Fixies?

[winjim]

"Fixie" is a trendy term at the moment, so people are just putting it into their ebay descriptions for search optimisation.

Ultegra 6600 fixie groupset anyone?

 

[Deleted member 35268]

You can have them fixed gear (stop pedalling and the back wheel stops, immediately)
so says the voice of inexperience, This is the problem if you stop pedalling the rear wheel DOESN'T stop

Thanks. So the wheel doesn't lock up and create a nice skid, it carries on spinning - I had no idea.

 

[autolycus]

are you talking about this?


View attachment 120702

I guess so. I mean, it was a originally a question rather than something i was 'talking about', if you see what i mean. But this seems to be what Diggs was referring to.

 

[Sharky]

Thanks. So the wheel doesn't lock up and create a nice skid, it carries on spinning - I had no idea.

May have miss interpreted -
If you can stop pedaling, the back wheel will also stop and you would get a skid. But the momentum of the back wheel normally means that if you attempt to stop pedaling, you would not have the strength to immediately stop the wheel from turning and it would kick back and make you carry on pedaling.

 

[GuyBoden]

Ray Booty, the first to ride the 100 miles in under 4hours in 1956 rode a fixed wheel Raleigh Record Ace bike, see pic of the actual bike below:

 

[Sharky]

.. and more recently, Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree were holding comp records ridden on fixed.

 

[Apollonius]

When I started cycling "seriously" about 50 years ago....(bloody hell, more than 50 years ago) ... the received wisdom was to ride fixed wheel (i.e. not freewheel) to start with as you learnt how to ride properly. This was just as well, as I could not afford gears anyway. Looking back, I can see that it does give confidence and control on a bike. Having returned to cycling after retirement, I can balance better than most in my age-group on a bike, am more confident cleated, and know how to conserve speed on descents to enable getting up the inevitable climb on the other side. I think this is mostly down to riding fixed a lot when young. I still ride fixed on sunny days when I take my Dad's old race bike out for an airing. He always rode fixed, even for time-trials. I have an idea it was obligatory in those days, but don't know for sure.

 

[Profpointy]

Thanks. So the wheel doesn't lock up and create a nice skid, it carries on spinning - I had no idea.

Mostly no, what happens is you get bucked off into the hedge, or if you're lucky you just get a wobbly fright and just about stay on - let's say easing off to turn right into the Strand just after picking up your new fixie from Condor.

 

[palinurus]

May have miss interpreted -
If you can stop pedaling, the back wheel will also stop and you would get a skid. But the momentum of the back wheel normally means that if you attempt to stop pedaling, you would not have the strength to immediately stop the wheel from turning and it would kick back and make you carry on pedaling.

Yes, it is an- uh- advanced technique to lock up the rear wheel and skid like that. It's somewhat easier with a lower gear.

There are probably plenty of videos on YouTube of fixed gear skid competitions.

 

[Lonestar]

Fixies are single speed racers. You can have them fixed gear (stop pedalling and the back wheel stops, immediately)

Probably not a good idea at a good speed,though.

 

[ayceejay]

Ray Booty was about 7 feet tall wasn't he? a phenomenon at any hight regardless.
If you want wear out your back tyre and your knees quickly then the skidding to stop is the way to go.

 

[midlife]

Tricky at the end of a grass track race and your legs are knackered so you stop pedalling, forgetting it's fixed very entertaining for the crowds at York Rally .....

Shaun