Commuting - More on the Redline 925

I took the new Redline 925 out today on it's maiden voyage....about 13 miles, in the cold (20s), with brutal winds! Despite windy Mama Nature almost blowing me over a couple of times, and me sweating through my layers, and fighting with my fogging riding sunglasses, IT WAS FUN!
This bike feels great. Nimble, quick, simple....an absolute pleasure all the way around. And I like the moustache handlebars (wasn't sure about them at 1st, having never used them, but they are super comfortable.) The bike fits me very well; it's completely comfortable. I'm no scientist or designer, but I suspect it's 'geometry' is such that it worked out to be a great fit for me.
Since this is my 1st foray into singlespeed riding as an adult, I was very curious as to how that would work out on certain hills, and on certain flats when I like to really crank. During today's ride it became clear to me that this bike does have limitations, but not because of quality, only because "it is what it is." It's what I suspected: Singlespeeds do require some more out of the saddle muscle on certain hills, and there is also a top speed where in the past I might be inclined to shift gears to get going even faster, but it's just not there. Did those aforementioned points bother me? Not really! I got going plenty fast on this bugger. I wasn't that negatively impacted by those 2 limitations, and for the type of riding I'm doing (mostly urban & suburban commuting/fitness/pleasure) this bike is a great fit. I caught myself chuckling a few times about the fact that there were no shifters. :D Just concentrate on the ride, the scenes, traffic, the next move... NO SHIFTING! ah HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No chain issues!

What gearing are you using? I just built a SS Surly for my commute that's running 48t in front and 20t in the back. I originally thaought the 20t may be too big , but after a couple of weeks of using the bike for my 30mi commute I think it was just right for my route (some hills) here in Austin TX.

I'm not sure what the back one is; the front I believe is a 42. I didn't change anything; I'm using exactly what came with the bike from Redline.

Sheldon has some tech specs on the bike here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/redline-925.html

I'm pretty sure that the fixed cog is a 15, and the freewheel is a 16. That gives a freewheeling 70 inch gear, and a fixed 75 inch gear.

The more I hear about the 925, the more I like it! As I said in your previous thread, I've been a gearophile, but this bike may convince me to make the leap to SS/fixed. As things stand, it's a leading candidate for my next bike. I figure that if I don't like it, I can always install a rear wheel with a Nexus 8-speed hub. I hope I'll like it ;). It's a hot-looking bike

I'm really looking at those too, and still wonder if I can pull off my commute with that gearing.

I guess I could always pick a similar gear on the road bike and try it.

How do you like it as a fixie?

Sheldon has some tech specs on the bike here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/redline-925.html

From that page:

The sealed bearing flip/flop rear hub gives you a choice of fixed gear (you gotta try it, it's way more fun!) or a slightly lower singlespeed freewheel gear for hillier terrain, or for when you're tired and far from home.

This seems like a pretty cool feature - have you tried it out?

I just bought a fixie. Mine doesn't (yet) have any brakes, so I am riding it on the 42/16 fixed gear side of the hub. When I get the brakes on it I will be able to use the 42/18 SS side. From what I've discovered in the past couple days of riding totally fixed though, I think I will stay fixed and not do SS. I *do* need the brake though... it's scary with no brakes!

http://home.comcast.net/~michaelnel/swan_side_800.jpg

For now, I'm riding it as a singlespeed, not a fixed gear. I will try (again) to learn how to ride a Fixie one day, but for now singlespeed is just fine. I'm not sure if I could ride fixed for 16 miles to work. Yesterday, during the 13 mile maiden voyage test ride, I found myself 'resting' a bit inbetween a few stretches of hard pedaling, saying secretly to myself "you know, I LIKE coasting sometimes." ;)

You can still coast with a fixed, you just stop pushing on the pedals and let the pedals push on YOU.

The difference is that your legs and feet keep going around. ;-)

I like the increased feeling of control I get through the pedal back-pressure aspect, especially at low speeds and while stopped (trackstanding).

michaelnel, I'd love to know more about what you think of your new Milwaukee, I've been eyeing those for a while, along with the 925.

More about riding fixed...With a fixed gear, if you find yourself saying "I need a higher gear" when you are going down hill, but then when you go up hill you think "I need a lower gear"...then that means you have the right gear! Seriously though, before I actually got a fixed gear, I used to climb hills on my road bike in high gears to see what it might be like to be stuck in one high gear..it seemed pretty hard. But then when I actually got a fixie, I was surprised how easy it was. For whatever reason, you can push a higher gear a lot easier with a fixed gear than you might expect. I have a single speed mountain bike geared at about 59 gear inches and a fixie geared at 70.2 gear inches, and it feels easier to climb with my fixie, even though its geared higher. It just feels like it develops its own intertia. People argue that fixies are more efficient...maybe thats true to some extent, but I'm convinced a lot of it is just a physical adjustment that your body makes when riding fixed. That feeling of extra inertia comes from my legs, which seem to switch into fixie mode when I'm on my fixie and they just don't stop pushing..its a subconsience adjustment that you just make and your body finds a balance of when to work really hard and when to work at a more relaxed effort. When I get to the base of a hill, I'm usually ready to hammer up it. When I switch to a freewheel bike..my legs just switch into freewheel mode, and they coast more often which forces you to accelerate each time you pedal..which translates into working harder. When climbing, if you coast or relax for even a second you'll totally lose your speed, forccing you to have to accelerate while climing...and thats what wears you out. On the other hand, riding fixed forces you to just keep going. I don't know if other fixies types would describe it that way..but thats my interpretation of it.
When it comes to getting tired, its descending big hills that really wears you out the most..although spining like mad down a hill is kind of fun in its own way. The extra control and the challenge of minimizing hand-brake use (emergencies only!) are the parts that I love the most. Overall though, I don't find riding a fixed gear bike much more tiring that any other setup...I can ride it just as far as I can ride my geared road bike, although my average speed is usually slighly slower due to the more limited top speed. But in terms of actual time its an insignificant difference.

michaelnel, I'd love to know more about what you think of your new Milwaukee, I've been eyeing those for a while, along with the 925.
Glad to discuss it, but I'd rather not hijack this 925 thread. I have a thread about the bike going over in the Singlespeed & Fixed Gear forum.

I'm wondering if I'm doing myself a disservice by not riding fixed for now....

I'm wondering if I'm doing myself a disservice by not riding fixed for now....
Nothing wrong with riding SS. Try fixed if you want to, your bike is all ready for it isn't it? If you don't like it, switch it back.

I got an '08 Redline 925 recently, and I love it! It's a great value for a great quality bike. I rode it for about 2 weeks before flipping the rear hub to make it fixed-gear. I've been learning to ride fixie now for several weeks, and I'm really enjoying the learning curve. I left the front break on, and I use it for quick stops and slowing down on steep hills. Sheldon is right, Fixie is fun! I sometimes find myself daydreaming of when I'll get to ride again, and I find myself going for joyrides like I did when I was 10.

The 925 makes a good fixie. It will go as fast as your legs will take it, and it doesn't feel too unsteady on gravel or uneven roads. I've made some modifications to my 925, and I love that I can do all the work myself, and not have to worry about mysterious derailleurs and such. It's a simple, elegant machine, and a joy to ride.

Two thumbs way up for the Redline 925!

What size did you get? How tall are you?

I live in two cities with a single-speed Cross-Check in one city and an old Raleigh touring bike in the other. I hardly ever shift the Raleigh anymore. Only to go faster down a hill. Up a hill it's like, stay in the higher gear and get it over with. I know the single-speeding has put me in better physical shape.

Loved the 925 when I tried it. Might've bought it but I didn't like the feel or look of the bullhorn bars that were standard on the bike at the time, and the cost of swapping them out was enough to tip me to the SS Cross Check I found on Craigslist. I'm not wild about the look of the mustache bars either but I haven't tried them. Other than the bars I think the 925 is one of the coolest-looking bikes out there.

My Surly has a flip-flop but I'm chicken to try fixed. Not long ago I caught the edge of a pant-leg in my chain (despite having ankle-biters on). I'm thinking I'd have ended up in the hospital if I'd been riding on the fixed side.

I looked at and test rode the 925 while flirting with the idea of getting a FG commuter. I ultimately ended up getting a Mercier Kilo TT pro, mainly for it's tighter geometry. I really had to pull myself away from the 925 though, that green color is just so classy.

I'm thouroughly enjoying riding fixed and the connection I have with the bike.

What size did you get? How tall are you?

I am 6'-2" and got the largest one they made in 2006. IIRC it is a 60cm, but they apparently don't make that size anymore.

Aaron:)

I bought a Redline 925 In November to be my winter commuter.

The number one thing I don't like about the bike is that the frame seems to flex like crazy. I feel like I'm on springs when I go over bumps in the road.

Does anyone else feel this way?

I just got an 09 Redline 925 and I'm enjoying it. At 6'5" tall I stretch the limits of the max frame size, but it's working for me. At first I thought I made a wrong decision and should have gone with the Motobecane Fantom Cross UNO, but I'm liking the Redline so far.