Q: Fixie's... Explain???

[Deleted member 1258]

I've come back to reading this thread having not looked at it for ages, Why are people having problems stopping their fixed from speed? I can stop my fixed just as well as my geared bike from high speed, it doesn't feel any different. So what's different? is it a confidence thing? The last emergency stop I did was just after Christmas, I was on the descent between Norton Lindsey and Snitterfield, I tweaked a calf muscle at just over 30 mph and had to drop my speed before I could pull my foot off the pedal, I applied the brakes and the bike stopped that was it no dramas no problems.

 

[fossyant]

Can't see a problem with stopping a fixed. It has 3 brakes (2 callipers and legs).

My fixed stops just as well as my road bikes. If you can't stop a fixed, then I'd suggest cleaning your rims and getting better pads. (applies to any bike)

 

[Ibbots]

Me neither, and I only have a front brake and me legs to work with but then only my road and mtb's generally use the front and perhaps a little back brake for stopping and back on it's own just to scrub speed. It took a couple of months to develop strength and technique but on the fixed I do the same, just using my legs instead of a rear brake.

 

[Woz!]

Well I bought mine because it's so damned pretty

I like the simplicity of the machine but to be honest I've used it far more in SS configuration than as a fixie because riding fixed hurts my knees.

I know people will say that fixies aren't bad for your knees, but my knees are crap and I can REALLY tell afterwards if I've been riding fixed. I get no pain from riding single speed on the same bike.

 

[swee'pea99]

In my opinion the practical reasons like low maiintenance really have very little to do with it. It's all about the riding experience, which is different, and very addictive. Nor does it hurt that they tend to be light, which helps you go faster for less effort. Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer.

 

[Ibbots]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1311244969' post='1761051']
Nor does it hurt that they tend to be light, which helps you go faster for less effort. Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer.
[/quote]


Mine's a Pompino so made out of pig iron or something and has rack, mudguards and cheap wheels; it's my heaviest bike. "Fixedwheel", "fixed-gear", "fixie", "fixed" whatever - usually call mine the bastud or the lump.

 

[Bicycle]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1311244969' post='1761051']
Oh, and the correct term is 'fixie'. Fixie fixie fixie, nyer nyer nyer.
[/quote]


I agree with that. Any of the following seem good to me: fixie, fixed, fix, fixed-gear, fixed-wheel, fixed-gear bicycle or fixed-wheel bicycle.

Fixie is my favourite.

The hyphen in the last four examples is necessary because it marks the use of a compound adjective.

A fixed gear bicycle is a gear bicycle that has been repaired.

A fixed-gear bicycle is a fixie. The hyphen has its purpose.

Some benign but haughty turnip replaced the word fixie with fixed gear in an earlier post of mine.

I'm sure it was done in jest - but if you're going to be pedantic, be right.

This includes not spelling 'definitely' 'definately' and other ghastly lapses.

I think the same contributor had similarly altered someone else's input.

Fixie fixie fixie fixie fixie fixie....

Nyah nyah nyah!

 

[samid]

Can't see a problem with stopping a fixed. It has 3 brakes (2 callipers and legs).

My fixed stops just as well as my road bikes. If you can't stop a fixed, then I'd suggest cleaning your rims and getting better pads. (applies to any bike)

The difference between emergency stopping a fixie vs a freewheeling bike is, when you brake hard using your front brake you may have to move your weight back - i.e. slide behind the saddle. It is harder to do if you have to keep pedaling. That I believe was the "problem" some posters referred to.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

The difference between emergency stopping a fixie vs a freewheeling bike is, when you brake hard using your front brake you may have to move your weight back - i.e. slide behind the saddle. It is harder to do if you have to keep pedaling. That I believe was the "problem" some posters referred to.

That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.

 

[Bicycle]

That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.

Cripes!

I take my hat off to riders who can do an emergency stop and not move around on the saddle.

My backside goes several yards to the rear when I really have to hit the anchors.

I also stop my feet (stop pedalling) and 'grip the tank' with my knees.

Those actions are not possible on a fixie unless I lock the rear wheel, which I am not comfortable doing on a busy road at over 30 mph.

If my backside stays where it is on the saddle and I just slightly chirrup the tyres and maybe stand slightly on the front wheel, that's not an emergency stop in my books. It's a theatrical and fairly fast stop.

I think we may have very different ways of riding a bicycle. I imagine mine is wrong, as I just ape what worked for me on a motorcycle. I move my weight around to keep the thing on two wheels until I've completed whatever change of speed or direction I'm attempting. When braking, that means back and arms stretched out and arse to the rear.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Cripes!

I take my hat off to riders who can do an emergency stop and not move around on the saddle.

My backside goes several yards to the rear when I really have to hit the anchors.

I also stop my feet (stop pedalling) and 'grip the tank' with my knees.

Those actions are not possible on a fixie unless I lock the rear wheel, which I am not comfortable doing on a busy road at over 30 mph.

If my backside stays where it is on the saddle and I just slightly chirrup the tyres and maybe stand slightly on the front wheel, that's not an emergency stop in my books. It's a theatrical and fairly fast stop.

I think we may have very different ways of riding a bicycle. I imagine mine is wrong, as I just ape what worked for me on a motorcycle. I move my weight around to keep the thing on two wheels until I've completed whatever change of speed or direction I'm attempting. When braking, that means back and arms stretched out and arse to the rear.

When I came back to cycling, over thirty years ago, I moved from a motorcycle and started riding in a similar way to the way I did on the motorcycle. Over the years I've improved and refined my technique and now, though some of the motorcycle element is still there, I ride totally different to how I did then. Normally I sit still on the bike and rarely move about unless I'm stood on the pedals and honking. and I try to keep the ride smooth and read the road ahead.

 

[samid]

That might be why I was puzzled, I don't move around on the saddle when emergency stopping, I also tend to use both brakes until the back locks up.

I guess it depends on the emergency. I rarely have to move behind the saddle while on a road bike (be it freewheeling or fixed) - in fact I can only remember one occasion. But on that one occasion I had to really stop as quickly as I could to avoid a collision (my own fault) - and the fastest way to stop on a bike is to brake till the back wheel starts lifting off the ground. Obviously the more you can move your weight backwards the faster you can stop without going over the bars.

 

[Allirog]

ahh, this is a problem inherent to all fixies due to pedal strike (whether feet on or off), when i built the bike i put shorter cranks on to try to give me a bit more leaning room.

Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.

no, i took the shorter cranks into consideration when i built the bike from scratch. i wanted 65" i got 65", but i'm upto 67" inch now because i've put 35mm tyres on so i can use canal towpaths and the ncn routes around manchester.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Short cranks must make it harder to pedal due to less leverage on the pedals, I would guess.

I find short cranks, I started with 170's and went to 165's, make spinning up on a descent a lot easier, but then I have short legs, I don't notice any difference on the flat and on climbs, if there's a difference its hardly noticeable.