Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Today I chickened out, Advice?

I've taken my fixie out for a couple of rides and if I am honest it scares me. I don't like how it feels when I try and slow down and I hate going over speed bumps. I almost feel like I would rather not have the foot retention. This afternoon I switched over to a freewheel.

Should I stick with the fixed wheel? Is there anyway I can improve my technique? I feel really embarrassed even asking this I just am not enjoying riding fixed wheel.

be a man

the best advice I have is to just keep riding it until it feels comfortable.

Harden up.

Why is this even a question?

You need the toe clips or the clipless pedals to keep your feet on the pedals, and put the brakes back on till your good with the set up.

do what makes you feel good inside

If you stick with it, you'll be rewarded with stronger legs, greater stamina, a more fluid pedal stroke (on a fixed gear or otherwise), and a better awareness of your surroundings. Learn to work with your bike, and become zen. It shouldn't take more than a couple weeks to get confident, if you ride regularly.

Of course, there is something to be said for just getting on your bike and enjoying it. People might look down on you for not riding fixed, but who cares? Fixed gear riding isn't for everyone. Ride your bike, and have fun doing it.

I just ordered some straps but have been riding fixed for a few months now without any foot retention and have had no real problems.

I think it's an awesome way to ride and a great joy but if you hate it I think the answer would be to stop riding fixed. Give it a few more rides though, eh?

Ride your bike, the joy of having the ability to switch your hub back and forth allows you to venture back to try fixed at a later time when you get more comfortable on the bike in general.

Great advice. I remember the first ~100 miles were weird/scary, like learning to ride a bike all over again! Once you start relaxing, riding will be more fun and engaging then a freewheeling bike. Very worth the effort, don't get in over your head though, keep the brake(s) on for safety.

After a few hundred miles, I was doing hill climbs and long descents, brake-less!! (Not recommended, but god it's fun!!!)

Thanks guys, After the first few comments I was pretty much ready to think sod it I'll give up but the last few have encouraged me to simply to keep trying, Who knows I may end up loving it.

p.s. Front brake is staying on no matter what.

p.s. Front brake is staying on no matter what.

That's wise.

Definitely keep the front brake if you're riding it around town... Something that helped me out when I was learning how to skid stop is you don't push down with your foot, as much as you pull up with them to stop. So let's say you're bombing down a hill and need to stop, your left foot is forward and starting the down stroke... Pull up with your left foot and push down with your right. Quite a few people I've seen new to fixed try to just push down with their foot like an old school BMX brake.

That seems like weird advice. I never pull up when skidding.

the speed bumps are easy... I'm super new to this (literally got my bike thursday and finally was able to start riding yesterday) and quickly figured out that you need to use the force of the pedals moving to lift you off the saddle when you go over the bumps (for fixed). I have 30 miles in in 2 days so far and I'm going riding more here in about an hour.

I'm assuming that if you're using the freewheel you would put the pedals parallel to the ground and stand up a little bit?

I switched to the freewheel for a quick super short ride after a full day of fixed and really, really didn't like the feeling of it at all. Staying fixed unless I push myself too far and need the freewheel to get home.

But, as someone else said, fixed isn't for everyone! I fell in love with the feeling pretty much right away, I was initially planning on riding single speed for a while but decided to jump right into fixed and so far I'm not looking back.

That seems like weird advice. I never pull up when skidding.

I dunno? That's how I've always done it... I pull up with my downstroke leg and push down with my other one. I use my straps in a similar way to how I do when I ride up hills. I pull up with my leg that would otherwise be a dead leg.

the speed bumps are easy...

yeah, start bunny hopping railroad tracks and curbs.

That seems like weird advice. I never pull up when skidding.

my friend does skids on 49/14 with no foot retention.

i didn't think i really pulled up, but i can't skid without foot retention.

my friend does skids on 49/14 with no foot retention.

Mucky?

I dunno? That's how I've always done it...

That doesn't necessarily mean you're doing it right. The leg you're applying backpressure with should be more than enough to cause an effective skid without really pulling upward with your front leg. I can skid with no foot retention just the same as with straps.

Quite a few people I've seen new to fixed try to just push down with their foot like an old school BMX brake.You mean......A coaster brake!? not common on BMXs, actually kinda useless on them!

do you hump your stem?

sup

Stick with it, I'm new to fixed but now I have trouble switching back

That doesn't necessarily mean you're doing it right. The leg you're applying backpressure with should be more than enough to cause an effective skid without really pulling upward with your front leg. I can skid with no foot retention just the same as with straps.

I'm not really trying to argue, because I don't think either of us are necessarily wrong... But if I can skid effectively while riding to stop or slow down, then wouldn't that mean I'm technically doing it right? I also have problems with my MCL in my right leg, so maybe I've always compensated for that. Not really sure, but it works for me.



You mean......A coaster brake!? not common on BMXs, actually kinda useless on them!

That sounds right. I couldn't remember what they were called, but I remember having brakes like that on my "BMX" bikes when I was younger.

I also pull up/push down with my legs when I skid. My back leg does most of the work but I can't do it solely with my back leg if I'm speeding down the street. I'd like to see videos of people skid stopping after riding full speed without clips or straps.

I've taken my fixie out for a couple of rides and if I am honest it scares me. I don't like how it feels when I try and slow down and I hate going over speed bumps. I almost feel like I would rather not have the foot retention. This afternoon I switched over to a freewheel.

Should I stick with the fixed wheel? Is there anyway I can improve my technique? I feel really embarrassed even asking this I just am not enjoying riding fixed wheel.


Do you have access to an outdoor track near you at all ? If so you might consider using it to practise acceleration and deceleration and coming to a stop quickly and going around bends whilst keeping your cadence up. Do a few sessions his way until you are more comfortable and perhaps in time you will feel better in traffic.

I know there are no indoor velodromes in that part of England but there may well be an outdoor, a running track would also do in a pinch of course...just make sure you are the only one using it :)

If it helps your confidence at all , if you can get to a track then maybe a helmet and some knee and elbow pads. It may look a little dorky but not as dorky as some busted knees and a nice concussion eh ?

Good luck and stay safe.

You mean......A coaster brake!? not common on BMXs, actually kinda useless on them!

your dead ass wrong old school bmx bikes were nothing but coaster as were old school mountain bikes you might be too young to remember but why do you think they still make skyways with caster rear end

now to the OP if you have determined that fixed gear is not for you then go with the single speed or a coaster brake they are tones of fun I have watch too many nasty wrecks play out in front of me over the years because you have someone who is uncomfortable on the bike or even riding in traffic at all try to "man up" for a fashion statement

I am more than content with seeing people actually riding and getting good use out of a bike they are comfortable on and enjoy riding so in you word sod all go with the freewheel and anybody gives you crap tell them to tend to their own bike

fads fade brain damage broken bones and some scars will never go away get it

I have been riding fixed gear since 2003 I have had to call EMS at least ten to twelve times for a cyclist who was trying to "man up" and ride fixed

^ Well said.

I remember my first few rides, it was definitely different. But now I cant ride geared because I love the amount of control I feel on my fixed bike. It teaches you awareness and I love being able to rely on controlling my speed with just my legs. Bummer you arent likin it so much as you jsut built up that nice bike

Also practice just riding around neighbor hoods if you can. Practice track stands and just get comfortable with the bike. No sense in being out with cars if you feel uncomfortable.

I have been riding fixed gear for training for all but one of the three decades that I have been racing, and I always do it on a bike with two hand brakes. I realize this makes me terminally uncool, but I'm okay with that, as long as my butt stays where it's supposed to, rather than getting knocked off because I couldn't stop in time. And yes, this setup gives me (in effect) 3 brakes. I also use a lockring.

It's also worth noting that I ride my fixed-gear bike for training, using progressive gearing, etc, while putting on base miles. So I want to be able to make real efforts and real speeds. If I'm ripping along in a race gear, and a car pulls out in front of me, I want the security of two hand brakes.

If feeling safer on your bike means you will ride it more, put hand brakes on it and have fun. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. I only ride a fixed gear without hand brakes on the velodrome, when racing or training.

. Learn to work with your bike, and become zen.

You had great advice in that post, but I have a really hard time accepting the "z" word.

No one is forcing you to ride fixed. Some people don't like it

I also pull up/push down with my legs when I skid. My back leg does most of the work but I can't do it solely with my back leg if I'm speeding down the street. I'd like to see videos of people skid stopping after riding full speed without clips or straps.

Me too. I can see doing it while moving slow, but I don't see how anyone can skid with just their back foot if they've got any speed going. If I don't pull up with my front foot, the back pedal just lifts me up and the pedals keep going around, maybe I'm too light weight.

You had great advice in that post, but I have a really hard time accepting the "z" word.

Can you think of a better way to describe it?

Can you think of a better way to describe it?

The joy of riding a bike is a hard feeling to describe. It's like trying to describe the beauty of a sunset to a blind person. No adjective or descriptive phrase quite conveys the sensation.

The joy of riding a bike is a hard feeling to describe. It's like trying to describe the beauty of a sunset to a blind person. No adjective or descriptive phrase quite conveys the sensation.

Would you say, then, that a cyclist enjoys happiness through a knowledge that another hasn't realized? Almost as if he/she is... enlightened?

Wait...you mean like zen?

...But now I cant ride geared because I love the amount of control I feel on my fixed bike. It teaches you awareness and I love being able to rely on controlling my speed with just my legs...

I really entered the world of cycling on a fixie because it was "cool." They were simple and fun to ride, and I can ride brakeless in traffic with no issues. That being said, I road race now and really have trouble seeing the "control" and "oneness" with the road that so many people rave about. I don't see how not being able to coast gives you more control. I still ride my fixie around town and for small commute, but it is mostly reserved for polo now, and I have calmed down a lot while in traffic. Since the fixie scene in my city has gotten way bigger, I see guys shooting along no handed, with earbuds in, and no helmet or brakes, in the bike lane next to cars just waiting to get doored. If someone opened a car door right in front of me, I think it would be easier to use a mechanical brake rather than to have to make use of your control, intuition, and oneness with the road (which may now be permanent lol).

Just my take on it. If you're not comfortable riding fixed/brakeless/whatever, don't do it. Easy as that.

Wait...you mean like zen?

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff323/AutoAlarms2Go/Misc/Super-Troopers-Shenanigans-01.jpg

That being said, I road race now and really have trouble seeing the "control" and "oneness" with the road that so many people rave about. I don't see how not being able to coast gives you more control.

Hmm
I experienced the opposite. When I was road racing I felt a lot of refreshment and all that other stuff in riding my fixed gear. It felt amazing, relieving, almost liberating to take a it on the climbs and descents I had done on the race bike. Maybe it was the bike or it was all mentality, but it felt good to ride fixed.

Now I'm out of shape and my legs burn:o

I really entered the world of cycling on a fixie because it was "cool." They were simple and fun to ride, and I can ride brakeless in traffic with no issues. That being said, I road race now and really have trouble seeing the "control" and "oneness" with the road that so many people rave about. I don't see how not being able to coast gives you more control. I still ride my fixie around town and for small commute, but it is mostly reserved for polo now, and I have calmed down a lot while in traffic. Since the fixie scene in my city has gotten way bigger, I see guys shooting along no handed, with earbuds in, and no helmet or brakes, in the bike lane next to cars just waiting to get doored. If someone opened a car door right in front of me, I think it would be easier to use a mechanical brake rather than to have to make use of your control, intuition, and oneness with the road (which may now be permanent lol).

Just my take on it. If you're not comfortable riding fixed/brakeless/whatever, don't do it. Easy as that.
I agree. I've been riding fixed for a bit and I don't understand what people mean by relaxing at all. At least not if you live in a city with a ton of traffic.

Riding fixed is the antithesis of "relaxed" and "zen". It's also not necessarily a better workout as others predicate on this forum constantly. What's relaxing of constantly pedaling between traffic and never getting total equilibrium in motion on a street where a car may swerve into you? How is it a better workout when the pedal essentially moves for you? It's similar to the illusion that you burn more calories by running up an escalator because of how much faster you're moving.

I like riding fixed because I'm always alert of what's going on being that I probably can't stop as fast as I used to. I ride fixed because it rains a lot and snows a lot in the winter so I'm more aware of how the road feels.

If riding fixed was such a good workout, I'd expect a lot more people on this forum to be slightly fit but on average, most fixie riders are either overweight or really skinny. I compete in a sport professionally and whenever the season comes when I have to compete again, I'd much rather go free wheel as I actually have to force myself to keep pedaling.

How is it a better workout when the pedal essentially moves for you? It's similar to the illusion that you burn more calories by running up an escalator because of how much faster you're moving.

You still have to keep up with the pedals that you originally set in motion at the pace you are riding at. Keeping up with the rotation of the pedals is a much better workout than pedal pedal coast....pedal pedal coast, etc. which a lot of people do.

I've tried it and it is such a different experience.
I tried it in my alley and not being able to coast is something I'm not used to or ready for! haha.

I compete in a sport professionally and whenever the season comes when I have to compete again, I'd much rather go free wheel as I actually have to force myself to keep pedaling.

I'd guess that sport isn't cycling. Many professional cyclists train on fixed, for exactly the reasons I listed in an earlier post.


If riding fixed was such a good workout, I'd expect a lot more people on this forum to be slightly fitIt's a tremendous workout. Mash up hills, spin down hills, resist to slow down, constantly pedaling, not relying on an array of gears to get you where you need to go. If you want to keep moving on a fixed gear, you don't have a choice but to move with the bike.


but on average, most fixie riders are either overweight or really skinny.Even amongst track racers, there's a variety of sizes and body types. Sprinters have a lot of muscle mass. TT and pursuit racers are generally tall and lean. Skinny = aero.

Besides, people can't be fit and still be "overweight"? You see a lot of skinny eskimos running around?

If riding fixed was such a good workout, I'd expect a lot more people on this forum to be slightly fit but on average, most fixie riders are either overweight or really skinny.

you assume everyone is out to get a workout and into it for sport. Look at all the newbie posts and it seems like many are out just for fun and to commute. People take this **** too seriously.

I ,for one, have been enjoying fixed gear as my go-slow bike

Riding a freewheel bike actually scares the **** out of me for the first 20 minutes.
So yeah its all about what you get used to.
In the last 5 or 6 years Ive been on a freewheel bike only a handful of times. Those were just mama charis and always freak me out.
That being said, Im currently building a geared road bike. :) Should be fun.

i love riding fixed, and i love riding geared freewheel.

i HATE riding singlespeed freewheel if it's not off road or just to the store with no hills...

it all depends on what you like. why would you do something you don't want to do, especially if you can get all the benefits, go faster, work harder, and be way more awesome at something that doesn't scare you?

don't expect to be super great at fixed the second you jump on the bike, but if you've been riding daily for about a month and still hate it there's zero reason to keep doing it.




i remember in 2006 when i first tried a fixed gear it was pretty much the most awesome, exhilarating experience i've had trying something new(minus sex? i guess? it's up there.) whenever someone who's never ridden fixed before rides my bike they have a huge smile on their face and they are like "whoa! i've never ridden a fixie before! it's so crazy! that's so different!" if you don't feel like that, or if you hate going over speed bumps, or if you aren't enjoying it, forget it.

unless you would love it if you grew some balls, in which case stop whining and grow some balls.