Commuting - Fixed Gear/Singlespeed Commuter

Anyone else out there commute using a fixed gear or singlespeed machine?

Dave

Originally posted by hayneda
Anyone else out there commute using a fixed gear or singlespeed machine?
Dave

I see a fair number of people leaving Center City Philadelphia on fixies at the end of the day. Many of them as they pass me going uphill. <g>

But I do wonder how far they have to go, 'cos I get the impression of folks that are just riding three or four miles of the fairly flat terrain between downtown and West Philly.

I know I never would make it riding a single-speed over my 13-mile route, which includes some fairly stiff (though short) climbs.

Makes me wonder, though, how long is the typical route of most single-speed commuters?

RichC

My commute is 25-35 miles round trip, depending upon whether I take the most direct or most pleasant route. I have a few short hills, one fairly steep. This just gives my an opportunity to stand and have a butt break.

I also have taken to riding the fixie on club rides and to date have not had a problem with 40-60 mile rides. I've had no problems keeping up--in fact, I think I'm faster on the fixie. These rides are generally in rolling terrain, although I did once do our local "major" climb which is about 1000ft in a little less than 3 miles. It was tough on the steeper sections (maybe 8-9%) but the majority of the climb was not bad. The only major disadvantage in on high-speed descents where the geared/freewheel riders will leave you behind (for the moment). Its real hard to spin a 75 inch gear above 30 mph or so. However, I do have a flip-flop hub with a 1 speed freewheel (66 inches) on the flip side so that I can wimp out on big climbs/descents. So far, I've only used it once.

My next goal is to ride a century on it. I'll probably swap out the 75 inch for a 70 inch gear and still have the 65 inch freewheel in reserve.

Dave

Until Monday I had my old Bianchi set up with a 67 inch fixed gear (42/17) that I was alternating with my regular commuter for my 22+ mile round trip daily commute. I put all the ders and stuff back on because I am going on a 3 day camping trip with 40/60 mile hilly rides each day. I love riding the fixed gear and plan to set up an older Schwinn Voyageur as a fixie because it has the preferred horizontal dropouts. I might have been able to handle the hills, but I much prefer spinning up hills in lower gears than mashing a moderate gear.

I've been riding a fixie to work for about 2 years with a total round trip of 8-12 miles depending on whether I come straight to work or take the longer, less congested route. The route is pretty flat, but headwinds can get you on the way home. I've done 25-35 mile rides with some hills on it and it is more work for sure, but fun. My bike is a 80's vintage Trek racing frame, all stripped except for front brake and no flip-flop hub (although I've thought of getting one).

I'm definately a convert to fixie, especially for around town and to work. I ride a 42/17 (67 gear inches) most of the time, but also have an additional 16 cog. Makes you a smoother rider to.

All this talk makes me want to shift to my 42/18 (no 17 on my current cassettes) and see how far I get without shifting.

RichC

I get my fixed gear cog today, and the rest of my bike is put together, so I should have a fixed gear bike ready to go soon. I probably won't commute on it for another month or so, because it still gets dark pretty early and I don't want to buy new lights or swap my current lights from my current commuter. But once it starts staying light longer, I'll probably ride the fixed gear from time to time.

I'm riding an old Raliegh. In trying to put on the pedals last night, I found out that the threads were all torn up. I managed to get a set in, but I'm afraid that if I ever do decide to replace the pedals, I'll have to get new cranks. And then I'll have to get a new chainwheel, because the one I have now is part of the crank. But for right now it should work fine as a cheap, low maintenance bike.

andy

Originally posted by Rich Clark
All this talk makes me want to shift to my 42/18 (no 17 on my current cassettes) and see how far I get without shifting.

RichC

I do that from time to time, just to see what happens. You also have to remember to NEVER coast. I usually don't coast anyway unless I'm stopping or going around a turn where I'm worried about pedal strike, but sometimes when I ride I'll pretend I'm on a fixed and force myself to pedal through the stops.

andy

Aturley and anyone else planning to try fixed gear,
It is great BUT as someone said "NO COASTING." Read Sheldon's stuff and be aware that there is a small learning curve. You need to be prepared for getting started and stopping. As soon you push the pedal down to get started SIT DOWN. You may not even realize that you are taking a second or two to sit down with your current bike. Do that on a fixed gear and you may well fall. Really think about NOT COASTING the first few stops. I thought I really understood all this, and I still almost fell a couple of times because I wasn't thinking. Try it, you'll like it, but get yourself mentally prepared. After a few starts and stops you remember and after a couple of days you hardly have to think about it anymore. Fixed gear is a great riding sensation. Very smooth. Very quiet. And you can really control yourself at slow speeds. I haven't worked on doing a track stand, but I can move very slowly.
Have fun,
Raymond

Staying in one gear on your regular bike is a good way to select a gear for a fixie, but its really not a good simulation of what's its like to ride fixed. You will not get the feel for the road. Nor will you get the smoothness that comes from a fixed. You don't have the flywheel effect of that rear wheel carrying your feet through top- and bottom-dead center. That's what makes it magic.

Plus, you'll still be carrying all that excess weight of deraillers, shifters, cogs, etc.

Davy

Originally posted by hayneda
Staying in one gear on your regular bike is a good way to select a gear for a fixie, but its really not a good simulation of what's its like to ride fixed.

I have no doubt that you're right. I'm still at the stage of doubting I'm physically able to cover my commuting route in a gear low enough for the climbs but high enough to cover the distance.

This morning (I was admittedly not feeling well, and carrying a lot of extra weight in my panniers while riding my heavier bike) I found myself in my 1:1 (30-30) gear on one climb.

Fixed-gear riding may also simply require a state of physical fitness that I may never see again. That's OK, I'm happy just to be alive and riding at all, let alone the 5000+ miles I'm now getting in annually thanks mostly to commuting.

RichC

Although it definitely is not the same, I rode my regular bike as a single speed for a couple of weeks before trying the fixie. I also made a very conscious effort to coast as little as possible, which was not a big deal since I make it a practice to coast only when coming to a stop anyway.

I've definitely got too many hills to do my commute on a fixie, unless I walk them. I think I could almost do it on a three speed though.

Richard

i've been commuting on a fixed gear for about a month now. I'm running a 40x16 gear. My commute is about 20 miles round trip and pretty hilly.

I do feel that I've gotten stronger and improved my spin but I'm putting the shifters and deraillers back on the bike this weekend.
The bad knee from a previous injury does not like the fixed gear experience as much as the rest of my body:( .

I would recommend everyone to try it for a while though. It is a great learning experience for sure.

Hey, Raymond. The subject of 'fixed' bikes came up the other day. A buddy brought up something I hadn't thought about:

When you are pedeling at a good clip and come up on a tight turn...normally, I like to lay into it somewhat hard - (fun, but sometimes scarey). Of course, I automatically bring the inside pedel to the 12 o'clock position. But with a fixie, the pedels are spinnning, and to me, it seems you take the chance of hitting the road hard and going down (hard). Have you experienced anything like that?

Ken

PS: Not sure when we'll get to N.O., probably July - will let you know. (of course, we'll have bikes ready to ride!)

Ken,
You are right about corners. My mechanic buddy at the LBS warned me. He said he got all excited on his FIRST ride on his fixie and took a corner too fast, grounded a pedal, and crashed. I've been careful about that. I've only grounded a pedal once and that was on my regular bike. It was unnerving, but I recovered without crashing.

Hope to see you in July! I will be alternating weeks in and out of town, though, so it might be iffy. My wife can really only take off during July so she tends to schedule me up with one-week trips most of the month so she can get out of town and away from the phone.
Regards,
Raymond

I've been commuting on a fixed gear for about a year and a half now - I have a short commute - 5 miles and one hill. I love my fixed gear - This weekend I got on my road bike and wanted the fixie back. Hitting a peddle on a curve is dangerous on any bike - I don't know if being on a fixed gear makes it that much worse. Using the peddles to slow down and stop is a challenge, but I think it's good conditioning. I'm not a Dr. and I don't play one on TV, but I feel as though the Fixed gear has benifited my knees. I think I am working tendons in there that I never did before...Give it a try and give it some time - I love mine.