Originally Posted by jslopez
I need your guidance though:
1) Is it necessarily more dangerous than road bikes?I plan to use this on the everyday commute so will add a front brake but outside that I'm just wondering if somehow riding this type of bike leads to more accidents
2) Does this make you a stronger rider?
3) For the SoCal people, can you direct me to a place where I can get a cheap bike (really on a budget here). What's cheap? Well a Specialized langster or Bianchi pista is about $4-500 + dollars and something (much) cheaper than that, I want to check out. w
Thanks in advance for the insight.
1) If you ride in Los Angeles, I'm sure you're already aware that not only to motorists not care, it seems as though they are TRYING to hit you. That being said, it's probably no more dangerous than a freewheel bike, and perhaps less, due to your precise control of speed.
2) Probably. Most TdF champs trained on fixies, and most couriers I know can spank all of the roadies I know. You tend to do more anaerobic muscle gain due to your inability to shift on hills like Grand Ave or the Arroyo, which is a good for training for sprints. This is in addition to better spinning technique, smoother pedal stroke, and a more refined cadence. The only downside is, you might end up never riding your geared bike.
3) Well, you have some choices. You can buy a beater frame (all you're really looking for is long dropouts) and take it to an LBS (I would recommend someone who knows fixed gear, like Open Road in Pasadena). Alternately, you can take that beater to the
Bicycle Kitchen where they (maybe even I!) will help you convert that bad boy (or girl) to fixed gear on the cheap. The *official* opening is on the 23rd, since they moved to a new space, and they open on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the last Wednesday of the month (ladie's night!). You might want to call ahead for stand time.
Hope this helps. If you want more local fixie parts, Velo Pasadena has cogs and stuff for not-insane prices. Outside of that, a lot of bike shops will just look at you like you're crazy.