get fitter.
When you switch back to a gearie, you'll be scared of it taking off!
You'll easily use a higher gear on a geared bike than what you used to use.


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## rootsrocker (8 Aug 2007)

Beware..... it's addictive !


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## zimzum42 (8 Aug 2007)

I reckon it makes you climb faster, you have a real incentive to grind it out, no chance of a quick freewheeling rest.......


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## Blonde (9 Aug 2007)

Hee hee! I was even quicker today - just under 20mph average all the way to work! School hols are great aren't they? Lack of traffic made things much quicker - though I am beginning to think that fixed riding is actually a bit quicker in many instances, than using a free hub and gears! My way home last night wasn't as bad as I'd feared either - was bit out of breath by the time I rolled up to the house but I was much quicker up the hill than usual - didn't have any choice really!


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## smiorgan (9 Aug 2007)

Blonde said:


> I am beginning to think that fixed riding is actually a bit quicker in many instances, than using a free hub and gears!



Wait till you get back on your gearie after using the fixie for the whole winter - you'll be stronger and faster, and it will be like getting a new bike - at least that's what I've found, I used to reckon I was no slower on the fixie than the geared bike, but getting back on the geared bike for the summer I've been able to push myself harder and I'm faster now - it's brilliant


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## Mr Phoebus (9 Aug 2007)

Blonde said:


> Hee hee! I was even quicker today - just under 20mph average all the way to work! School hols are great aren't they? Lack of traffic made things much quicker - though I am beginning to think that fixed riding is actually a bit quicker in many instances, than using a free hub and gears! My way home last night wasn't as bad as I'd feared either - was bit out of breath by the time I rolled up to the house but I was much quicker up the hill than usual - didn't have any choice really!


I knew it!


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