Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - AskMen.com's "Fixed-Gear Bike Workout"

Barf.

if you live in an urban area, chances are you've seen quite a few young people (with jeans that are probably too tight) riding around on bicycles that look like an incomplete 1970s schwinn hobby project cobbled together for emergency transportation only. Actually, they're supposed to look like that.

These bikes aren't new, though their popularity has exploded as of late. What you're looking at is a fixed-gear bike, commonly known as a "fixie." what sets these bikes apart from their more familiar cousins is that these are stripped down to the most basic of elements: Wheels, pedals, handlebars, a seat, and a frame. That's about it.

Popular with bike messengers for years, these zen-like modes of transportation hark back to the earliest bikes that were direct-pedal driven. One size fits all without any shifting or any coasting. If the wheels are moving, the pedals are moving.
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_250/268_fixed-gear-bike-workout.html?t=1236719869

I hate the style of writing but that's actually extremely good advice. pump up your muscles, see a benefit in the saddle.

hah.

It's still sort of funny for someone outside the culture to deride those making up the culture as "hipsters" in all honesty. I mean, here are people espousing the benefits of a fixed gear bike as a step on the way to become a meathead, while at the same time accusing people riding fixed gears in jeans as being somehow inauthentic by using the hipster label.

Whatever though

I hate the style of writing but that's actually extremely good advice. pump up your muscles, see a benefit in the saddle.
Actually, the advice is bull**** - the best way to get good at riding fixed is to ride fixed. The idea that doing squats, butt press, pushups, or swimming is a prerequisite to riding a fixie is just dumb.

Riding a fixie IS THE WORKOUT, with its own attendant challenges and benefits.

Actually, the advice is bull**** - the best way to get good at riding fixed is to ride fixed. The idea that doing squats, butt press, pushups, or swimming is a prerequisite to riding a fixie is just dumb.

Riding a fixie IS THE WORKOUT, with its own attendant challenges and benefits.

Yes and no.

There's a reason track racers lift weights and do strength training as part of their training regimen as opposed to just riding a whole ****load.

That said the closest thing I come to a formal training regimen is contemplating riding up and down a steep ass hill near my apartment 5 times a few times per week. I've never actually done it, but I'm thinking about it...

Actually, the advice is bull**** - the best way to get good at riding fixed is to ride fixed. The idea that doing squats, butt press, pushups, or swimming is a prerequisite to riding a fixie is just dumb.

Riding a fixie IS THE WORKOUT, with its own attendant challenges and benefits.

I see where you're heading there, and yeah, there's no pre-requisite to riding fixed so they likely worded that all wrong.

Riding a bike is only a small part of a rounded workout though - cyclists frequently ignore working their legs out, and miss areas of the leg that don't usually get touched when riding - it's always good to cross train! Core strength is a big area for cyclists too - keep those abs/back strong to support hours-in-saddle positions.

Man, one of these days, some frat boy with torso-sized quads is going blast by me. I will blame this article.

Actually, the advice is bull**** - the best way to get good at riding fixed is to ride fixed. The idea that doing squats, butt press, pushups, or swimming is a prerequisite to riding a fixie is just dumb.

Riding a fixie IS THE WORKOUT, with its own attendant challenges and benefits.

they are supporting training/building exercises. you don't know fitness do you? the best workout for football is playing football:lol:

Man, one of these days, some frat boy with torso-sized quads is going blast by me. I will blame this article.

i'll throw my u-lock in his spokes ;)

non athletic people discover and take ownership of niche sport
actual athletes notice sport and begin to participate
original participants become jaded and move onto something new where they don't have to try as hard

Men's Health seems like Cosmo for dudes afflicted by poor penis image.

or, readers that just love looking at oiled smooth pecs and throbbing loin muscles.

http://mensfans.com/files/2008/12/mens-health-december-2007-02.jpg
this guy's dick must shoot sprinkles and taste like hot tamales.

Men's Health seems like Cosmo for dudes afflicted by poor penis image.

:lol:WINNAH!

It should come with a subscription to LIFTED 4x4 TRUCKS, PORSCHE AFICIONADO, and POPPED COLLAR MONTHLY! :D

:lol:WINNAH!

It should come with a subscription to LIFTED 4x4 TRUCKS, PORSCHE AFICIONADO, and POPPED COLLAR MONTHLY! :D

At least his pants can fit a penis.

At least his pants can fit a penis.

Oh snap son, you clever!:thumb:

Without breaks and without the ability to coast (or free wheel) ride a fixie isn't exactly like riding a bike.it's brakes. come on, editor. there should be a comma in that sentence, too.

it's brakes. come on, editor. there should be a comma in that sentence, too.

i could be 'break.'

they are supporting training/building exercises. you don't know fitness do you? the best workout for football is playing football:lol:
I know a bit about fitness, I used to be pretty into lifting - not competitive but I was squatting 400lbs at a bodyweight of 180 - nothing phenomenal, but I'm just saying I have some background on how lifting and overall strength affects other athletic pursuits. I've also done cross country racing on foot (meaning through trails and stuff, not across the whole country. :) ), and dabbled in some other stuff.

Obviously getting in better shape in general will improve your ability to do any athletic activity. But there's also such a thing as specificity of training - and doing squats and push-ups is just nothing like riding a fixie. Riding 20 miles at 15mph at an average cadence of say 70 rpm translates into ~5600 repetitions per leg. Even 1 modest climb of half a mile where you stand up and mash as hard as you can at 35 rpm / 7.5 mph works out to a 4 minute effort with 140 reps for each leg. Very few people in the gym are doing sets of 4 minutes / 140 reps. The ability to drive your HR to 180-200 bpm and squat 315 lbs 8 times in 45 seconds has almost no bearing on your ability to do that climb with your HR staying steady at a sustainable 140-160 bpm.

Also, when climbing in general but on a fixie in particular where you're pushing a big gear, you're going to engage the posterior chain quite a bit (especially if you have clipless pedals and you can really pull up hard on one pedal while your bodyweight pushes down on the other). Your hamstrings and lats are going to play a significant role, especially if you're pulling hard on the bars or cranking the bike from side to side with your arms as you work the pedals with your legs. And there was nothing in there about hamstrings or lats. Know what else was completely neglected? Calves. Calves do a significant amount of work throughout the entire stroke when you're pedalling correctly, especially when you're riding clipless.

It seems like the author just watched someone ride a bicycle and decided that you must use your quads and glutes a lot for that. Hey, this is AskMen so we've gotta throw in some bull**** about core strength too - that's kinda our deal.


The article was pitched at someone trying to get into riding fixed, and it was presented as if this routine is some kind of a prerequisite for riding fixed, and it just isn't. The best way to get good at riding a fixie is to get one and ride it.

i could be 'break.'
Yeah, on my bike there's a brake but no breaks. The latter is more relevant to the level of exertion, I'd say. In my weaker moments, I really miss coasting. :)

At least his pants can fit a penis.

How would you know, were you involved or watching? PERV!

I like the fact that they were giving you workouts to learn how to stop the bike WITHOUT breaks...call me lame and uncool, but I got a break. So, instead of trying to tone your body to slow down wheel rotation, just buy a break for 20 bucks and save your knees...

the break has also saved my ass about 20 times.

In actual fact, the workout is to make you stronger so that you can survive the inevitable crashes that come from riding with no 'brakes'. The only downside is when you're that pumped, you'll have problems squeezing into your sisters jeans.

Note: when you spell 'brakes' as 'breaks', god kills a hipster. Please get it right. :thumb:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bHzxlGeBJAI/R3onRdQIYxI/AAAAAAAACXw/UEndLqtr148/s320/776412linkin%2Bpark.png

"I'M ABOUT TO BRAKE!!!"

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bHzxlGeBJAI/R3onRdQIYxI/AAAAAAAACXw/UEndLqtr148/s320/776412linkin%2Bpark.png

"I'M ABOUT TO BRAKE!!!"

http://www-static.shell.com/static/global/images/general/motorcycle/rt_corner_apex_321.jpg

non athletic people discover and take ownership of niche sport
actual athletes notice sport and begin to participate
original participants become jaded and move onto something new where they don't have to try as hard

This sentiment seems a little silly to me. Who are the original participants? the athletes who race on the velodrome? the road racers and triathletes who train on a fixed gear in the off season to improve their cadence? Bicycle messengers? trick riders? commuters? Who has ownership of this sport? how does someone or a group take ownership of something with such a broad appeal and so many different uses to so many different kinds of people?

riding a bike is fun and not that hard. if someone has too move onto something else it is probably because they think they are moving on to the next cool thing.

riding a bike is fun and not that hard. if someone has too move onto something else it is probably because they think they are moving on to the next cool thing.

I'm always a little annoyed when people say "fad's up! too many poseurs!". Like you said, it's riding a bike. What's so cool or trendy about cycling? Who can possibly take ownership of an activity that's been around almost as long as mankind's fundamental understanding of physics? If there is such thing as a poseur, it's the guy that drops it the second the sport becomes something that more than his group of friends enjoys.

This topic comes up all too often, and I feel like lately I've been partaking in the conversation a little too much. But I want to point out that our collective end game is to have more people cycling. It's important that we don't lose sight of that.

I do lift weights to supplement my riding, but i don't necessarily think that push ups help your core as much as say sit-ups. They want you to work your core by doing pushups, but don't talk about the benefits of stronger pecs? I also stopped listening when they called my track bike an unfinished 70's schwinn and called them "fixies"

Who are the original participants? the athletes who race on the velodrome? the road racers and triathletes who train on a fixed gear in the off season to improve their cadence? Bicycle messengers? trick riders? commuters? Who has ownership of this sport?

Newsies.



bf

I do lift weights to supplement my riding, but i don't necessarily think that push ups help your core as much as say sit-ups. They want you to work your core by doing pushups, but don't talk about the benefits of stronger pecs? I also stopped listening when they called my track bike an unfinished 70's schwinn and called them "fixies"

are you trying to say sit ups work your core more than push ups? what evidence do you have?

Everyone go ride your damn bike. Who the f*** cares what some magazine said or what anyone else thinks?

Note: when you spell 'brakes' as 'breaks', god kills a hipster. Please get it right. :thumb:

Thank you for enlightening us. And introducing a moral dilemma when debating the fastest method of stopped.

Everyone go ride your damn bike. Who the f*** cares what some magazine said or what anyone else thinks?

that proposition is even more ridiculous than the last!