Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - How did you learn to ride F/G??

I'm still a noob, and only have a SS.

I'm holding off until the Kilo Pro arrives (if it does) but am a little worried because I ride a lot of hills.

I use my bike everyday because it's my transportation to work. Some of the hills are BIG and I get some speed goin.

Advice?

flame is coming-

by riding

^^^ Obvious answer, but true. If you want to try and get used to it, ride a friend's fixed gear or just try riding your single speed without coasting. It takes some getting used to (especially around tight corners/hills- for me at least) but then at least you'll have a decent idea of how it should feel when you get a fixed. Oh, and use a front brake to help regulate descending speed.

Umm, just by getting on my bike and doing it. First night I had my first fix, I was bombing hills immediately including a real big one that still sketches me out sometimes (stoplight at the bottom but I started out with a brake).

I'd say it takes a good 2 weeks to a month to fully get used to the not coasting thing without having to think about it, and a good 6 months of doing it straight to the point where it becomes so natural and imprinted on your subconscious that it feels no different than riding a regular bike. At this point in the game, the fixed drivetrain is 100 percent regular to me and I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Well, thanks for the obvious answers : /

But yeah, thanks.

Well, thanks for the obvious answers : /

i mean, c'mon man.

Yes, just get on and ride. Always remember you cannot stop pedalling. It'll only take a couple of times forgetting to make you remember. ;)

When you order your new bike, get the flip-flop hub. Riding a lot of hills on a fixie gets a little tiring, especially if the hills are long. Brakes really help you on the hills; my descents have me tap-tap-tapping the brakes all the way down to scrub speed even while doing ~130rpm.

I rode mine s/s for 3 months and found it did not help much, if any once I changed to Fixed. My friend who builds a fair number of fixed gear bikes wanted me to join him on a flat Century....I flipped over the rear wheel and rode it 3/4 times during the week and went for it. By the end of the 100 miles things started being more "natural". I doubt I will EVER ride it s/s again. My suggestion would be to run a front brake and find a place to ride w/o much traffic for your first efforts - enjoy!

Just ride it FG and it will become natural reaction in time. I don't think I've rode SS since my BMX days before I could drive a car.........and now I'm just not interested in SS enough to install a freewheel and flip the wheel over. Go figure?

At a velodrome when I was twelve.

initially, i rode my brother's fixed gear (w/ front brake) around his neighborhood a few times and enjoyed the feeling of the pedals not allowing you to coast.

My trike was a fixed gear when I was 3. I got used to it then. Granted, I didn't have foot retention.

I trained heavily in a fixed gear simulator, designed similarly to the Boeing 747 simulator for pilots or NASA simulators for astronauts. I quickly mastered every style of riding tarck bikes in a closed environment without enduring bodily harm. Now that I trained in a simulator I can do 5000 foot skids down SF hills... BACKWARDS!

I trained heavily in a fixed gear simulator, designed similarly to the Boeing 747 simulator for pilots or NASA simulators for astronauts. I quickly mastered every style of riding tarck bikes in a closed environment without enduring bodily harm. Now that I trained in a simulator I can do 5000 foot skids down SF hills... BACKWARDS!

Did you train on the XR series or the LX series? I was on the XR, but I had a friend who trained in the LX series and even though he's a great rider, his legs involuntarily lock up into a skid position every week or so. Poor guy, he's already gone through 3 cars, 15 desks and 2 wives...

Training wheels.

Did you train on the XR series or the LX series? I was on the XR, but I had a friend who trained in the LX series and even though he's a great rider, his legs involuntarily lock up into a skid position every week or so. Poor guy, he's already gone through 3 cars, 15 desks and 2 wives...

I actually trained on a super-secret version of the XR that is in a hidden bunker in a non-disclosed location of the world. Sorry!!

I actually trained on a super-secret version of the XR that is in a hidden bunker in a non-disclosed location of the world. Sorry!!

Did you like it? I was quite proud of some of the advancements I'd made in the super-secret XR version. The guys that designed the LX series were total hacks; I had to straighten out so many of their kludges before the super-secret XR version would work properly.

My trike was a fixed gear when I was 3. I got used to it then.

Big wheel?

I thought that this was a trick question.

The only thing I did differently than my other bikes was that I drop the seat more than normal so my knee was never close to being locked. I was afraid of forgetting about the fixed gear and being bucked off. I did it for a day or so. I highly doubt this is correct or if it will help you at all but I was cautious. But that was 5 years ago and before I found this place or knew anyone else who rode fixed.

it takes two minutes to get how the fixed drivetrain works, two weeks to become comfortable riding it in traffic. it's not rocket science-- remember, children learn by riding this type of bicycle..

Here's my real answer:

*gets on fg bike*
Tralalalala, I'm riding my new bicycle!
*tries to coast*
Woah! I won't be doing that again.

~fin~

I have been riding bikes forever. I am 37 years old and I just got my first fixed gear! and you know what it was second nature. When I was young all my bikes where not freewheel, so when i started to venture into the fixed wheel and saw the skidding that everyone does I was like wow that takes me back to being a kid. Anyways skidding and all the good fixed gear stuff was like breathing for me.

By riding (on the streets), with a brake.

Here's my real answer:
*is diagnosed with down syndrome*
*gets on fg bike*
Tralalalala, I'm riding my new bicycle!
*tries to coast*
Woah! I won't be doing that again.

~fin~

fixed.

it takes two minutes to get how the fixed drivetrain works, two weeks to become comfortable riding it in traffic. it's not rocket science-- remember, children learn by riding this type of bicycle..

This should be the FG quote of the century.

fixed.

Force of habit. v:)v

It's pretty straightforward. I've been riding fixed since only this past Tuesday and I'd say I'm adjusted for the most part. Riding slowly through traffic is still a bit awkward feeling because I'm so used to coasting while weaving through stopped cars, but other than a minor incident where I tried to coast while spinning really fast and tweaked my knee, but really it's made out to be alot harder than it really is. If anything, going back to freewheel equipped bike is the weird part once you get used to fixed.

Big wheel?

Naw. I'm way too old to have had a Big Wheel.

Hey,

I just started 3-4 months ago. I kinda predicted from Newton's Mechanics in PHYS101 and kinda blew by. You have to modify your riding position so you can spin and keep high cadence. Rest is all physics. ...

Until of course, you have to skid-stop or hop-over-grading. (You know weighing-unweighing your wheels) I am finding it very difficult especially unweighing my rear tire. I am beginning to think doing this require Jedi training or something.

T

Here's my real answer:

*gets on fg bike*
Tralalalala, I'm riding my new bicycle!
*tries to coast*
Woah! I won't be doing that again.

~fin~

YUP!

Some of the hills are BIG and I get some speed goin.

Advice?



1) install a brake.

2) ride your bike.

3) repeat step 2.

simple, really.

Easy, got a bike and headed for the park. I practiced for about an hour on a dirt road and that was all their was to it. It turns out I didn't need the dirt, never fell; although, it felt strange in the beginning and fun.