Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - An honest question, about messengers and fixies

This is an honest question. I'm not trolling or looking to be flamed, scout's honor.

Why do messengers ride fixed gear bikes? I've been thinking about this and I'm honestly curious. The engineer in me wonders why, when the object of the job is to deliver as many packages, in as little time, to make as much money as possible, the messenger does not choose a geared bike. When speed is the name of the game, a geared bike just seems like the better choice. Perhaps call it: "choosing the right tool for the job at hand".

I hope not too many people will argue that a geared bike ridden at the same intensity level will be faster than a fixie.

So far, the possible reasons reasons I've come up with are:
1) Culture. I feel this is likely the overriding reason. For whatever reason, fixed gears became popular with the messenger crowd, and it would be hard for a messenger to go against convention and ride a geared bike.
2) Maintenance / cost of ownership. Whether due to the average messenger's relatively meager pay, or the abuse the bike may endure, the simplicity, low cost, and low maintenance of a fixed gear bike is desireable.

That's about all I've got. Any oppinions?

Mac

There's always reliability/simplicity. It's amazing how many battles will be won by way of Occam's Razor.

not all messengers ride fixies dude.

control in hairball traffic. "zen" or whatever. connectedness...i dunno, i like fixed for that reason.

plus, you're out in all weather...no loss of brake power in rain and snow. i rode with a girl in portland who had a track bike, but never dragged it out for work. i thought she was silly. especially when it would get hairy during the rainy season and she would experience no brakes on a freewheel due to her rims being wet.

I hope not too many people will argue that a geared bike ridden at the same intensity level will be faster than a fixie.



Not always, but in many cases yeah. Keep in mind that a well built fixie can be very light and have very little drivetrain drag (yes the difference is noticeable)

They probably make working really fun too. Which could lead to motivation while on the job, and that could keep a messenger from maybe getting hit. A lot of the guys I know that ride track bikes are really, really motivated riders. Which is totally awesome. When you are all about riding your bike and having fun, getting out there everyday and making a living is a lot easier. Of course... this is most likely the case with any bike.

But yea, all the reasons stated previously would be my guess. Simplicity (not just in design, but also in the fact that they are usually faster to take care of on the road), low-cost, ect.

This has little bearing on why choosing the simplest bike for a job in which you ride up to 10 hours a day is the best option, however in a sprint a rider on a track bike, even one not geared at a sprinter's preferred gear inches, can beat a road bike. For example, at NACCC '06, Zak, a messenger on a 25 year old track bike, beat Adam Ford, a seasoned racer (and former messenger),who was on his Ti/Carbon IF Crown Jewel. Now, I'm going to guess that in a road race Zak would probably lose, but we are talking about short trips between buildings as part of the messenger job, and a rush job is similar to the sprint situation I've described. An experienced and determined rider of any bike will be fast and whether or not a road bike would be more efficient or faster on days of inclement weather often doesn't diminish the reliability of fewer parts and a direct connection with the road.

A run is what? 2-3 miles? That's around 40-60 city blocks round trip? For the same price, you can get a much lighter bike, a much lower maintainence bike, and a much more efficient bike in a fixie/SS. Plus less people wanna steal it cause it's worth less. There is a lot of constant slowing down and accelerating at intersections and the efficiency allows you to take off real fast and the track geometry allows it to be really nimble. Put it this way, when you need to go really fast for a really long time, you'd want something like a M5, if you wanna be zipping in and out of traffic all day, you'd want a miata.

95% of messengers i see ride mountain bikes.

very true, especially in nyc. and after that, I see more messengers riding road bikes than fixed gears

It doesn't really make that much of a difference. All you really gotta do is make the lights (or run them), have a efficient route, and know the buildings. You wouldn't really go all out, all day long. You'd get too stressed out. Besides, if the dispatching is good, you'd rarely ride more than maybe 6 blocks at a time. Besides, it's a job. Ride what you like to ride. Most people don't realize that you spend as much time off the bike as on it, and the job isn't just riding your bike all day.

Here most messengers who work hard and try to make a lot of money have multiple bikes, which usually includes fixed and road.

There's a lot more to clean on a road bike too.

This is the reason I and guys I came up with rode track bikes as messengers.

1. Its fun!

2. Maintenance is easy and easy to get stuff fixed.

3. Easy to ride in and with the flow of traffic.

4. Easy the control when somebody jumps in front of you.

5.During bad weather , see 1-4 as it applies.

6. During that time, Majority rules.

S/F,
CEYA!

cause the difference tween geared bike vs a trackbike on big open streets in the flatlands speed wise is like zero unless your some rookie that doesnt have any legs yet, in which case it wont matter what your on, the veterans will destroy you anyway

cause when the weather goes to sheot rim brakes get to be almost worthless and Ive seen gears quit working

peer pressure doesnt have anything to do with it, most of us are type A personalities, we do what we want, people tend to follow or mimic us LOL

and lastly, being a messenger means learning how to ride a bike, and ride one well, and a trackbike allows you to do things you cant do on any other bike, and show off your skills while doing it--> the fun factor, being on a bike all day that you dont like sucks more than bad weather

here locally there's nobody on mtb's in good weather, about 9 or 10 of us on fixed, rest road, maybe 4 or 5 roadie riders

I know when I first started, alot of the things guys were doing made no sense to me, why use only one gear, dont your legs get tired, isnt it more work? Yes its a bit more work, but no your legs dont get tired, after a few months doing 60 miles a day 5 days a week it becomes nothing but business as usual. Rec riders tend to never ride enough to ever get a really good pair of legs under them, so its hard to understand what riding a fixed is really like.

When speed is the name of the game, a geared bike just seems like the better choice. Perhaps call it: "choosing the right tool for the job at hand".

YOU CHOOSE WHAT TOOL YOU NEED FOR THE JOB. IF IT IS A TRACK, ROAD OR MOUNTAIN BIKE. THE ENDSTATE IS TO GET THE JOB DONE IN THE ALLOWED TIME.


I hope not too many people will argue that a geared bike ridden at the same intensity level will be faster than a fixie.

AS STATED BEFORE IT IS THE RIDER NOT THE BIKE THAT PRODUCES THE INTENSITY OF THE RIDE.

So far, the possible reasons reasons I've come up with are:
1) Culture. I feel this is likely the overriding reason. For whatever reason, fixed gears became popular with the messenger crowd, and it would be hard for a messenger to go against convention and ride a geared bike.

YES , TODAY ITS TRUE BUT IT WAS TIME FOR THE TRACK BIKE TO COME BACK TO THE SCENE AND IT CAME WITH A BLAST.


2) Maintenance / cost of ownership. Whether due to the average messenger's relatively meager pay, or the abuse the bike may endure, the simplicity, low cost, and low maintenance of a fixed gear bike is desireable.

TRUE. ASK THE OWNER WHY HE/SHE CHOSE TO RIDE A TRACK/FIXED WHEELED BIKE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO ASK.

THESE WERE HONEST ANSWERS.

S/F,
CEYA!

Oh, also in extreme cold (like colder than -10F), my freewheel starts skipping and coasting in both directions.

iv seen gear shifter problems and brake malfunctions put my co-workers out of a days work.
they werent happy at all,
i have never come accross any problems with my fixie that have put me out of a days work
im glad i ride one for work
i find it easier to control and you spend less time NOT pedaling so it certainly feels like im doing more on a fixie per day than i did on a free-wheel which is handy for earning more money and doing more runs.
i kno many people who work on roadbikes and hardtail mtn bikes so each to their own

can we make a section on BF for messengers? fixed/ss doesn't = messenger.

Cass it's useless to try to ignore the messenger influence on the fixed bike scene. No one else will, so it's best they at least get the straight dope from messengers that like fixed/ss well enough to hang around here.

OP among messengers it's a small minority that ride fixed/track on the street most because they enjoy it but the benefits are there to. Ceya mentions they're quickneasy to maintain and that's the gospel. I've done years of each, geared and fixed, and even for meticulous freaks with tools & rags in their bags for tweaking & polishing the ride on standby, (been there) courier work is hard on your ride. It's all the on & off, the locking in less than ideal places, less than ideal pavement & no choice about it, you go over it. Fixed gears are way less work. A nice internal hub & other specialized set-ups can rival the ease with which a fixie can be maintained, but not beat it.

It boils down to preference, the very large benefit I went into above & for some, weather. They do very well in snow.

I don't think it could be speed, no chance really. I've beaten too many riders who were & are definitely faster & better than me, but my road bike leveled the playing field. It takes a really, really good fixie rider to defeat road bikes in a straight sprint.

not all messengers ride fixies dude.

+10000

can we make a section on BF for messengers? fixed/ss doesn't = messenger.

I BF needs all it's categories revamped. I love road cycling but majority of the guys in there are weekend riders who only ride for the exercise, or are racers. And they hate you if you don't have the newest gear set up like theirs. I "commute" but everyone in commutting are super extreme about it, riding 40 miles a day to work and whatnot. I don't even have a fixie yet but at least the guys here are more open minded and stuff (and usually in their 20's, which probably makes a difference), so I'm here more and more.

Correct me if I'm wrong but messengers with fixies seem to be close to the majority in Portland, followed by road and mountain bikes (possibly converted to single speed).

I don't even have a fixie yet


LEAVE.

I have better control with a fixed
It is flat in my town and traffic is a pain so sprinting in one gear is easiest
Shifting confuses me
Less stuff to steal
Trackstanding at lights saves a little time
Better traction in the rain (I control the rear wheel completely so if I feel it slip I slow it to get a grip)
Cost

fixed gear bikes and messengers...blah, blah, blah... yawn.

really, why do you ponder this stuff?

we're talking about the greatest fashion accesory since Louis Vuiton started making hand bags.

LEAVE.

Wth? I just sold my digital camera to buy a fixie hub. Trying to decide which one.

*******.

he was kidding

we're talking about the greatest fashion accesory since Louis Vuiton started making hand bags.

ok sir here is your 10% discount on your mcdonald's coffee and senior breakfast plate do you need any help to your car?

get your power chair outta the bike lane man

and really we need to stop the redoric and ride

Wth? I just sold my digital camera to buy a fixie hub. Trying to decide which one.

*******.

On a budget = Formula
Money flowing like water = Phil Wood or Dura Ace

I know that when mess'ed (last summer, NYC) there weren't too many people out on fixies or track bikes. Damn near everyone I saw had either a mountain bike, or a single-speed... I was one of like maybe 8 messengers who took the SI ferry, most of them rode single-speeds, or mountain bikes...

I know I didn't see EVERYONE, but you got to know alot of the faces who worked the same areas. And while there were definitely some out there on fixed, myself included, SS definitely seemed to dominate.
EDIT:
As for myself, I rode my fixie every day bar one, when it was in the shop and I took my geared MTB out- just wasn't as fun. Felt like I had to work harder to get the same amount of work done. It wasn't really decked out for "urban" riding though, wide-ass risers and qr's on everything, so I was also ****storm paranoid every time I had to leave it outside for a moment.

There's always reliability/simplicity. It's amazing how many battles will be won by way of Occam's Razor.

And yet you'll lose every war with it.

proof: this thread.

q.e.d.

I'm not a messenger, but I do have a fixie. I also have a geared bike. Once in a while, after work I'll ride to downtown Sacramento and catch the bus home after stopping at a few bike shops and getting a pint or a cup of coffee (but never a pint of coffee).

On those days I'd rather have my fixie than my geared bike. In traffic at low speeds, it's much more controlable. It has better accelleration because with one gear, I always know exactly how the bike will respond when I stand on the pedals. And if I need to take to the sidewalk for whatever reason, I can ride at a pedestrian pace and still have complete control over my speed.

Because the bike has fewer parts hanging off of it, it's far easier to lock and handle in non-riding situations. I don't need to worry about bending a derailleur hanger if I lean it against a post or use a poorly designed bike rack.

And finally, I like to think that the de-badged, generic looking rattlecan painted bike, while beautiful to me, might not appeal to your typical crackhead bike thief because it's not a 27 speed Cannondale with full suspension.

This is an honest question. I'm not trolling or looking to be flamed, scout's honor.

Why do messengers ride fixed gear bikes?
So far, the possible reasons reasons I've come up with are:
1) Culture. I feel this is likely the overriding reason. For whatever reason, fixed gears became popular with the messenger crowd, and it would be hard for a messenger to go against convention and ride a geared bike.
2) Maintenance / cost of ownership. Whether due to the average messenger's relatively meager pay, or the abuse the bike may endure, the simplicity, low cost, and low maintenance of a fixed gear bike is desireable.

That's about all I've got. Any oppinions?


Mac


#2

There isn't anything a fixed can do that a geared bike can't do except reverse, and that takes a LOT of practice to do at all with never a practical benefit. Accelerating from stop, a geared bike is faster in the hands of a competent rider. A geared road bike has no less control that a fixed gear at any speed.

Beyond reliable simplicity & personal preference, a fixed gear has no particular advantage over a geared bike. That's not a popular sentiment around here, but I don't particularly care. I'd rather appreciate something for what it is. Anything else makes a body look silly.

If it bugs anyone that a fixed gear isn't as fast a sprinter, can't attack a hill as well, cannot corner as well and, if brakeless, cannot stop as quickly, then maybe they've got the wrong ride. Take them for what they are, there are so many other, better things we need to deceive ourselves about in this ****ed up world. Life is complicated, fixed gears aren't.

actually I know a messenger here in San Francisco that can do backwards cirles on his geared bike.

The issue of fixed gear bikes stopping better in the rain is a moot point when you are running disc brakes on a geared bike.

In my opinion, the ultimate (and unaffordable) messenger bike would be disc equipped road frame with a rohloff internal disc hub, disc front.



There isn't anything a fixed can do that a geared bike can't do except reverse, and that takes a LOT of practice to do at all with never a practical benefit. Accelerating from stop, a geared bike is faster in the hands of a competent rider. A geared road bike has no less control that a fixed gear at any speed.

Beyond reliable simplicity & personal preference, a fixed gear has no particular advantage over a geared bike. That's not a popular sentiment around here, but I don't particularly care. I'd rather appreciate something for what it is. Anything else makes a body look silly.

If it bugs anyone that a fixed gear isn't as fast a sprinter, can't attack a hill as well, cannot corner as well and, if brakeless, cannot stop as quickly, then maybe they've got the wrong ride. Take them for what they are, there are so many other, better things we need to deceive ourselves about in this ****ed up world. Life is complicated, fixed gears aren't.

he was kidding

thank you. i thought about using a smily, but i'm not big on emoticons. i just left it vague.

I may not understand the issue, but I can stop faster than a brakeless fixed in any weather with just one rim brake up front. I can stop faster than a fixed gear with a brake if I'm on a geared bike with 2 rim brakes, in any weather. Rim brakes that stop working in bad weather may need to be maintained a little better.
Anyone that claims rim brakes can't be reliable in rain needs to put DOWN the steel polished rims & dryrot pads on the $100 ten year old beater and join us here in the new century where we can show them how to run a brake that works.

I BF needs all it's categories revamped. I love road cycling but majority of the guys in there are weekend riders who only ride for the exercise, or are racers. And they hate you if you don't have the newest gear set up like theirs. I "commute" but everyone in commutting are super extreme about it, riding 40 miles a day to work and whatnot. I don't even have a fixie yet but at least the guys here are more open minded and stuff (and usually in their 20's, which probably makes a difference), so I'm here more and more.


I agree with every thing said above. I'm glad that this forum and C&V are here.

I may not understand the issue, but I can stop faster than a brakeless fixed in any weather with just one rim brake up front. I can stop faster than a fixed gear with a brake if I'm on a geared bike with 2 rim brakes, in any weather. Rim brakes that stop working in bad weather may need to be maintained a little better.
Anyone that claims rim brakes can't be reliable in rain needs to put DOWN the steel polished rims & dryrot pads on the $100 ten year old beater and join us here in the new century where we can show them how to run a brake that works.

shea right, what? you stop every few minutes and knock the ice and snow off your brakes so you can stop LOL?

same deal in the rain, Ive tried all sorts of pads, nothing but alloy rims, ya, they work in the rain, barely

ya, they work in the rain, barely

Then you need to find yourself a decent mechanic since you apparently lack the competency to set them up yourself. Modern pads combined with any decent brakes should be enough to lock up either wheel without that much effort in the wet. When set up by someone who knows what they are doing the modern brake/rim COF should degrade less then the tire/asphalt one in response to rain.

I want a pic of you locking up the front in the rain

do you even ride, if so how much, cause I know a ton of guys that do and not a single one thinks rim brakes are very good in the rain unless its just a minor little sprinkle, and in the snow and ice they are a serious problem

I want a pic of you locking up the front in the rain


uhhh no! The point is with a decent brake I have more power then I need. In fact I have an even greater excess of braking power then I do when it's dry because of the relations between aforementioned COFs. Sure disks are better but good rim brakes with proper pads are more then adequate.

Your uninformed assertions here also greatly undermine previous assertions you have made about the durability of a rim brakes system. It is clear you either are a crappy mechanic or are willing to twist reality to help you rationalize your poor choices.

once again, do you freakin ride? and if so how much?

dude I can doa sstand up skid (standing just over the saddle) and stop shorter than my friends shiny high carbon road bike which he ride for work.. it is a matter of where your weight is when you stop the rear wheel that is all I can stop in 12feet goin 20~25mph this way it is dificult it take technique and it also takes a low gear

its like a skip without the hopping

I can stop in 12feet goin 20~25mph this way it is dificult it take technique and it also takes a low gear

I'm calling bull**** on this.

pedex. I ride 50-300miles a week. I have been riding mroe seriously than most since I was very young. Not that any claim I make has any real meaning on an internet forum but I think anyone with much experience here can clearly see you either are not used to riding with decent brakes or simply lie to yourself to justify riding brakeless.

Rim brakes are not ideal in wet weather but with good pads even calipers will suffer less from the wet then your tire will. That is all you need. If you are inexperienced enough to not believe that properly setup linear pulls won't lock up a front wheel on asphalt I am sorry that you lack the skill to truly get the most out of your bike. Maybe it's time you gave brakes another chance. Perhaps you can take a class at a bike coop or something to learn how to properly set up your brakes so they can work worry free for a thousand miles and give you the power you need.

This dutret fellow seems like he does ride quite a bit

yo dutret flat gorund dry pavement sticky racing tires and 69gi oh not to mention being a big ox riding the thing now this is my oh **** I am gunna die manuever otherwise I just slow my rpms down nice and easy I live in a flat spot so this isn't a feat by far if I lived in a hilly are I would have a break and probably a three speed

I have four bikes. Three of them I ride at work, and the other is for touring. The fractional split-up on the job is something like 5% road bike, 5% fixed beater (when it rains), and 90% track bike. I lose maybe a couple of seconds on the rush deliveries on fixed (which is debatable since most delivery times are based on ability to route and time lights, not flat-out speed). Why do I sacrifice these precious seconds and milliseconds in my frenetic, commission-based quest to shove as many deliveries as possible into nine short hours? Easy: I love every single day I get paid to ride my track bike around downtown. The fun factor wins out every morning unless the weather looks nasty, or I was stupid the night before and drank a bit too much. Love what you do, simple as that.

There isn't anything a fixed can do that a geared bike can't do except reverse, and that takes a LOT of practice to do at all with never a practical benefit. Accelerating from stop, a geared bike is faster in the hands of a competent rider. A geared road bike has no less control that a fixed gear at any speed.

Beyond reliable simplicity & personal preference, a fixed gear has no particular advantage over a geared bike. That's not a popular sentiment around here, but I don't particularly care. I'd rather appreciate something for what it is. Anything else makes a body look silly.

If it bugs anyone that a fixed gear isn't as fast a sprinter, can't attack a hill as well, cannot corner as well and, if brakeless, cannot stop as quickly, then maybe they've got the wrong ride. Take them for what they are, there are so many other, better things we need to deceive ourselves about in this ****ed up world. Life is complicated, fixed gears aren't.

I Agree. And I would add that another of the touted advantages of a track bike for a messenger, that you can do a track stand at a stop and not have to put your foot down, is far outweighed by the fact that you can't go around corners fast on a fixie because of risk of pedal strikes. Besides, messengers don't stop, so they would rarely even need to track stand.

yo dutret flat gorund dry pavement sticky racing tires and 69gi oh not to mention being a big ox riding the thing now
just doing the math in my head I think 25-0 in 12 feet means substantially over 1g. If you found a rear tire sticky enough to perform that well I want to know about it. Presuming you did have such a miracle tire you would have to be apply many times your body weight to the cranks in order to keep the wheel locked up.

It just isn't possible to stop that fast for many reasons.