Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Learning Curve

Alright, I just got my ** ***** and it had a flip flop hub.

I got it converted with cheap parts, SOMA. So now I have fixed. Riding it around, I almost died a million times.

I flipped over my bars in the parking lot of my dorm.
I flipped over my bars over the speed bumps near the soccer field. Twice.
I hit a stopped car.
I fell numerous times trying to get on.
I smashed my knee trying to coast. 1000 times.
I sacked my self learning how to skid. Enough times to not have children.
I smashed the back of my legs because my feet came off the pedals.

I can say that I think I'm getting better. But the learning curve seems to be very very long, and I just wanted to know if anyone had the same problems starting to ride fixed, and if there are any tips to follow when starting to ride fixed.

Thanks.

Step 1: Install brake.

I still have both breaks on.

Step 1: Install brake.

Step 2: Stop trying to skid.


Just ride around and stop worrying about skidding and all that stuff, it will come naturally at some point.

do you have traps-n-straps on those pedals?

I'm a little confused as to how you've managed to crash so many times already, but keep with it and I'm sure you'll be on top of it soon enough, just don't stop pedaling.

well....are you suggesting I should just ride normally?
I guess I can try that. I ride 2hrs per day, I spent 1hr today in an empty parking garage which was fun.
How long before I stop trying stupid things?

^^missed that other one...
I have the straps folded down for now...Im going to put one on tomorrow and leave the other off..as an emergency. and umm....I dont know how i crashed that much, i only got it done on saturday. sunday was my big day, and i hit that car on the way back from the shop...lol...the speed bumps were sunday evening. and the rest were all the time.

heh... I hadn't even heard of that frame before so I looked it up... if yours look anything like the bike they have on their site I'd imagine those bullhorns are part of the problem... drops would be a lot more forgiving and lead to less endos. but I'm sure you'll get used to what you've got.

not using the straps would definitely make kick-stopping extremely difficult.

holy ****. are you sure you arent secretly filming a national lampoons movie?

I had a bad accident five minutes after getting my first fixed -- tried to coast at about 18 mph, ended up eating pavement.

Once I put toe clips on (and learned immediately how to flip in without coasting), I had a much easier time not coasting. I found that my feet ended up flying off the pedals at the top of the turn without toe clips for the first few days, so my suggestion would be to put them on and immediately get used to them. Since then, I haven't had problems at all.

Find someone who rides fixed to help you along.. LoRok did so for me, showing me the proper way to skid and trackstand and tighten down the traps while riding.

step 1. Flip the wheel to freewheel.

^^missed that other one...
I have the straps folded down for now...Im going to put one on tomorrow and leave the other off..as an emergency.

Is that a joke? One strap?

use the straps and cages. they are your friend. i dont know how you can ride fixed without them. then again you do have both brakes.

my tip: learn to pedal in a circle.
good fixed 101:
http://www.63xc.com/gregg/101_1.htm

It should not be that hard, maybe riding fixed isn't for you. My learning curve was about half a block. If you aren't going to use your clip/strap setup (or go clipless if that's your thing) you should not be riding fixed.

haha...maybe its just the strapless thing...the guy at the shop said practice on that...maybe ive been practicing too much...lol..cause ive been riding flats for 2 days...let me try this again today...RIGHT NOW!...before breakfast and before classes

something is definitely wrong with you. i propose you give up.

Get your inner ear checked...

do you have trouble riding a normal bike in the city?

Get your inner ear checked...

I think it might be that part sandwiched between the inner ears.

Az

don't suck

it took me up and down the block about 5-10 times till i ventured out about 5 miles....

hardest part to get used to, was flipping the second strap on while still moving. now i dont really have to think about it unless i miss ;)

I'm guessing coordination isnt your strong point, so unless you wanna just flip that wheel over keep practicing. and learn to backpedal. it sounds like you're relying on the brakes. (hitting stopped cars)

I think it might be that part sandwiched between the inner ears.

Az

awww, we are so mean, but damn funny...

Alright, lets give the kid a break. Just listen to what everyone said (minus the wisecracks). Forget the skidding. Use your brake. Use your straps. And get some practice in. It will become second nature in no time.

Maybe you should throw a freewheel on the other side just to get used to it.
Or maybe you are riding a bike that is way to big for you. Cause it shouldn't be that hard to get on.

i suggest you sign up for a 24 hour scavenger hunt around your city, that is what i did on the day i got my first fixed. that was the first non-mountain bike i had ridden and the first time in streets. My only problem was almost falling asleep and getting almost bucked off. you need to be one with the bike (hehe) I also had to tow some long-boarders

wear flat shoes ie indoor soccer shoes / slip-ons, something that is not treadless though, you need that to learn to flip your pedals on the fly.

I just started riding fixie not too long ago. My first couple rides were stressful but I think this was largely because I was being more timid than anything else. I was wobbly because I was afraid of picking up speed and not being able to stop. Once I realized that it was probably more dangerous to go slow because of fear of speed than to move at a decent clip but be in more control I was a lot better off.

Might not be applicable to the OP's situation but it helped me get from completely sucking to moderately sucking.

You are the rider out there that scares me.

lol...alright..lets clarify this...i can ride the bike fine...i think ive just been watching too many fixed gear videos...with people skidding down hills, doing wheelies, 180s and going backwards, trackstands...im guessing that comes naturally after time...which is what i wanted to know...I know how to ride the bike fine...i just want to be really good too fast...i hit the car cause i didnt want to use my breaks...lol...i wanted to skid...and i didnt know how...LOL...and the speed bumps...im sure you have always missed a few of those and did something like what I did...

So stop making fun of me for not knowing how to ride...i can do that...I want to slamon skid, 180 to back pedal, pedal backwards, trackstand...LOL...when can i do that stuff?

you can do tricks and stuff once you can actually ride the bike without having to worry about not being able to stop, falling over, loosing the pedals, basic bike things. Tricks are really the least important part of riding a bike, if you want tricks, I suggest get a bmx bike.

bmx bikes are lame...fixed gear is cooler...lol...Ill work my way up there...Ill just ride for a while..and practice that fun stuff for like 30min or something everyday.

I call B.S. on this whole thread

I call B.S. on this whole thread

I wish I could agree. I think this is all too real.

sad this makes me

The saturday before this semester started I got very drunk and rode around campus from 12:30am-4am trying to do tricks. I woke up with many, many cuts and bruises, but I can now do a wheelie! YMMV :)

I call B.S. on this whole thread

+1 you/....fail...at...life

lol...alright..lets clarify this...i can ride the bike fine...i think ive just been watching too many fixed gear videos...with people skidding down hills, doing wheelies, 180s and going backwards, trackstands...im guessing that comes naturally after time...which is what i wanted to know...I know how to ride the bike fine...i just want to be really good too fast...i hit the car cause i didnt want to use my breaks...lol...i wanted to skid...and i didnt know how...LOL...and the speed bumps...im sure you have always missed a few of those and did something like what I did...

So stop making fun of me for not knowing how to ride...i can do that...I want to slamon skid, 180 to back pedal, pedal backwards, trackstand...LOL...when can i do that stuff?


I almost had a seizure reading this post. ****ing tits man, learn to type properly and stop saying LOL so much.

holy ****. are you sure you arent secretly filming a national lampoons movie?

hahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahaha

The saturday before this semester started I got very drunk and rode around campus from 12:30am-4am trying to do tricks. I woke up with many, many cuts and bruises, but I can now do a wheelie! YMMV :)

Yeah well, I got really drunk once and spent the whole night trying to ride a skateboard while wearing rollerskates. I got cuts and bruises all over too but still can't do that ****, or do wheelies. The point is if you're trying to do something you aren't co-ordinated enough to pull off, well, just stop.

When I started riding fixed I was already very comfortable with the bike.. It was a SS and I rode it for a good month before I rode it fixed. That definitely helped. I've thought about this some and here is my basic advice to a new fixed rider:

1) ride the bike SS for a few days first if possible; get used to the handling of the bike
2) Make sure you can already use the clips or clipless pedals, and you MUST have these when you start riding fixed. It isn't just for skidding or stopping; your are very likely to "forget to pedal" at a high speed and this will help keep your feet on the pedals and keep the pedals out of your shin/leg. If you can't use your foot fastener SS don't ride fixed until you can.,
3) don't remove the rear brake just because the bike is fixed. a new fixed rider must demonstrate the ability to stop the bike with pedals before taking the rear brake off; IMHO (flame on)
4) under no circumstance remove the front brake unless you have ridden fixed for a significant time.

From then, I don't know. The hardest part for me was learning to start from a stop. Perhaps you want the seat a little lower to start so you can put your foot down on both sides while on the saddle. Do this just long enough until you can start and stop. Of course, as you are riding don't stop pedaling. This will haunt you when you switch from freewheel/fixed but over time your legs become supple when you forget to pedal, at least mine did.. I ride every day for transport, and it took me about 2-3 hours of riding fixed to feel very comfortable on the bike(with front/rear brakes). It took me another week to develop the natural feeling of always pedaling, but at that point if I got up to speed and started to coast my legs would be supple and ready to spin and it wasn't a problem.

Just keep at it, you'll get it

Yeah well, I got really drunk once and spent the whole night trying to ride a skateboard while wearing rollerskates. I got cuts and bruises all over too but still can't do that ****, or do wheelies. The point is if you're trying to do something you aren't co-ordinated enough to pull off, well, just stop.

sigh.. I can't believe I actually put thought into my last post..

In a strange way I'm jealous of your tenacity to learn these tricks, and I know it is the type of person who is willing to risk teeth and limb that can do the really sick ****.

I for one can do a mediocre skid and track wobble. Although this thread did just remind me of a dream I had last night where I could ride in a circle backwards.. heh

i want to say troll, partly because of all the LOLing goin on up there. but in the case that you are serious...

did the guy at the bike shop really tell you to try the strapless thing? strapless is for bras, not bikes. and maybe bros. anyway, put them on. if you're going to be trying all these tricks and such this early on, i hope you wear a helmet. if not, get one when you get your straps. don't skid everytime you need to slow down, pay attention to whats ahead of you and resist, most of the time this will be fine. if you really want to do tricks right away, work on trackstands, they are actually useful to riding, unlike a 180 skid to pedal backwards.

don't get me wrong, tricks can be fun but riding is more fun and there is always something about your riding that you can improve. have fun.

edit: i wish i could do a backwards circle. i'm getting there.

I got my Pista 3 years ago with clipless pedals and a brake on it, and had absolutely no problems. It probably helped that I did this while on a huge road trip somewhere in DC, so I learned somewhere perfectly flat, and also that I had many years of serious cycling behind me.

Alright...this was a drunken post. But yes, I did take the recommendations and have started using the straps. They help alot. I think the store guy told me to not use straps for maybe the first 10 minutes but I must have forgotten. If you dont believe me in hitting and falling that much its okay, I did do most of that, like hit a car, flip over the bars on the speed bumps, smash my knees ect.

I just realised that it will take alot longer than a few days to get riding backwards, and wheelies and slalom skids, and 180s and such. Sorry for wasting everyones time, Im just going to practice and see what comes. I am also going to talk to the person who installed my fixed cog and lock ring. He rides 52-13, and has been riding for a while. Maybe he can give me tips.

Thanks again for your recommendations, keep them coming if you wish.

some people pick it up faster than others, I don't see a need to rag on the guy... although I have to admit the guy does seem like the Buster Keaton of fixed-gears. Still, learning to crash well is... uh... a good skill.

Chrysptera's advice seems decent to me. I was aided in riding my first fixed by the fact that it was a bike I'd already spent 40 hours a week on for a year that was supernaturally stable on its own, getting used to the way the bike handles as a singlespeed might be a good plan. Personally I'd probably focus on using the front brake and fixed-drive as your primary means of stopping for now (mostly the front brake, in conjunction with the drivetrain when necessary... done properly it probably won't even be necessary to do any skidding for now).

You might've said this, but what've you got for your chainring and cog on this thing? Gearing makes a huge difference that shouldn't be overlooked... the guys in those videos almost certainly have their ratios down pat for the "tricks" they're doing...

ah, another post in the meantime...

52 x 13? Are you sure about that?

When I was working I ran 45 x 13 with a sissy brake which I found pretty ideal... stopping that thing without the brake got mighty hairy sometimes... it was simpler to go around obstacles and avoid stopping.

wow....this is almost like the fixie bike gymnastics version of tadashi. please keep posting! (and don't hurt yourself, or cars)

@tinydr: Yes, He told me 52 x 13. It looks right too. Biggest mother I've seen in the front and smallest little guy in the back. Says he gets 1xx odd inches per pedal. Its nuts, and its in Halifax, which is pretty hilly.

@generalposters: I've been practicing again. I don't even use my breaks anymore. I'm not going to take them off or anything, but I can say that I use them much less often than when I started. I have also improved greatly since I started using the toe straps, but I had to adjust the peg on the bottom to flip up the pedal. I also need to get new straps because these are ruining my shoes. No more injuries yet. But bruises are coming up everywhere, from trying to skid stop. Im going to stop that soon, and learn a more controlled way to do it with out smashing my knees on the frame.

He told me 52 x 13. It looks right too. Biggest mother I've seen in the front and smallest little guy in the back. Says he gets 1xx odd inches per pedal.

Don't be like that guy.

Please feed my distaste for humanity by telling me he rides brakeless.

@tinydr: Yes, He told me 52 x 13. It looks right too. Biggest mother I've seen in the front and smallest little guy in the back. Says he gets 1xx odd inches per pedal. Its nuts, and its in Halifax, which is pretty hilly.

@generalposters: I've been practicing again. I don't even use my breaks anymore. I'm not going to take them off or anything, but I can say that I use them much less often than when I started. I have also improved greatly since I started using the toe straps, but I had to adjust the peg on the bottom to flip up the pedal. I also need to get new straps because these are ruining my shoes. No more injuries yet. But bruises are coming up everywhere, from trying to skid stop. Im going to stop that soon, and learn a more controlled way to do it with out smashing my knees on the frame.

are you hitting the top of your leg on the frame? Or are you hitting the bars?

...from trying to skid stop. Im going to stop that soon, and learn a more controlled way to do it with out smashing my knees on the frame.

yeah, you need to practice your depth perception. riding brakeless is an art. you can not rely on skids, as emergency situations wont even allow it. Skipping is a useful tool. But moreso is common sense, like knowing how fast you're going and how long it will take you to backpedal to a stop. Eventually after riding about 1000 miles brakeless you get your spider sense too, which tells you when *******s are gonna cut you off or open their doors in front of you. Spider sense is nice, but if you have to ask, you dont have it....

dude don't have kids and you should probably stop riding a bike immediately