Why fixed gear/Single speed bikes with no brakes?

[midlife]

BITD we all rode fixed over the winter...... Twiddling as we went about our rides on a relatively low gear.

Shaun

 

[derrick]

[QUOTE 3835498, member: 45"]It's all fashionvictimism. Like those who pretend they can taste the oak vat, or have a beard you could keep a pet marmoset in. All of my bikes are low maintenance, and this "one with the bike" parp is just parp.

Fixies are for nobbers. Especially nobbers on a mid-life crisis.[/QUOTE]
You do get a few nobbers ride them, but i think you will find there are more nobbers on geared bikes.

 

[Tin Pot]

Single speed makes sense - I have one on my birthday list.

Fixed Gear on roads, however, is a special interest thing like Morris Minors, beryllium golf clubs, ultra distance running, military watches, home brew and sandals.

 

[Tin Pot]

You do get a few nobbers ride them, but i think you will find there are more nobbers on geared bikes.

Yes but it's like a sliding scale - as you become more nobber, you eventually fall off the Geared scales into the Fixie pile allowing the scales to rebalance somewhat.

 

[Ihatehills]

Leave off the beard bashing, mines nothing to do with fashion victimism more to do with laziness plus the marmosets have to live some where. On the subject of fixies I'm of the opinion that the freewheel was invented for a reason but each to his own.

 

[rb58]

[QUOTE 3835498, member: 45"]It's all fashionvictimism. Like those who pretend they can taste the oak vat, or have a beard you could keep a pet marmoset in. All of my bikes are low maintenance, and this "one with the bike" parp is just parp.

Fixies are for nobbers. Especially nobbers on a mid-life crisis.[/QUOTE]
You don't liked riding fixed then I'm guessing.......!

 

[rb58]

........ but going into a corner? No thanks!

Purpose built fixed gear bikes will tend to have a higher bottom bracket and shorter cranks to lower the chance of pedal strike. And there is a significant difference between single speed and fixed.

But as you can tell from this thread, riding fixed is very much a Marmite sort of experience. I like Marmite.

 

[derrick]

Yes but it's like a sliding scale - as you become more nobber, you eventually fall off the Geared scales into the Fixie pile allowing the scales to rebalance somewhat.

Now you are grasping at straws.

 

[rb58]

Now you are grasping at straws.

I quite often wonder how many of the people who are so dismissive of riding fixed have actually tried it.

 

[swee'pea99]

I quite often wonder how many of the people who are so dismissive of riding fixed have actually tried it.

I wonder about the ones who seem to feel obliged to be rude about people who enjoy it.

 

[derrick]

Have been riding fixed for a few years now, Only local and commuting, And the odd 20 mile training ride, but if there are hills then it's back on the geared bike. The fixie never seems to need anything doing to it, Takes a long time to wear out a chain or chainring.And they are fun to ride.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I tended to find, that to ride fixed, you have to plan ahead, unfortunately, too many others around me had other ideas. It wasn't worth the risk, so I flipped (or flopped) the hub.

 

[smutchin]

I wonder about the ones who seem to feel obliged to be rude about people who enjoy it.

Luckily, I enjoy riding fixed too much to care what anyone else thinks.

I would recommend anyone to at least try it. Some won't like it, which is fine, but I love it.

Hard to put my finger on exactly why, tbh - I don't go in for all that "at one with the road" metaphysical nonsense, but there is something very satisfying about the simplicity of it. And it really does improve your pedalling - I was regularly doing a 12 mile commute on fixed for a couple of years, with a decent hill in the middle of it, and I found doing the descent regularly did wonders for my souplesse. 200rpm? No problem! (Well, kind of...)

NB I ride with both front and rear brakes on my fixed, though I rarely use them, even on descents - leg braking is actually preferable for most situations. The more you ride fixed, the more you learn to use your legs to modulate your speed.

 

[smutchin]

Also, don't let anyone tell you it's not possible to do properly hilly rides on fixed. Any audax you do, however hilly, will always have at least a few fixed riders, most of whom have been riding fixed for many years before it became fashionable.

 

[Ian H]

I'm riding mostly fixed this year, including PBP in just under two weeks. But then I've had a fixed for over thirty years, ridden long-distance, toured, etc. I dislike the trendy 'fixie' thing – it doesn't seem to be much to do with cycling.