Fixie or Single

[Matty]

LOL, Lee talks rubbish again. Fail of knowing the convention, whilst trying too hard to be right by using English "logic". It's a little like toeclips and clipless pedals. Fixed wheels aren't normally known as singlespeed, although they do tend to have a single gear ratio.

and my singlespeed does not only travel at one speed.

 

[Matty]

I went for SS rather than fixed for commuting for safety. There will be a time when something extra-ordinarily daft happens, requiring a bunny hop or bmx style skid or similar to avoid a collision. Door flying open when filtering or crazy pedestrian crossing in front of bus etc. Doesn't matter how much you ride fixed I'm sure in this situation the natural reaction will be to stop pedalling, not helping matters if everything is fixed!

p.s. fancy a fixed too though.

 

[Amanda P]

Funny, there are times when riding fixed that I've forgotten to pedal. The pedals push my feet for an instant instead of the other way round, and I'm jerked into consciousness. Then I carry on pedalling.

That's it.

I've never quite grasped where the disaster aspect comes in. Maybe it helps that I rarely freewheel even when I'm riding a bike that allows it, and maybe it helps that I'm using clippy pedals and shoes.

 

[Jezston]

True - but hub gears ain't cool. Get down with kidz, srw.

Hub gears are coming back, man. Singlespeed/fixed has been hip for a while now - all it'll take is one too many uncool slebs riding fixies and they'll be OUT.

 

[Origamist]

Hub gears are coming back, man. Singlespeed/fixed has been hip for a while now - all it'll take is one too many uncool slebs riding fixies and they'll be OUT.

No way, dude. I see the ordinary making a come back before a Horlicks hub gear renaissance...

 

[BentMikey]

Someone spotted an ordinary commuter not so long ago, lolz. Aunty C has been known to commute on her replica as well.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I came back to fixed almost three years ago, I use my Pearson for commuting and winter club runs. At the moment I'm running a seventy inch gear and plan to drop to about a 68 inch gear for the winter. I would normally expect to spin out on the flat at 20 - 22 mph, about the same speed I can manage on gears, on the hills it only starts to get uncomfortable above 35mph. They are ideal for commuting and great fun, go for the fixed.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

You have go to go fixed, Your control of the bike is much better ( when you get used to it) and it trains you to keep pedalling rather than free wheeling which improves your average speed no end ( it's very easy to be lazy on a SS) Provides a much better work out and will make you a lot faster on your geared bike. If your commute is mainly flat as you say it is you will begin to love the control you have over your speed just from the pedals.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Tried riding fixed before years ago but my commute was to the North East of Sheffield so all fairly flat.

Now, I have a bit of a climb that my legs still require gears for (wuss excuse) but disregarding that I have a good descent on the way in which I can reach 42 for a brief period...If I were to ride a single speed bike again I'd want to freewheel before I reached that point, so fixed whilst having some training benefits just wouldn't be practical to me

 

[tiswas-steve]

IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: Doing trackstands where you are wobbling your handlebars and front wheel all over the place does NOT look cool. No, no it doesn't.

Ohhhhhhhhhh mannnnnnnnn !! I seriously thought I looked the dogs kaulas doing this very thing at the lights on Sydenham Road

 

[BentMikey]

It might not look as cool as someone doing a really good trackstand, but at least they have the balls to get out there and try. Give them a few months, if they keep on practicing, and they'll have it and you still won't.

 

[palinurus]

Doesn't matter how much you ride fixed I'm sure in this situation the natural reaction will be to stop pedalling

It is for a short while, it's quickly unlearned.

 

[Jezston]

It might not look as cool as someone doing a really good trackstand, but at least they have the balls to get out there and try. Give them a few months, if they keep on practicing, and they'll have it and you still won't.

Touché!

 

[BentMikey]

Sorry! Have a good weekend mate...

 

[Jezston]

Haha no that comeback was far too well executed for any offence to be taken! Enjoy yours too sir