Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixie commuters

If you're a fixie commuter, how far do you ride, and what is the terrain like.. rolling hills, high traffic, wind, etc.

I finnaly skippped the trolley today, 12.5 miles one way, many hills.

Wondering what others feel like, comments..

I commute to and from class, and usually ride about an hour a day extra on my fix, but it really isn't that far, and its all flat.

When I'm able to commute it's 12 miles even each way. Starts with a steep ass spring classics hill at the end of my driveway. there is another big hill at about two miles. after that is is almost all bike path. It's a nice ride both ways.

I commute maybe 6 miles each way, almost completely flat. It simultaneously tires me out and gives me an extra shot of adrenaline for the first class of the day. Sometimes by the time I get home I am wiped out, as much for emotional exhaustion as the ride. I can't commute everyday. I don't think I have the goods to do it daily as much I would like to. Teaching can suck out your soul some weeks. But I still love it. If only I could commute and teach daily, in tandem; that would be the ideal.

I go about 5 miles each way... all flat city streets except for the Ben Franklin Bridge. My only gripe is that its over too soon. Funny, I never thought I would be trying to make my commute _longer_.

7 each way.


Lots of traffic for the first 4 miles, untill I get to the commuter trail... At which point I only have to deal with other bicyclist, peds...

My commute time has dropped 10 min since the snow has melted....

Sometimes on the way home, I take the "Long" road which adds probably 6 more miles? Can't really tell, I wouldn't want a computer messing up the clean lines of my Nitto pista bars....

Four miles each way. Every day. Stepped on the train for the first time in a year last Thursday. Ride couldn't be set up better. Slightly down hill on the morning run.

I commuted about total of 20 miles each way for the summer. One route was 21 miles each way, hilly terrain, but quieter route, or you could go 19 miles on the flat but on a very busy boad. Wasn't too windy, could do it in about 50 minutes on the flat and about 1hr 10 on the hills. The flat route was faster mainly because of the ability to draft cars.

I have to admit though I used my geared bike because I was still building my fix at the time. Other times I've been commuting 1 mile each way, 6 miles each way, currently it's quicker for me to walk than to cycle.

I do exactly 5 miles each way unless I extend my ride coming home. Mostly flat with a few out of the saddle short hills depending on the route. Wind is typically an issue but you get used to it and sometimes it's in your favor so it all evens out. Traffic is immediate heavey 50 mph out my driveway then I hop on a bike path then its city streets for the past 2 miles I usually just take the wole lane in town which is nice...

about 4 miles each way, bike path w some rolling hills.

Shiek and Superchivo -
I'm on the Mt Vernon Trail, where do you guys ride?

about 4 miles each way, bike path w some rolling hills.

S[c]hiek and Superchivo -
I'm on the Mt Vernon Trail, where do you guys ride?

I live in Northeast DC near Catholic U. (Brookland/CUA stop on the Red Line). I usually travel Michigan/North Capitol/Rhode Island to get downtown and to my office. Kind of prefer the streets to the trails. I'm pretty good at figuring out and anticipating what idiotic things drivers will do....not so good with the peds.

When I get a chance to commute, it's 14 miles each way. Mild hills through Rock Creek Park, across Memorial Bridge, and down Washington Blvd. to the Pentagon. Past that there's 2 steep climbs and rolling hills in Arlington, the last one right before I get to the office. When I rode brakeless I'd be twice as tired when I rode fixed instead of geared, now with a brake it takes the same time and energy.

Four miles for me, mostly on side streets with some cross park shortcuts. Gradual uphill with a couple of short steep climbs (usually from an unblowable stop sign), a bus barn dodgerama, and various wheel-taco potholes. Heading home is lot more fun.

I go about 5 miles each way... all flat city streets except for the Ben Franklin Bridge. My only gripe is that its over too soon. Funny, I never thought I would be trying to make my commute _longer_.


damn..you tackle the ben franklin on your fixie? hope you've got a front brake ;) haha


mine's only about 3.5 miles... flat...through the city.. a little windy at times down near my house b/c its open and near the river... easy easy commute though..

I'm on the Mt Vernon Trail, where do you guys ride?
I live just north of Tyson's Corner, so I cross Route 7, go past Wolf Trap and snake through a neighborhood to get on the W&OD. From there, I ride into Falls Church, get off the trail at the elementary school, ride across Lee Highway and ride down Fairview Park to my office.

Other than the commute, I ride all over. I especially like to park in Arlington and ride into D.C. when I'm going there during the weekend. Travel is faster and parking a breeze.

damn..you tackle the ben franklin on your fixie? hope you've got a front brake ;) haha


mine's only about 3.5 miles... flat...through the city.. a little windy at times down near my house b/c its open and near the river... easy easy commute though..

what can i say, i'm a beast=]

Actually its not that bad.. I've grown to enjoy it. The wind is usually the worst part, especially coming back over to philly. Try it sometime

[QUOTE=superchivo] I especially like to park in Arlington and ride into D.C. QUOTE]

For all you DC commuters.. Does the man let people take their bikes on the metro? i'm just curious...

[QUOTE=superchivo] I especially like to park in Arlington and ride into D.C. QUOTE]

For all you DC commuters.. Does the man let people take their bikes on the metro? i'm just curious...

Yes, but not during peak hours. I think bikes are banned between 7 and 10 am and 4 and 7 pm during the work week.

A little under 6 miles each way, with a variety of hills that used to put the hurt on me when I first started riding them; they're still challenging for me, but much easier and I’ve grown to like them.

16 miles each way. Uphill to work, downhill home.

10 miles each way. No hills bigger than highway overpasses, but the wind whips accross the plains. Today coming in I was doing 8-10 mph going west, then 17-20 going south. RPMs vary from 40 - 110.

My morning commute is pretty vicious. First, I have to cross the river Acheron. That Charon guy can be the biggest pain in the ass. "You need an obol," "Can't cross the river if you don't have a coin." Yada yada yada... Then, after I emerge into the light of day, I have to wait for all of the husbands to go to work. Wouldn't want to get caught, you know.
After work is over, and all of the sugar mommas are satiated, I take my earnings down to the local brew-pub.
Somehow, I can't seem to remember what the commute home is like....

If you're a fixie commuter, how far do you ride, and what is the terrain like.. rolling hills, high traffic, wind, etc.

I finnaly skippped the trolley today, 12.5 miles one way, many hills.

Wondering what others feel like, comments..

Commute? Work? Ah, I remember.
Retired, ride everyday, all day.
Reward for commuting and working too long.

fixedgearhead

My commute changes from 5 miles each way to 7 miles each way. HOpefully, soon, it will be 7 miles each way...no hills, lotsa traffic, lotsa buses and cabbies...

randy

I commute five or so miles each way. The first third or so of it is down a pretty significant hill (not sure what exactly the grade is), then slight hills and moderate traffic, then dead flat in light traffic. On the way back, I take a zig-zag path up the hill to spread the ascent out. Before I moved to this side of town (ie, up the hill), I was coming from about three and a half miles in the other direction, slight rolling hills. I rode that year-round. The fixie definately handles better in heavy snow and ice. :D

If you're a fixie commuter, how far do you ride, and what is the terrain like.. rolling hills, high traffic, wind, etc.

I finnaly skippped the trolley today, 12.5 miles one way, many hills.

Wondering what others feel like, comments..

12.75 miles one way. Workbound is gradually uphill with a 3 and then a 4 hill set of rollers and one sharp climb at the workbound end (since my company is on top of the hill). Prevailing winds usually give me a headwind or cross/headwind in the morning.

I ride 44x18, carry panniers, and don't try to dust the roadies until I'm on the way home.

I do a 3.5 mile ride into work and after I try to take a spin into downtown then maybe out to Cambridge and then back home. It's maybe a 17 or 18 mile ride. Wow thats nothing now that I am looking at it in front of me.

my commutes vary.

if it's raining, i tend to ride 2 miles each way to the train, and use that. unless i'm broke, in which case i follow my sunny-day regimen, which is: work is 6 miles from my apt; school is 10 miles. work is conveniently located right on the way i normally take to school. so, on some days, i just go to work on my way home from school. but, somedays i work but dont go to school, and vice versa. sometimes, i ride 10 miles to school, 10 miles home to feed the dog and what have you, then 6 miles to work, then 6 miles to my apt, sometimes taking long detours that coincidentally pass the bar.

and sometimes, i just ride my motorbike, b/c i'm running very late or feeling very tired.

i live in south jersey, so hills are fairly limited. the only noteworthy hill is 2 blocks from home.

-rob

what can i say, i'm a beast=]

Actually its not that bad.. I've grown to enjoy it. The wind is usually the worst part, especially coming back over to philly. Try it sometime

ill try it sometime with you, merz. now that im nearly done classes ill have time for things like that (until i start my summer job) and to reciprocate you're bringing your monocog to belmont for some nasty singletrack!

My commute is 3-4 miles each way with couple of small hills. But I take it for a fast ride along charles river bike path all the way from museum of science to harvard and back.

My commute is not that long, its only from Center City to South Philly each day, maybe around 2 or 3 miles. the bad part is that I have to wear a suit to work each day so I feel like a tool riding a stripped down fixie with a friggin jacket and tie. oh well.

the ben franklin is not bad on a fixie.... i dont think a brake is necessary. of course, I have never done it when there was a lot of traffic, so maybe that is different.

I just reworked my beater fixie with lights and a rack so i can start using that as my work commuter... i go through some shady areas of south philly when i have to work late and its just a matter of time before i am knocked off my bike... i just hope I get to see the theif try and ride it away and get bucked off... but thats a whole nother story.

From my house its about 12ish each way. Only about 2 miles of that is on a bike path. But alot of times i go from my girlfriends house and its only about 6. The miles are broke up with a 30 bus drive over the mountains. 42-15. No brakes.

I do 6 miles one way four times a day. mostly on city neighborhood streets. Flat except three places where the road dips around 50 feet to go under the railroad tracks. the worst part is that there's a light at the bottom of each hill. They repaved the last 2.5 miles (into the city) last year and put in a bike lane, which is nice. But the bike lane seems to collect all sorts of sharp metal crap. I've had three flats on that one section, once with a nail sticking in one sidewall and out the other.
Funny you should mention commuting. I just posed a link to some excerpts from a local radio morning show on the advocacy forum. Now that I think of it I've been getting a lot of middle fingers lately.

tim

I do 3.75 each way, all on city streets.

I was thinking about it last night on my way to work - I think the commute sets the tone for the rest of my day at work. If I'm constantly getting cut off, hitting red lights that I can't trackstand through, etc, then the night is shot.

If it's like last night when all the cars behave themselves, every light turns green as I hit the crosswalk or has a huge gap right after I stop, then the night is great.

the ben franklin is not bad on a fixie.... i dont think a brake is necessary. of course, I have never done it when there was a lot of traffic, so maybe that is different.


..there's no traffic way up there on the pedestrian walk ;)

..there's no traffic way up there on the pedestrian walk ;)

except for those annoying pedestrians.. ;)

and its not bad brakeless. I do run a front brake but I have yet to use it coming down the bridge

I live in Northeast DC near Catholic U. (Brookland/CUA stop on the Red Line). I usually travel Michigan/North Capitol/Rhode Island to get downtown ...

I'm in Brookland also...I commute in the evening. DC is a great town for commuting. Though the streets ned some work there is enough to see (even at 2am) to keep things fun. I can't say I've had too many problems with drivers, most times they are exceedingly polite. My commute is pretty flat with a few shorty hills...great fun on my 25 year-old fixie
peace

Yeah I commute, the short side is 23 miles, but I don't get a good workout so I like the 25-27 mile route that hits some hills, and has a nice flat stretch of a rails to trails, I work second shift so I can get out early afternoon and do some miles, I love that part of FG. I do the same on the ride home. I commuted fixed all winter, between two bikes, one was set up 18x20 rear with Nokian studs, the other just an 18 with cycle cross tyres on it. Turning in great times too. Now that the snow is gone I'm about 20 min faster, so there's a stop for Caribou coffee, and reading, I might finish Culley's The Imortal Class yet.

around 16 miles both ways, four days a week. hills but nothing to whine about. have to go through crappy areas both ways... lotsa glass and lowlifes for a mile or so. gets sketchy riding home after 12am. its all worth it though, getting more time on the bike with a busy schedule.