Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Don't kill me!

Ok--So I walked into a kinda underground LBS looking for a cheap road bike and the guy starts talking about single speed and fixed gears. I understand the difference between the 2 and some of the advantages of both but I have a sleu of questions about these bikes, most of which you guys probably hear all the time. I tried searching this forum but All i found were posts with goofy answers. So if you're sick of these, could somebody please point me in the right direction.

1. For primarily street riding, is a fixed gear of singlespeed better?
2. Why don't you need a rear brake?
3. Are all single speed/ fixed gear bikes home built? If so, how hard/expensive is it to do so?
4. don't you "spin out" frequently when going downhill on one of these?
5. Whats up with the wacky handlebars i've seen on some of your pics--are these speciailly designed for a specific type of riding?-- i'm talking about the one that go straight out and then curve up?

I'm genuinly interested in pursuing the posibility of going with a singlespeed or fixed gear, so i would appreciate serious answers or at least someone kind enought to point me to a website (i've already checked mr. brown's site). I am really looking for an inexpensive, durable bike that is easy to maintain that I can ride for extended periods for the purpoe of mainly exercise and fun. I am very attracted to the simplicity of a singlespeed and I am a bit turned off by all of the snoobery in the road bike culture. Can someone pelase help a newbie out---or at least dont banish me?

[insert serious face]

if you actualy read sheldon's stuff you know much more than enough to get started either buying a new prebuilt bike or building your own.

1. people will argue endlessly about this one, i think fixed gear is more fun, but that's just me

2. if you're riding fixed you slow down the rear wheel by pushing back on the pedals, if you're riding ss you DO need a rear brake
3. no, lots (like the popular pista) are not home built, but many are. mr. brown's site will tell you how to build one if you're so inclined
4. sometimes, but spinning is good ;)
5. they're called bullhorns, and there's a discussion here that may answer some of your questions http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=100835

1. Depends. I think coasting is better myself and prefer coaster brake to fixed.
2. With fixed u can resist with your legs, with SS you do need one, with cb it has one.
3. Most are, some are commercial-- example of one would be giant simple single, cheapest do it urself is with a horizontal drop bike-- redish wheel and put on freewheel.
4. yes, and on a fixed u have to go down hill by spinning like a madman.
5. If you don't need all the brakes/shifters then you can have whatever minimal handlebar u want and some like these types.

1. people will argue endlessly about this one, i think fixed gear is more fun, but that's just me

2. if you're riding fixed you slow down the rear wheel by pushing back on the pedals, if you're riding ss you DO need a rear brake
3. no, lots (like the popular pista) are not home built, but many are. mr. brown's site will tell you how to build one if you're so inclined
4. sometimes, but spinning is good ;)
5. they're called bullhorns, and there's a discussion here that may answer some of your questions http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=100835


Thank you--much appreciated

1. For primarily street riding, is a fixed gear of singlespeed better?
It depends on your preference but fixed gear is really different. If you haven't done it give it a shot, odds are you will fall in love with the rest of us.
2. Why don't you need a rear brake?
Because you can stop the bike with your legs. Therfore a rear(and front, depending who you ask) brake is unnessecary.
3. Are all single speed/ fixed gear bikes home built? If so, how hard/expensive is it to do so?
Not all bike are home built , but a lot of people will say that is part of the fun of riding fixed
4. don't you "spin out" frequently when going downhill on one of these?
Yes indeed. I don't really see a problem with that though.
5. Whats up with the wacky handlebars i've seen on some of your pics--are these speciailly designed for a specific type of riding?-- i'm talking about the one that go straight out and then curve up?
Bullhorns are just a nice alternative to drops. They allow you to get a nice position akin to riding on the hoods of your brakes on a road bike.


By looking at your post you gave three reasons why you should be riding fixed:

I am really looking for an inexpensive, durable bike that is easy to maintain that I can ride for extended periods

I am very attracted to the simplicity of a singlespeed

I am a bit turned off by all of the snoobery in the road bike culture.


Your mind is in the right place so go out and get the bike. You will be hooked in no time.

the road bike snobbery has nothing on the fixie snobbery, to be honest.

1) i think it's pretty much up to personal preference. if you like the simplicity but want the ability to coast, then you want a singlespeed. from my experience, and everyone else i know who rides fixie, after about a day on a fixie you dont even think about coasting. i personally love the control the fixed wheel offers and now find riding a free wheel horribly out of control .

2) you really don't need either brake since resisting the pedals or skidding will stop you just fine. i'm not entirely sure of why people who use a brake only use a front brake, but i'm guessing it's because the rear wheel's velocity (and thus stopping power) is all handled by your feet where has the front wheel is free.

3) fixed gear bikes are not solely homebuilt. IRO, bianchi, fuji, KHS, among others, all make fixed gear bikes. home building them, however, is 1/2 the fun for me and makes the bike much more personal. i ride a bianchi pista as well as a motobecane road bike I converted, so I have both kinds and I like them both equally. It's all a matter of whether or not you have the time/money/ability to build one or if you just want one right away.

4) steep hills can be a challenge but it's all about just dictating the speed you go by resisting the pedals, that way you wont "spin out"

5) i'm not sure really what you mean by "wacky handlebars" i think you are referring to bullhorns, which are not track specific. there are many types of handlebars to choose from, from straight bars, track drops, bull horns, mustache bars, cruiser bars, etc... it's all about personal preference. i ride bullhorns and straight bars and find the straight bars not as appropriate for sprinting or hard riding, where as the bullhorns are perfect for that.

hope this helps. i figured i'd jump in and give you the straight answers youre looking for because there are a lot of riders out there who will just give you sarcastic answers and attitude, as i mentioned in the beginning. good luck riding.

wow, when i started that reply no one had posted yet. you guys are quick.

[insert serious face]

if you actualy read sheldon's stuff you know much more than enough to get started either buying a new prebuilt bike or building your own.


I have read his site--but like Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder---I don;tknow what half that stuff means!

3. Are all single speed/ fixed gear bikes home built? If so, how hard/expensive is it to do so?

if you've got a bike with a freewheel, and you are going to use a break all the time, you can just take the freewheel off, add some loctite, and thread a freewheel cog on. you'll then have chainline issues (and, as a result, wheel-dish issues) to take care of, but this is by far the cheapest way. if you do this without brakes, you risk un-threading the cog (hence the loctite), which would be an issue since you would lose ability to stop.

as explained here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html#freewheelhub

the road bike snobbery has nothing on the fixie snobbery, to be honest.


unfortunately, so true.

4. don't you "spin out" frequently when going downhill on one of these?

Could be, but I think it feels like a roller coaster or something. One of my favorite parts of riding fixed. Sheldon's site is great, but why don't you go back to that LBS, they'd prob. help.

At least lately I'll agree. A lot of people are acting like they were the one's who invented fixed gear lately and it's really starting to get on my nerves. It really annoys me when I see a 20 year old BU student saying, I was doing this long before it was cool, when it has been "hip" for longer than I have lived in this city(almost 10 years, man I'm old). I saw some brat in Cambridge Bike this last weekend saying the exact thing and I wanted to grab him by the plugs and pull his ears off.

my interest in fixed gears/single speeds has nothing to do with hipness--it's all a matter of time and simplicitly. I bike for me--not to look good or fit in with a group. I dont do group rides and could care less what others think of my bike. I just want something that works for me.

Right on man, I wasn't taking a shot at you I was just replying to etchr's post.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy a brand spanking new fixed gear and dont seem to have the technical know how to covert an pre-exisiting bike into one (i would have absolutely no clue how to re-dish a weel; take off a freewhell and set up a chainline). Perhaps I am better off going with a single speed. It seems easier to convert an existing bike into one of those. [although i did go and ride a fixed gear over my lunch break---quite a different experience!]

I have read his site--but like Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder---I don;tknow what half that stuff means!

JUST AIM FOR THE SMOKE. Good advice above.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy a brand spanking new fixed gear and dont seem to have the technical know how to covert an pre-exisiting bike into one

You could split the difference and buy a pre-built fixed rear wheel. You'd have a true track hub with a lockring but you'd save yourself the expense of getting a whole new bike. Or, if you have a road bike with horizontal drops and rims worth keeping that you want to convert, you could purchase a rear hub and get your rear wheel rebuilt around said hub at your LBS. You can get a suzue basic for around $30 or a steel SIW for under $20. Getting a wheel rebuilt should cost you anywhere between $30-60 if you can reuse your spokes - add another $10-15 is you can't. Get your rear wheel sorted and you're good to go.


m.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy a brand spanking new fixed gear and dont seem to have the technical know how to covert an pre-exisiting bike into one (i would have absolutely no clue how to re-dish a weel; take off a freewhell and set up a chainline). Perhaps I am better off going with a single speed. It seems easier to convert an existing bike into one of those. [although i did go and ride a fixed gear over my lunch break---quite a different experience!]

A bumbike fixie set-up is just as easy to do as a SS.
Albeit a bit less safe.

Enjoy

A bumbike fixie set-up is just as easy to do as a SS.
Albeit a bit less safe.

Enjoy

For a SS, you may still need to worry about chainline. It is a little less critical than on a fixed.

2. Why don't you need a rear brake?

I'm not sure of this, as I haven't really actually tried riding fixed WITH a rear brake, but in my limited experience, having a rear brake with a fixed gear bike could actually prove dangerous--if you were to suddenly squeeze that brake lever really hard, I think you'd probably end up throwing your feet off the pedals and/or ass off the seat. And if you were using toe-clips, which many here are, you might just have a very awkward tumble while connected to the bike.


5. Whats up with the wacky handlebars i've seen on some of your pics--are these speciailly designed for a specific type of riding?-- i'm talking about the one that go straight out and then curve up?

I've been riding with drops on my first fixed gear--an old road bike conversion. I don't like the drops here in the city; there aren't many opportunities between crossstreets to get yourself into a tuck position, and usually, because of traffic, I like to be in a more upright position to see and be seen. Being in the tuck just makes it impossible to see anything when you're moving among a lot of automobiles.


I'm genuinly interested in pursuing the posibility of going with a singlespeed or fixed gear, so i would appreciate serious answers or at least someone kind enought to point me to a website (i've already checked mr. brown's site). I am really looking for an inexpensive, durable bike that is easy to maintain that I can ride for extended periods for the purpoe of mainly exercise and fun. I am very attracted to the simplicity of a singlespeed and I am a bit turned off by all of the snoobery in the road bike culture. Can someone pelase help a newbie out---or at least dont banish me?

One thing that's really nice about having a fixed gear OR singlespeed is the evenly balanced rear wheel, and the even balance of the bike in general. My fixed gear bike is a steel frame, and my geared bike is an old Cannondale, which is not terribly heavy; but what's nice about the fixed bike is that it's more balanced from front to back. I've found that carrying it up and down stairs is just a lot easier.

Good luck with either, and report back once you've gotten into things a bit more.

If you haven't done it give it a shot, odds are you will fall in love with the rest of us.




uh,

er,

mmm,

...

[awkward silence]

uh,

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mmm,

...

[awkward silence]




hahahaha!

So, IOW, all i need to do is find an apropriate size used frame with horizontal drops, strip off the unecssary components, get a new chain, buy a fixed wheel frommy lbs and i'm all set?

pretty much. you should prolly read this too, if you haven't already http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/how-to-fixed-conversion.html

Uh, be aware, though, that a rear wheel with a fixed hub or flip-flop hub or ss hub is NOT cheap. I didn't really realize that until I actually had an old road frame to convert, and decided I didn't want to go through the hassles of re-dishing the wheel it came with.

Oh, but you know, they ARE quite pretty, and that's important!

I guess $100 for a decent fixed/ss rear wheel is a decent amount of $$, but when you compare that to a new pista or iro or something, it's like 1/5 or 1/6 of the cost....

I love my fixie... but I think it would be nice to have a single-speed too (like the Langster I used to have or a LeMond Fillmore).

Sometimes you just want to chill.

Can you order those bullhorn handlebars or are they just cutt off drop bars that are turned upside down???

both, home-made ones are cheaper, and a good way to try 'em out to see if you like the style.

my bullhorns are chopped pista track bars, which i like a lot cause they have a real nice semi-circle shape to them.

uh,

er,

mmm,

...

[awkward silence]



Awesome. Comical typos are the best.

BTW--thanks for everyone's help---the advice you gave was quite useful. I'll keep you updated as to what I decide.

1 more question:

So the difference between a freewheel hub and a track hub with a freewheel is that the freewheel hub has the racheting mechanism built into the hub itself whereas the track hub with a freewheel has the racheting mechanism built into the free wheel? If I find an older bike with a threaded track hub and set it up for fixed gear, do I still need to redish the wheel? I am a little confused on why and when you need to redish the wheel. If there is a way to do this without redishing the wheel I would prefer to do it that way.

1 more question:

So the difference between a freewheel hub and a track hub with a freewheel is that the freewheel hub has the racheting mechanism built into the hub itself whereas the track hub with a freewheel has the racheting mechanism built into the free wheel? If I find an older bike with a threaded track hub and set it up for fixed gear, do I still need to redish the wheel? I am a little confused on why and when you need to redish the wheel. If there is a way to do this without redishing the wheel I would prefer to do it that way.

You're getting stuck on the difference between a track hub and a freewheel hub and a cassette hub. A cassette hub (the modern choice for road / mountain bikes) has the ratcheting mechanism built into the hub. Before those, road bikes had freewheel hubs, which had the ratcheting mechanism built into the freewheel, which threaded onto the hub. An old road bike will have a freewheel hub, and will need to be redished because you need your only cog to be inline with the chainwheel, since you don't have a derailler; they were originally designed so the center cog on a freewheel would line up, but your single cog will be closer to the center of the wheel than that - hence the redishing.

Bleh. I'm not making sense. Go read Sheldon on freewheels vs cassettes - he's WAY better at sense-making than I am! ;)

Just came from there--thouroughly confused. So you are saying nomatter what type of conversion i do, i will need to redish the wheel. Sorry If i sound stupid but this is liek learning a whole new GD language.

Also (probably another dumb ass question), but if the frewheel hubs were originally desinged to be lined up with the center cog, why not just put spacers on either side of the new single cog so that it keeps the original alignment????

Just came from there--thouroughly confused. So you are saying nomatter what type of conversion i do, i will need to redish the wheel. Sorry If i sound stupid but this is liek learning a whole new GD language.

Not exactly. If you want to do fixed, a cassette hub (the modern buy-it-new road wheel) will be useless. To do a cheapo loctite conversion, you'll need to find an old freewheel hub / wheel and redish it; if you buy a new track wheel, that new wheel will already be dished properly.


OK, look at it like this. Imagine the five lines here are the five cogs on an old five-speed freewheel, with the wheel itself being on the far left and the dropout being to the far right of my little diagram:

(w)|||||(d)

The old wheel will be dished by default so that the bold line will line up with the chainwheel in the front. Your one cog, though, is a lot narrower than that 5-cog freewheel, so you need to recenter the wheel so that your cog lines up with the chainwheel in front. To do that, you'll need to swap spacers from one side of the hub to the other in order to bring your cog closer to the right dropout, and you'll almost certainly need to redish the wheel after you move the spacers, or your rim won't be centered anymore.

I know, I'm still not making much sense. I can't figure out how to diagram this with a keyboard... it's late! ;)

Also (probably another dumb ass question), but if the frewheel hubs were originally desinged to be lined up with the center cog, why not just put spacers on either side of the new single cog so that it keeps the original alignment????

That's what you're basically doing - but since the original freewheel hung off the threads so far (it only threaded on under the big cog, and the others sort of hung off over the edge), you need to move spacers on either side of the hub itself, rather than around the cog.

This is actually a lot less hard than it sounds - really, the distance you're moving things is usually well under a centimeter. If you understand how locknuts work, moving the spacers is easy; if you've ever trued a wheel, the redishing is pretty straightforward. It's just a little intimidating until you do it. But once you start messing with the wheel and see how what you move affects how things line up, it'll be pretty self-evident.

thanks, I think i get it.

both, home-made ones are cheaper, and a good way to try 'em out to see if you like the style.
pretty!