Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - first excellent skid

okay i don't really advocate skidding, because it's not a generally good way to stop a bike for reasons obvious to anyone who recalls their freshman (or high school ap) physics, but it is kind of fun, so i've been practicing in my spare time now that i have a bike with disposable tires, and a couple of days ago i laid down a really nice one, first time. been having a problem with kind of skipping, or bouncing, or something, not being able to keep the cranks level and steady. but on one of my tries, everything just kind of worked, and i just slid to a stop, smoothly, leaving a 60-foot black streak on the nice new white sidewalk by the soccer fields. it was sweet. now i've caught the disease.

so...anyone remember a particularly epic slide?

i remember when i was 12 and my friend just got a bmx...we spent so long skidding it on the park in fron of his house. happy memories :)

Now im riding fixed, i find it hard to skid, as like you mentioned, the back wheel bounces. but i have sort of got used to it, and just jam my right leg straight.
Its quite scary riding fixed actually coz i have realised it takes longer to stop, and you have to calculate everything in advance.

Its quite scary riding fixed actually coz i have realised it takes longer to stop, and you have to calculate everything in advance.

That's actually where the beauty of it comes in - you are on your way to developing the psychic abilities needed to play in traffic. Soon, you will be coming upon an intersection where there is a car prepared to turn left, while following an SUV about 10 feet behind. You will know that the car that wants to turn won't see you, and will probably be turning because they don't see anything behind the car you are following. You will know that your only options are to move faster, and catch the SUV using it as a shield between you and the turning car, or slow down, and possibly miss the light.

You will catch the light, and all will be good. If you ride the same route (commuting) on a fix, you will come to learn every light, and which can be caught and which can't. You will learn which road signs light up when there is a car around a blind corner, and where to look at the building's mirrored windows to see far beyond your line of sight.

This is why you ride fixed - it is to increase your awareness.

Eventually, you will not only stop, but ride backwards from the spot you stopped at when neccessary.

well put.

Thank you.

If you get a chance, go to a courier championship. Those guys pull off crazy 200ft+ skids all the time during competition. I've seen some guys leaning almost parallel with the ground over the bars, and some doing it no handed.

Yes, HereNT, well put!

an amazing response, why are we typing...let's go ride bikes!

its called the 'fixth sense'.

its called the 'fixth sense'.

Hey, that's my line!


I call it the 'fixth sense'

not really...

My favorite to date was in the Wal-Mart parking lot after the Critical Mass. I did about 50 feet, with the last 10-15 no handed.

Hey, that's my line!

My bad! I thought I made it up while I was riding my bike today. Coincidence? I think not.

My favorite to date was in the Wal-Mart parking lot after the Critical Mass. I did about 50 feet, with the last 10-15 no handed.

Where was I, picking my nose?

My favorite to date was in the Wal-Mart parking lot after the Critical Mass. I did about 50 feet, with the last 10-15 no handed.

there now you see? wal-marts is good for something after all...

the walmat parking lot near me is always full of carts even when theres no cars. It'd be fun to ride though. have everyone line up and race across it...mmm...sounds like a good tuesday night.
but anyway, I got my first skid on the street in front of my house. I was messing around and for some reason stuck my right knee up under my bars while leaning forward and all the sudden I was skidding. I subsequently (sp?) wore out my back tire in about two days.

get yer skid on
tim

Where was I, picking my nose?

Nope, you were looking through the camera lens, just not at me! I actually was hoping that you saw it, but I guess not. Lee did, however...

i just changed tire brands and it almost killed me yesterday cuz i wasnt used to how grippy gatorskins are compared to armadillos. but now that i am used to it again i think i can actually stop as fast as a hand braker. 'brakeless' oregon winter here i come! :)