Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Explaining Braking on a brakeless fixie

Hey everyone,

I ride a Fixie Conversion, brakeless here in Chicago. One thing I can't for the life of me explain to people, is the concept of stopping with a fixed gear. The other day, my girlfriend's dad picked her up from school, as she got into the car, I pulled up alongside them to talk for a moment. When we were done, I pulled ahead, trackstanded for a moment waiting for traffic to clear, then I u-turned and sped off. That night she called me, and told me that her dad noticed that I had no brakes on my bike. When I saw him today, I tried to explain the concept to him, but whenever I try to explain this to someone, they think of a cruiser with a coaster brake. I don't really care, it just bugs me.Seriously, anyone else have trouble explaining this.=)

Just tell them you've got coaster brakes and just move on...

Let him spin the cranks himself with the hand back and forth, hopefully he'll get it that way.

it's like trying to explain drug addiction, or base jumping, or drunk driving...

natural selection.

Let him ride it. Done.

Make sure he rolls up his drawers first...

Let him ride it. Done.

So funny. It's like that time my dad wanted to try my skateboard. I didn't end pretty.

if someone is too stupid to understand, it's not worth explaining to them


explain it once


it's direct drive, the pedal input is directly connected to the rear wheel...

I have found it to be similar to the way I stop walking ;)

if he drives a manual

tell him its like engine braking.

Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics, directly relating the forces acting on a body to the motion of the body. They were first compiled by Sir Isaac Newton in his work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, first published on July 5, 1687.[1] Newton used them to explain and investigate the motion of many physical objects and systems.[2] For example, in the third volume of the text, Newton showed that these laws of motion, combined with his law of universal gravitation, explained Kepler's laws of planetary motion.
First law
There exists a set of inertial reference frames relative to which all particles with no net force acting on them will move without change in their velocity. This law is often simplified as "A body persists its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force." Newton's first law is often referred to as the law of inertia.
Second law
Observed from an inertial reference frame, the net force on a particle of constant mass is proportional to the time rate of change of its linear momentum: F = d(mv)/dt. This law is often stated as, "Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma)": the net force on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration.
Third law
Whenever a particle A exerts a force on another particle B, B simultaneously exerts a force on A with the same magnitude in the opposite direction. The strong form of the law further postulates that these two forces act along the same line. This law is often simplified into the sentence, "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
In the given interpretation mass, acceleration, momentum, and (most importantly) force are assumed to be externally defined quantities. This is the most common, but not the only interpretation: one can consider the laws to be a definition of these quantities. Notice that the second law only holds when the observation is made from an inertial reference frame, and since an inertial reference frame is defined by the first law, asking a proof of the first law from the second law is a logical fallacy. At speeds approaching the speed of light the effects of special relativity must be taken into account.[3]

whenever I try to explain this to someone, they think of a cruiser with a coaster brake. I don't really care, it just bugs me.Seriously, anyone else have trouble explaining this.=)

In all fairness it's pretty much the exact same thing, only the people on coaster brakes aren't worried about having some kind of cachet for riding a coaster brake. Otherwise from a practical standpoint it's the same idea so you might as well leave the explanation at that.

I don't even ride a fixed gear and I understand how it works and have had no problem describing the idea behind it so that people get it. Your GF's dad just can't wrap his head around the thought of a bike not stopping due to friction brakes or a hub brake.

Liken it to how a you can lug a manual transmission automobile to slow it down, or how a Jake-brake slows a big-rig down.

show him a stick and show him u slamming the stick into your front wheel while riding. he'll get the idea.

Your GF's dad just can't wrap his head around the thought of a bike not stopping due to friction brakes or a hub brake.


I'm still looking for someone who can wrap their head around how a coaster brake works.

i personally have no idea how they work



"Hows a rainbow made? whys the sky blue? how does a posi track rear end on a plymouth work? It just does."

"Hows a rainbow made? whys the sky blue? how does a posi track rear end on a plymouth work? It just does."

I find none of these things difficult to comprehend.

In all fairness it's pretty much the exact same thing, only the people on coaster brakes aren't worried about having some kind of cachet for riding a coaster brake. Otherwise from a practical standpoint it's the same idea so you might as well leave the explanation at that.
Can't agree with that since one is stopping with a mechanical brake, while stopping a fixed gear with your legs is another thing entirely.

I find none of these things difficult to comprehend.


apparently you have an issue comprehending jokes though

I just tell people "When the wheels are moving the pedals are moving, you cant coast. When you stop pedaling, the wheels stop".

Its usually not worth it to explain the effort it takes to stop when compared to a coaster brake.

nope, can't say i've had trouble explaining it O: ) maybe it's you

Just tell them you've got coaster brakes and just move on...

truth.

maybe the dad understands the concept he just cant wrap his head around why someone cares more about looking cool than stopping.

Tell him that tricycles and Big Wheels don't have brakes either. Most people get it after that.

Roll your eyes at him and say, "Pshh. You don't know?"

Yea I always just lift the back wheel and spin it back and forth. They get it after that.

call him an idiot and tell him to read a book lol

explain to him that this is why his daughter calls you daddy.

tell him you stop with zen

exactly! ask about tricycles and he should get it.

It's pretty straight forward really. You don't need brakes on a fixed bike, you have more options of stopping than a single act of a brake.

fixies dont have breaks?

what's a fixee?

Be very pretentious and try to make it seem like it's a cool new thing that kids are doing.

explain to him that this is why his daughter calls you daddy.

I lol'd.

I second the demonstration. Learn by doing.

okay guys, i was at her house last night, and the tricycle analogy worked. He still didn't see the poimt. but lots of you guys don't so whatev

can't believe this thread took more than a page to get to zen. bikeforums is slipping.