Fixed Gear Learning Curve

[Dogtrousers]

A while back I bought a nearly new Genesis Flyer SS. I was curious about fixed gear so I thought I'd give it a whirl. What's the point of it?

Learning so far...

First I bought a fixed sprocket (which came with a lock ring). Lesson one: there's a difference between 1/4" 1/8" which I had bought and 3/32" which I needed

So I bought another, 3/32", sprocket, which also came with a lock ring. Lesson two - there seem to be multiple standards for lock rings. This one was left hand thread as expected but a teeny bit too big. Fortunately the lock ring from the first sprocket was OK.

Next I fitted a pair of M540 pedals that I had lying around and went off for a test ride. I immediately encountered a problem. I couldn't unclip my left foot while riding. Right was OK. Left was ok when stopped. So after a couple of rather awkward right-foot-down stops I backed the tension on both pedals all the way off and de-gunked and lubricated them when I got home. Even so I still have an occasional problem with my left foot and I think it's part of my technique. I suspect I always freewheel when unclipping and my technique doesn't work while pedalling. Right foot technique is OK.

Next I tried some proper rides. My first concern was that I would be completely incapable of going uphill. I was pleasantly surprised that climbing was possible, if sometimes a bit hard. I've got a 42/17 (approx 65") setup. I've ground to a halt a couple of times, and I've tried to avoid gradients over about 8%.

I've kept both brakes. I have no intention of trying to re-educate my braking technique. I'm slowly learning the concept of leg-braking, which I find distinctly weird.

So all in all it's been an interesting project and it's a fun and novel bike for shorter rides (not done more than 50km). Maybe it'll become a regularly ridden bike or maybe the novelty will wear off.

 

[fossyant]

I commuted on fixed for about 8 years. It's great for building ability to spin, and climbing was surprisingly OK, even loaded with paniers. The lack of faff with mechs/sprockets was great for cutting down maintenance - takes far longer now on my geared commuter. Only got rid as I had my big accident on it, and at the point of sale, I wasn't going to commute by bike again - that's changed, but current commute route no good for a road bike. I kept both brakes as I went through rims every 18 months with commuting on road !

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don't think my fixed gear starting/stopping skills would be up to commuting right now. I keep getting my feet in the wrong position. Plus I now have a devil on my shoulder whispering "your left foot is probably stuck in the pedal" which has affected my confidence a bit.

Anyway, I've got a Brompton for commuting. But I eventually gave that up when I had to admit that I actually prefer 20 minutes packed in with the masses on a train followed by a leisurely stroll, to repeated attempts on my life by taxi drivers.

 

[fossyant]

Try un-clipping on the down stroke, rather than as your leg is coming back up.

 

[Ian H]

Fixed is great for building strength and endurance. It doesn't do anything for pedalling technique, apart from improving your cadence limit (if you let it).
I started back in the 80s and gradually built up distance. Since then I've ridden several SR series and a couple of Paris-Brest-Paris editions on fixed; and toured here and in France. All the serious stuff has been done with two brakes.

Unclipping: before clipless I used shoe-plates to ensure I couldn't pull my foot out when climbing. That meant I had to reach down to flick the strap when stopping. Single-release SPD pedals at minimum tension have always been reliable.

Other than that, it's just practice and familiarity. You can't rush it.

PBP 2015

 

[Sharky]

difference between 1/4" which I had bought and 3/32"

Sprockets are either 1/8th or 3/32nd.
You can use a 3/32nd sprocket with either a 1/8th or 3/32nd chain.

A couple of learning points .....
You may not have experienced a "tight/slack" chain yet. But chainwheels are never perfectly round and there will be tight spots at some point. When tensioning the chain, locate the tight spot and pull the wheel back as hard as you can and tighten. If you happen to tension the chain when at a slack point, when the pedals are rotated, you'll experience a "grating" noise at the tight spot.

With the lock ring, essential with only one brake, only tighten with "fingers". Don't use any force applied with tools. When back pedaling, the sprocket will hit the lock ring and apply force in the direction that tightens the lock ring naturally.

My experience .....
I started off on fixed, back in 1960, so have always had a fasination for fixed. When I first got gears, couldn't work them out. Didnt know when to change up or down, but eventually became confident with gears and my early years of time trials were all on gears.

Many years later (90's), still timetrialling, I rebuilt my Mercian track frame for fixed and kept it for a dedicated time trial bike. Much cheaper and simpler having a fixed bike rather than a geared bike. I also found out that on a flattish time trial course, that fixed was no slower than a geared bike and on a perfect "float" day, being much lighter was quicker.

Many many years later (00's), bought a Giant Bowery 72 on the cycle to work scheme. Rode it fixed for a season or so, but the Kentish Hills are just too severe to make fixed riding enjoyable, so switched to a single freewheel. This is now my GoTo bike for up to one hour rides.

Still have a dedicated fixed time trial bike, which unfortunatly hasn't been ridden in anger for a couple of years. This is set up with a single brake, tri spoke, deep section wheels and a modest 88" or 95" gear!

Enjoy

 

[Dogtrousers]

Sprockets are either 1/8th or 3/32nd.
You can use a 3/32nd sprocket with either a 1/8th or 3/32nd chain.

Yeah, I said 1/4" didn't I. I meant 1/8". A 1/4" sprocket would be decidedly chunky!

 

[Fab Foodie]

A while back I bought a nearly new Genesis Flyer SS. I was curious about fixed gear so I thought I'd give it a whirl. What's the point of it?

Learning so far...

First I bought a fixed sprocket, which came with a lock ring). Lesson one: there's a difference between 1/4" 1/8" which I had bought and 3/32" which I needed

So I bought another, 3/32", sprocket, which came with a lock ring. Lesson two - there seem to be multiple standards for lock rings. This one was left hand thread as expected but a teeny bit too big. Fortunately the lock ring from the first sprocket was OK.

Next I fitted a pair of M540 pedals that I had lying around and went off for a test ride. I immediately encountered a problem. I couldn't unclip my left foot while riding Right was OK. Left was ok when stopped. So after a couple of rather awkward right-foot-down stops I backed the tension on both pedals all the way off and de-gunked and lubricated them when I got home. Even so I still have an occasional problem with my left foot and I think it's part of my technique. I suspect I always freewheel when unclipping and my technique doesn't work while pedalling. Right foot technique is OK.

Next I tried some proper rides. My first concern was that I would be completely incapable of going uphill. I was pleasantly surprised that climbing was possible, if sometimes a bit hard. I've got a 42/17 (approx 65") setup. I've ground to a halt a couple of times, and I've tried to avoid gradients over about 8%.

I've kept both brakes. I have no intention of trying to re-educate my braking technique. I'm slowly learning the concept of leg-braking, which I find distinctly weird.

So all in all it's been an interesting project and it's a fun and novel bike for shorter rides (not done more than 50km). Maybe it'll become a regularly ridden bike or maybe the novelty will wear off.
View attachment 752326

Chains a bit slack....

 

[All uphill]

I'm currently enjoying my single speed, and am curious about flipping the rear wheel and trying fixed. What has stopped me so far is the fear of injury from trying to freewheel and coming off.

Given that I've been pedalling and freewheeling for 60+ years and no longer bounce are my fears justified?

 

[Sharky]

trying to freewheel and coming off.

You just get a "reminder" from the transmission, a little "jolt", but you have too much pedal momentum to actually freewheel.
Nothing to worry about, you soon get used to it.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm currently enjoying my single speed, and am curious about flipping the rear wheel and trying fixed. What has stopped me so far is the fear of injury from trying to freewheel and coming off.

Given that I've been pedalling and freewheeling for 60+ years and no longer bounce are my fears justified?

Not that I've found. I too am 60+ and (aside from a brief experiment in my teens) have always ridden with gears.

I give myself a stern "keep pedalling" talking to when I start, and repeat this over and over as I ride. I do occasionally get reminded "no mate, you can't do that" if I forget momentarily.

It doesn't cost much to try it. You just need a sprocket and a lock ring tool. It's even cheaper if you buy the right thickness sprocket first time!

 

[T4tomo]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/56cm-single-speed-fixie-sold-and-collected.285265/

this used to be my "London end" commuter bike. When I first bought it I briefly tried it out fixed (simple job of reversing the wheel as it had a flip flop hub) but as I'd equipped it with toe straps for riding with Brogues etc, getting clipped / strapped in again was too much of a challenge plus it was a bit high geared for the hills round home. I did like the fixed feeling, but being completely inexperienced in fixed riding, I figured the capitals mean streets weren't the place to learn, so only ran as SS in London.

I was very pleased with my conversion to bull horn bars and TT levers and it was a blast to ride around the city.

 

[fossyant]

One thing to note if you are running even sprockets or chain rings - eg 46 x 16 - rotate the chain one tooth on each every few months as the chain can wear to the teeth more, and upon, say a puncture fix, popping the chain back on can sound like a tractor if it's not on the old tooth pairing. Doesn't happed with 'odd numbers'. Something I learnt - not had a puncture in months, had a flat, changed, put back on and it was terrible. Had to stop and move the chain on one tooth. After that I moved the chain around every few months.

 

[All uphill]

A while back I bought a nearly new Genesis Flyer SS. I was curious about fixed gear so I thought I'd give it a whirl. What's the point of it?

Learning so far...

First I bought a fixed sprocket (which came with a lock ring). Lesson one: there's a difference between 1/4" 1/8" which I had bought and 3/32" which I needed

So I bought another, 3/32", sprocket, which also came with a lock ring. Lesson two - there seem to be multiple standards for lock rings. This one was left hand thread as expected but a teeny bit too big. Fortunately the lock ring from the first sprocket was OK.

Next I fitted a pair of M540 pedals that I had lying around and went off for a test ride. I immediately encountered a problem. I couldn't unclip my left foot while riding. Right was OK. Left was ok when stopped. So after a couple of rather awkward right-foot-down stops I backed the tension on both pedals all the way off and de-gunked and lubricated them when I got home. Even so I still have an occasional problem with my left foot and I think it's part of my technique. I suspect I always freewheel when unclipping and my technique doesn't work while pedalling. Right foot technique is OK.

Next I tried some proper rides. My first concern was that I would be completely incapable of going uphill. I was pleasantly surprised that climbing was possible, if sometimes a bit hard. I've got a 42/17 (approx 65") setup. I've ground to a halt a couple of times, and I've tried to avoid gradients over about 8%.

I've kept both brakes. I have no intention of trying to re-educate my braking technique. I'm slowly learning the concept of leg-braking, which I find distinctly weird.

So all in all it's been an interesting project and it's a fun and novel bike for shorter rides (not done more than 50km). Maybe it'll become a regularly ridden bike or maybe the novelty will wear off.
View attachment 752326

Nice bike!

 

[biggs682]

I have also experimented with fixed gear riding after trying single speed fist and I enjoyed it once I had done a few miles.
Only got halfway up a climb once that I couldn't finish so just dismounted and walked and it wasn't even steep or long .

I love single speed as it's just so relaxing, fixed just needed in my mind a bit more thought and concentration.

I used fixed for best part of two winters and survived.