Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - im a noob but help me out guys please got some Q's

ok so i got a bike and i got a few Q's first of all it is fixed but when i tried to skid i could NOT lock the pedals up im a bigger guy over 200 lbs and even if i put all my weight on the pedals it would NOT lock up just lift me up like a ferris wheel! could it have a wrong bottom bracket or hub?

second question... how the F do you get your second foot into the upside down toe straps while riding mien is weighted to always be upside down..

third question my tiers do not have standard valve stems is there a cheap adaptor i can buy so i can fill them off a normal tire pump?

#1 How many gear inches are you running? Basically what is the # of teeth on your front chainring and rear cog? You probably have it gear too high. Gear Inches should be somewhere in the 60s-low 70's for n00bs. If you are already in that range, you just need to get stronger or use a brake. Here is a GI calculator for you http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/ There are other ones out there if you google it.

#2 Practice. There should be a tab on the back of your pedal. Drag the sole of your foot on it (around the front/ball of your foot) and the pedal/toe clip will flip up allowing you to slid your foot into the pedal/cage.

#3 Any bike shop should have the adapter to go from schrader to presta valves. They are very cheap and buy a couple because they always seem to disappear.

1: Nut up - to the stem
2: It is supposed to do that. You slide your foot backwards across the pedal to flip it
3: Yes bike shops sell them for $1

Enjoy

If you are doing it right and if you don't have a huge gearing skids should be fairly easy. At first they wont be terribly easy but you should at least feel like you;re getting somewhere with it, else you;re doing ti wrong. Lean forward a bit, extend and push on your back leg and pull on the front. That's pretty much it. Lean forward if necessary. The pulling is almost more important than the pushing.
Getting into the second pedal? Just kind tuck your foot into it as its coming around. This can be tricky, it gets easier.
Yes, there is such an adaptor, I forget which websites sell it but look around a bit and you shouldn't have a hard time finding it.

count the number of teeth on the chainring and on the kog. most have that number printed on it.

im guessing your bike came with 46 teeth x 16, which is standard. its easier to skid stop the lower the gear. (lower gear means easier starting from stop, not as fast high speed. higher gear meaning harder starting up, higher top speed. sorry if you know all this, im just assuming you are a complete noob via the title/screenname)

to get a LOWER (easier gear, easier to skid stop) gear, either get a higher teethed kog or a lower teethed chainring....so like 46x17 or 18 or 19....kogs are generally easier/economical to replace.

i just asked the guy i got it off of and he said "front is stamped in & is 44 tooth rear is 16" so is this bad?

i just dont get it cuz you see these guys rollin down the street and in mid pedal just lock um up like they just press down on the back pedal... i tried that and about ripped my legs off and liek a said im a big dude

Thats a normal gear so its not that. And you dont get it because you're a noob, you said so yourself. Im 195lbs and can do seated skids no problem, its not your weight. Its lack of practice and being a noob. So put your nuts on the stem, pull up with one foot, push down with the other, and theres no way the rear wheel won't lock. Then just slowly work your way back until you can do those quick, seated, speed checking skids. Nust-to-stem skids don't stop you, they are for ****s and giggles.

44/16 gives you only 4 skid patches, so prepare to go through your tires quickly.

ok thanks guys ill work on it tonight

44/16 is 72 GI with 23c tires. You need either better technique or more strength or both. That should be a pretty easy ratio to skid in. If you are having problems gear down until you get the technique down and then gradually increase the gear until you get the strength to resist the pedals while seated.

if i were to "gear down" what exactly would i need to replace, and with what

Dude, at this point id really like to say you need to spend some time reading up about your bike rather than asking questions. Its the whole "teach a man to fish he eats forever give him fish he eats for a day" thing.

But you would need to change the number of teeth on either your rear cog or crank chain ring by replacing them with a different one. Seriously though gearing isnt going to help you skid. You just gotta stop being a puss about it. Im 150lbs after dinner and can skid 15 feet or more depending on my speed. Check the tires, and the surface your trying to skid on. AKA sidewalk is easier than pavement but blacktop is best. Also slicks are going to be easier to skid with than a commuting tire.

not everyone learns the same, some of us learn by asking .. thanks for the info tho

Ok, well when you bike breaks on a ride and theres nobody around to ask its nice to have knowledge to rely on. But if you would rather spend your life relying on the knowledge of others thats fine too. I like those who commit to being more ignorant than the rest.

OP - chill out - locking thread.

Note: An offensive post by the OP has been deleted, which is the reason that this thread has been closed.