- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
nowt like the evangelism of the convert is there? 
Fixies
- Thread starter col
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Eat MY Dust
New Member
- Location
- Where ever I lay my hat (helmet)
I'm building 2 fixies at the moment, but I've never ridden one. My worry is about hills, my commute has 2 hills that I can reach 40 mph on my Cayo. I'm not sure how this is going to work as I want gearing so as to still be able to fly down the hills, but I also need to be able to peddle back up them! Any suggestions?
OP
OP
col
Legendary Member
It all sounds good to the point of no freewheel , I cant get my head round this as it seems it could cause problems for me. Now a single that has been mentioned seems more attractive. But then its just like my bike but with no gears so seems to be a lesser bike in that sense without the option of being able to change on steep hills, is there such a thing as a double, or even a triple?
You make a good point squire, thinking about my commute I also rarely change gear. BUT the gears are nice to have in case of the hills I have to climb every day decide to get longer and/or steeper 
Aperitif said:I rarely change gear when commuting and it seems like a 'natural progression'
NickM
Veteran
- Location
- Darwin's birthplace
Park the bike with a low gear at the bottom of the hill, and the bike with the high gear at the top. Have somebody available to swap them back for you, once used.Eat MY Dust said:
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
Only place I'll ride a fixie is on track - which is huge fun. I don't trust myself to be riding a fixie on road and I need gears for going up any sort of incline and I enjoy freewheel...
Hugo15
Über Member
- Location
- Stockton-on-Tees
I have recently got a Pearson Hanzo on the C2W scheme. Only rode it a couple of times so far but I am loving it. One thing I have noticed is how fast it accelerates out of corners and when you put the power down. Rode my winter hack this morning and it seemed so sluggish in comparison. I am just about OK with starting and getting clipped in but stopping will take a bit more practice. The Hanzo will be employed on commuting duties from next week where I only used to use 2 or 3 gears so I should be OK.
MajorMantra
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Edinburgh
col said:
With a freewheel you lose one of the neatest features of fixed, which is the lack of 'dead spots' in the rotation of the cranks mentioned above. A single speeder will still be nice and light but it will be harder work going uphill.
Matthew
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
IMHO single speed is pointless, you need fixed if going for just 'one gear'....
PS the word 'fixie' is a no no apparently.........so I've been told...it's FIXED.....
PS the word 'fixie' is a no no apparently.........so I've been told...it's FIXED.....
NickM
Veteran
- Location
- Darwin's birthplace
Your HO is a load of old squit, IMHOfossyant said:
Fixed gear ridden on the track is good for pedalling style, because it enforces constant angular velocity, but that's about it.
If you ride hills (even fairly modest hills) you'll either be flogging yourself to death and buggering your knees getting up them, or impersonating a windmill in a hurricane on the way down. Pedalling at stupidly high revs isn't beneficial. Why should it be?
A friend of mine was the first ever Audax UK Fixed Gear Challenge champion. He's retired from cycling now. Knackered Knees.
I like simplicity, but having given fixed a lengthy trial (two years) I came to the conclusion that the freewheel is one of the best ever cycling inventions.
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
Brought my Pearson fixed about eighteen months ago. First time I had been on fixed since the early nineties, I had forgoten how much fun they are. The Pearson soon became my favourite bike, I now do more fixed miles than geared miles, I was out on gears this afternoon and it felt strange. Normally the fixed is my ride to work bike but in the winter it gets used for club and leisure rides as well.
purplepolly
New Member
- Location
- my house
MajorMantra said:
But with a fixed don't you loose one of the neatest features of the freewheel.
What is life without the simple pleasure of coasting downhill after managing to get to the top.
OP
OP
col
Legendary Member
purplepolly said:But with a fixed don't you loose one of the neatest features of the freewheel.
Thats my main concern with this, Iv been thinking about it and 37 cycling years have probably got me too used to having a freewheel.
MajorMantra
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Edinburgh
purplepolly said:But with a fixed don't you loose one of the neatest features of the freewheel.What is life without the simple pleasure of coasting downhill after managing to get to the top.
It's hitting 150rpm or more and not breaking anything. That's when you know you're doing well. One needs to MTFU, so to speak.
Matthew