Fixies

[ASC1951]

Fixed gear ridden on the track is good for pedalling style, because it enforces constant angular velocity, but that's about it.....
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.

Most fixed riders would agree with you about the freewheel.

If I could only have one bike, it would be the traditional multi-speed derailleur. I have more than one, so one is a fixed. It's lighter, accelerates faster and doesn't go wrong. I do different routes with it and I ride them differently. What's the problem?

Would you have the same breakfast every day of your life, Nick?

 

[dan_bo]

Enjoy that crock. I've got a client quite close to Hearne hill and I intend to drop in down there at some point.

 

[NickM]

Most fixed riders would agree with you about the freewheel.

If I could only have one bike, it would be the traditional multi-speed derailleur. I have more than one, so one is a fixed. It's lighter, accelerates faster and doesn't go wrong. I do different routes with it and I ride them differently. What's the problem?

Would you have the same breakfast every day of your life, Nick?

There is no problem. I have more than one bike too. In fact, I have lots, all different

Anybody who enjoys riding fixed is very welcome to their enjoyment, as far as I am concerned; and I think that all serious cyclists should try as many kinds of cycling as they can. But having tried fixed gear, I won't be returning to it, because I enjoy freewheeling down hills too much.

As I dare say you would agree, there are rather a lot of "fixated" cyclists who seem to think that they have found the One True Path

 

[tyred]

I had originally intended to build my Carlton as a ten speed. I have the parts to do it. As an experiment, I put it together as a SS (with freewheel). I've found I really enjoy riding it and have done a 30 mile ride on it now (quite a long ride for me) without any problems. Where I live has a lot of quite steep hills so I went conservative with 46/20 gearing and am surprised to find I can ride these hills without problem. The first few times were difficult but now it seems easier with a little practice. I find I can now reach 20MPH on the flats. When I ride my slicked up MTB now, it seems a hassle to be changing gear and I find myself wondering what is the best gear to be in. A geared bike definitely has a place but for someone like myself who cycles mostly for my own enjoyment and relaxation rather than having a particular place to go and not being obsessed with setting super high average speeds, SS makes perfect sense to me. I doubt I will convert my bike back to gears now but may change to 46/18.

Now, I need anothe rold 531 frame to build with gears so I can have the choice....

 

[gary r]

I used to ride a fixed wheel about 15 years ago,I hated it at first but i soon developed a love for the simplicity & as pointed out here,they climb really well,its the down hills that were the problem! The hardest thing to get used to was when starting off out of the saddle on a geared bike you pause pedalling for a second before sitting down! The fixed soon reminds you that is not possible.I only had one bad moment when a bus overtook me & pulled up right in front of me,I tried to freewheel as i looked round to overtake !!!

 

[Over The Hill]

Sounds about as much fun as a car without a gearbox or clutch!

 

[ed_o_brain]

I bought a singlespeed... it was cheaper than a geared bike and I figured I had good powerful legs so I could dispense with the gears.

I was never happy with the chain tension.. the freewheel nor chainring seemed to be concentric enough.

The bike came with a flip-flop rear hub and a fixed cog, so as an experiment I flipped and rode fixed. I got a more even chain-tension, that in itself was pleasing. After a couple of short rides, riding it came naturally enough.

It's good fun. I appreciate not everyone's going to like it but it's worth trying.