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02-01-02, 07:28 AM
Well, yesterday was an exciting day for the Rainman. I picked up my new wheel with fixed/free flip flop hub for my old Bianchi. Stripped off the ders, slapped on a single chainring, chain, tube and tire and away I went. I did leave the brakes on! This was my first experience riding a fixed gear, you know, the kind that doesn't freewheel or coast, ie, if the rear wheel is moving, forward or backward, the pedals are moving, too. Just getting on was an interesting experience. Usually I straddle the bike, click into one pedal, push off, push the pedal down, and coast a second while I click into the other pedal. Not with a fixie you don't. You'd better be sitting down as you push off. Anyway, I got through the initial phase of the learning process, how to get started and how to stop. Remember, no coasting. This stuff is not hard; it is just a lot different and requires new techniques. I have pretty much always avoided coasting so getting used to the constant spinning was not a big deal.
Once I got on open road, well, at least no red lights every block, it was great. A fixed gear feels very smooth to ride. It is very quite, too, because you don't have all the extra bits and pieces to buzz and click. I fell in love with it right away. It is a lot different from riding a freewheeling bike and from what I have read will take a couple of weeks to get really second nature.
That was yesterday afternoon riding home. Fast forward to this morning on the way in. Sprinting for the light, downhill, in the rain, it became obvious that I would make the first light on a wide boulevard but could not make it through the second. Slow down pedaling, applying brakes, swerving, losing traction, going DOWN! Luckily I had slowed down considerably from the 31.7 mph my computer registered as max speed seconds before. I went down FAIRLY gently. Also luckily, nylon rain pants slide nicely on wet blacktop so my only injury, other than my bruised ego, was a small, mild road rash on my lower arm. Most importantly, no damage to my lovely bike! Oh, well. Another lesson learned. As an afterthought, I don't think the fixed gear had much, if anything, to do with my fall. I was just going fast and tried to stop fast on a wet, slick street.
Ride safe,
Raymond
Once I got on open road, well, at least no red lights every block, it was great. A fixed gear feels very smooth to ride. It is very quite, too, because you don't have all the extra bits and pieces to buzz and click. I fell in love with it right away. It is a lot different from riding a freewheeling bike and from what I have read will take a couple of weeks to get really second nature.
That was yesterday afternoon riding home. Fast forward to this morning on the way in. Sprinting for the light, downhill, in the rain, it became obvious that I would make the first light on a wide boulevard but could not make it through the second. Slow down pedaling, applying brakes, swerving, losing traction, going DOWN! Luckily I had slowed down considerably from the 31.7 mph my computer registered as max speed seconds before. I went down FAIRLY gently. Also luckily, nylon rain pants slide nicely on wet blacktop so my only injury, other than my bruised ego, was a small, mild road rash on my lower arm. Most importantly, no damage to my lovely bike! Oh, well. Another lesson learned. As an afterthought, I don't think the fixed gear had much, if anything, to do with my fall. I was just going fast and tried to stop fast on a wet, slick street.
Ride safe,
Raymond