Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - What's the attraction of a fixed gear bike?

As I look through the posts and see pictures of folk's bikes and the "Malachi" post, I see a lot of fixed gear bikes. Not having ridden one since I was 12 (45 yrs ago) I am having trouble understanding the attraction. Can someone explain it to me?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=241855&highlight=lure+bikes+gear+fixed

Simplicity. No brakes, no shifters, no derailleurs. Nothing but you connected to the bike. Course, I don't have one....yet

I've never quite understood the attraction either. However, in fairness I must admit I've never riden one (except tricycles when I was a kid). I think it has alot to do with the "minimalistic" nature. One of these days I'll give it a try, I'm sure.

As I look through the posts and see pictures of folk's bikes and the "Malachi" post, I see a lot of fixed gear bikes. Not having ridden one since I was 12 (45 yrs ago) I am having trouble understanding the attraction. Can someone explain it to me?

They're "cool". Same reason people wore polyester leisure suits in the 70s. Makes about as much sense. There's a reason people stop riding them when they move to bikes with two wheels, instead of three.

When you were 12, was it a fixed gear bike or just a single-speed that you rode? (fixed gear can't coast, single speed with coaster brake can).

I have been assured in all sincerity that with a fixed-gear bike, zen and perpetual motion will pull you up the hills. I am skeptical, as it doesn't seem to do that on a unicycle.

either its because you are young and think it's trendy or its mid life crisis... ;)

They're "cool". Same reason people wore polyester leisure suits in the 70s. Makes about as much sense. There's a reason people stop riding them when they move to bikes with two wheels, instead of three.

People can have different tastes. It happens. Is it so inconceivable that someone might prefer to ride a different kind of bike than you?

Yeah, fixed gears are trendy now, but people have been riding them for a long time. There's a niche for FG, some people honestly like them, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I don't have a fixed gear bike either, but a guy I know just bought one. He said that there's a lot of training value in riding a fixed gear because you have to pedal constantly. It helps build your power up hill, and your form going down hill. I've also heard people say that it's fun - you just ride (you don't have to think about shifting and breaking), and you feel more connected to the road.

Well, might as well contribute something to the thread...

http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

I do not myself ride a fixed gear bicycle, but I understand why some may like it.

so how do you control speed going down hill, just keep pedalling?

I use my front brake, or back pressure on the pedals. As to why I like fixed.....it's fun, it's minimalist, simple abd hard to break. No one wants to steal it, because of it being fixed, with egg beater pedals, and I get better training from it, since I have to pedal all the time. Also, try a trackstand with a freehub.

so how do you control speed going down hill, just keep pedalling?Put back pressure on the pedals...push on the rearward pedal rather than the front. The crank and pedals keep moving, of course, but you slow them down. If you push hard enough, you could lock your rear wheel, I guess, and wouldn't that be fun?

Or, if you forget and try to coast, you can also get tossed over the bars. :p
Put back pressure on the pedals...push on the rearward pedal rather than the front. The crank and pedals keep moving, of course, but you slow them down. If you push hard enough, you could lock your rear wheel, I guess, and wouldn't that be fun?

Or, if you forget and try to coast, you can also get tossed over the bars. :p

That's the kind of fun I'm talkin' bout:twitchy:

I wouldn't mind a cool fixie.

I ride fixed because it's fun and I like skidding. I have learned to control my urge to skid when I am in a close group though. People tend to overreact a little.

As I look through the posts and see pictures of folk's bikes and the "Malachi" post, I see a lot of fixed gear bikes. Not having ridden one since I was 12 (45 yrs ago) I am having trouble understanding the attraction. Can someone explain it to me?

It's retro, but then a car with a stick shift and no synchromesh would be as well, until you miss a shift and drop the tranny in the middle of the street.:notamused:

Pros: Simpler mechanically, cleaner look.
Cons: Hard on the knees, no breaks from pedalling, much easier to turn your shin in hamburger if you slip off a pedal. No ability to downshift on hills.

I can see it having a big attraction for a teen to 20 something wanting to train for either professional racing, or Olympic cycling events. For an over weight, 40 something with questionable knees (like me), I can't really see it, unless the orthopaedic surgeon who is going to do your knee replacement is "hot".:D

If you have an old bicycle frame, then I could see doing a fixed gear, as parts would be cheaper, as you can skip the cassette, RD, FD, shifters, rear brake. Although a Single speed with a rear coaster brake would have much the same benefits, without giving quite as much knee trouble.... As for me, I like having multiple gears, being able to down-shift for ascents and up-shift for descents. Which I like to do for rollers, shift into a high gear, and pedal like mad going downhill, and let momentum carry you most of the way up the next one. Except in this city, some idiot traffic planner usually put an all way stop sign at the bottom, so you need to ride the rear brake all the way down, then use your 17 gear inch double granny, on the way up.:giver:

I tried it for about 10 seconds, did something weird to my knee trying to backpedal. I get it...I have enough trouble just staying alive everytime I ride - don't need another thing to think about :lol:

flat commute, form work, endurance work, quiet. Love your knees, use brakes. I also don't worry chaining up anywhere I want. As Tom said, most people won't far on clipless fixed.

as for the rumor you can just climb hills easier? It seems to be true, commuting anyway. I don't mind hills as much on the fixed ride.

...still waiting for my new crank/Chainring combo to come in. Blew a spoke on a 33 mph downhill descent(sp) and the BB needed work anyway.

I digress...

FWIW, I use it to commute around Campus, and frankly, I have a lot more control on the wet, for example. Absolute control and feel for the road, as well. If you ride a fixed correctly, with proper form, it will strengthen your knees and give you MAMMOTH quads and less underdevelopment of the adductors as a little fringe benefit.

The cardio benefits are incredible as well, since you can ride at a lower intensity and get the same cardio burn from not being able to stop pedaling. You can also kick the intensity up a LOT higher as well. It really doesn't take long to get used to, either. I'm already pretty confident, and am now quick enough already to outrun auto traffic through campus, and hold with the traffic on State Street. I'm developing a faster, smoother cadence as well and can hold a 120 or higher cadence for short bursts without bouncing in the saddle now. :ED

When you were 12, was it a fixed gear bike or just a single-speed that you rode? (fixed gear can't coast, single speed with coaster brake can).

You're right, it wasn't a fixed gear, it was a single-speed Schwinn with a banana seat. It was awesome and I rode it everywhere and had a paper route for four years and rode it every day.


People can have different tastes. It happens. Is it so inconceivable that someone might prefer to ride a different kind of bike than you?

I was not making a value judgment, I was trying to learn. Why do people around here have to be so condescending and nasty?

3 words: flip . . . flop . . . hub : )

really, it's fun to ride fixed, though i do it with brakes and a road geometry. for longer rides, i flip it over to the single speed

i think the only reason it helps me up hills is because i know if i loose cadence then i won't get it back!

a single speed mountain bike may just be the most fun you can have on 2 wheels! they are geared much lower than a road bike (obviously) and that usually means you pedal out shortly after a flat begins (or downhill) but i seem to enjoy the ride much more : ) not worried about gears

I tried it as a skeptic , but if Sheldon Brown said it was worth trying.....
Well I now have a dedicated F/G bike and built a beater one to loan friends willing to try. One short test ride is not enough to get over the strange feel. But after you ride one for a week, you find yourself hooked.
As for myself, I use brakes (my first one was set up with a suicide hub) . Riding fixed the first commute made me aware of how much I did just coast. I have also learned to keep myself smooth even at very high RPM. I now plan for upcoming hills and attack them with a higher cadance.
As to the Zen stuff, Mid life Crisis (tell wife at least its not a hot blonde), bieng a hipster comments. It probubly varies from person to person, but I am the squarest 41year old in Kansas.

They're "cool". Same reason people wore polyester leisure suits in the 70s. Makes about as much sense. There's a reason people stop riding them when they move to bikes with two wheels, instead of three.

I ride mine for cadence & strength training.
Yep, everyone on a fixed gear is all about the hipster 'cool' factor...

I've learned to smooth out my spin by riding fixed on downhills, which has increased my cadence and allows me to spin more efficiently when climbing steep hills on my geared bike. By not having the option for lower gears on hills, I find that I'm climbing in a taller gear when I switch back to my geared bike.

I just got mine but the draw was riding something that would make me a better cyclist. [see Sheldon's article posted above]

I guess I'd compare the feeling of riding one to having a prostetic limb- it doesn't really have nerves that connect to you but you feel like it is a mechanical extension of your body.

If you have never ridden a fixed gear bike you should try it! I know it's not for everyone and I still love my geared bikes but I think everyone should try it at least once.

so how do you control speed going down hill, just keep pedalling?

back pressure on small downhills -- brakes on big ones. IMO you're only proving stupidity by riding brakeless on the street. At least have a front.


It's a myth that fixies are hard on one's knees. I know a lot of long-time fixie riders (Toronto Fixed Group) and I've never heard one of them complain about knee stress. Unless you're pushing a huge track gear on the street, knee stress is more likely from poor bike fit.

For me, pros far outweigh cons.

Pro
no noise (w properly straight chainline)
no selecting gears
no derailers to clean when caught in the rain
better traction
better feel

Con
only three gears...
1. sit and pedal
2. stand and pedal
3. walk and push

Just to point out, on your "pro" list, those first three are single-speed pros, not specifically fixed gear pros.

Something that's not usually pointed out specifically, it seems most of the fixed-gear bikes are greared "hi".

First off, I am not into fixie culture. My fixie has front and rear brakes. It is a new RedLine 965 not a converted '80s racer. I do not have cards in my spokes and I have drop bars. I do not have deep-V's on my fixie (my road bike does). I ride with a helmet and bibs and I use Look pedals. I am also an uber-clyde at about 333lbs and I am almost 50 years old - I am anything but cool:thumb:

When I was young I used to race (criteriums and road). In those days, many of the guys I trained with rode fixies in the spring. They would ride long slow miles in a relatively low fixed gear before they started multi-gear training.

I have had my fixie for about 10 months an I love it. Until you ride fixed, you have no idea how much time you spend gliding on your bike. Originally I had a gear 42x15 that was too high I switched to 42x17 and it is perfect for me. I am able to get a better workout in less time on the fixie and it has helped my endurance and speed on my road bike.

I use the bike for all of my flat local rides. I don't know that I feel any greater connection to the RedLine than to my Bridgestone RB-1 but it feels good. When I climb on the RedLine I have to be more aggressive to keep the momentum going. My Bridgestone has a compact triple so it is no comparison.

It does take a while to get used to riding a fixed gear. Since I have brakes, I do not have to worry about skids but starting and clipping in are a bit more of a challenge. I did fall once but no more than I did when I was learning to ride clipless.

I travel by air almost every week and last year I was going to get S&S couplings for my Bridgestone. As I was thinking about it, I decided I would try an inexpensive fixie instead. If I liked it I would get it retro-fitted with S&S couplings. I plan on getting the conversion done this winter. The advantage traveling with the fixie is that it is simple. I have already decided to remove the freewheel and go fixed only. When I get the couplings put on, I plan on removing the rear brake. So when I pack the coupled fixie, there will be no cables at all to undo, no derailleurs to adjust - only chain tension.

Most of the riding I will do on the road is either city or bike trails so not having gears is not a big deal. I find myself riding the fixie so much that my road bike is getting jealous. It is not for everyone, but give it a try.

First off, I am not into fixie culture.
That's the most level-headed and complete explanation of fixed-gear riding I've heard in a long time.

Goes for me, too. I like the way my legs feel refreshed after a fixed-gear ride on rolling terrain. Let the cadence drop a bit, but not too much, going up, and then spin the snot out of the legs on the way down. Because of the limitations I don't feel compelled to shift and maintain maximum speed. The ride is more about play.

I was not making a value judgment, I was trying to learn. Why do people around here have to be so condescending and nasty?

What else is the Internet for? :)

FWIW, I use it to commute around Campus, and frankly, I have a lot more control on the wet, for example. Absolute control and feel for the road, as well. If you ride a fixed correctly, with proper form, it will strengthen your knees and give you MAMMOTH quads and less underdevelopment of the adductors as a little fringe benefit.

The cardio benefits are incredible as well, since you can ride at a lower intensity and get the same cardio burn from not being able to stop pedaling. You can also kick the intensity up a LOT higher as well. It really doesn't take long to get used to, either. I'm already pretty confident, and am now quick enough already to outrun auto traffic through campus, and hold with the traffic on State Street. I'm developing a faster, smoother cadence as well and can hold a 120 or higher cadence for short bursts without bouncing in the saddle now. :ED

Your comments on winter fixie riding, Tom?

http://www.pinchflatnews.com/2007/06/great-myths-of-urban-cycling-winter.html

Well, given the additional control possible, I can see definite advantages to having the driveline directly linked as a fixed gear has. I know, for example, that you can manage your speed far better with wet brakes on a hill, with a fixed gear. I'll know a lot more other than theiory though after this winter.
Your comments on winter fixie riding, Tom?

http://www.pinchflatnews.com/2007/06/great-myths-of-urban-cycling-winter.html