Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixie noob question.

Long story short, my SS project is almost done except for the brakes. So I decided to give the fixie cog a try and take it for a spin (my first time riding fixed gear). I guess I expected the clouds to part and a ray of light to illuminate the advantages of riding fixie. It didn't happen. On the bike path it was unpleasant but on the street it was downright unsafe :eek: I've been reading a bit about the subject and the advantages are always stated as "claimed" or "supposed". Maybe someone can help me out here because I really want to understand.

You really won't have an "A-HA" moment until you've ridden for at least a week. On a properly dialed-in bike, with the right gear ratio, and the right amount of experience, riding fixed is an absolute joy. It's a zen thing.

You really won't have an "A-HA" moment until you've ridden for at least a week. On a properly dialed-in bike, with the right gear ratio, and the right amount of experience, riding fixed is an absolute joy. It's a zen thing.

Pretty much this. You'll most likely get used to it.

Riding in city traffic/streets with 0 brakeless fixed experience is dumb and dangerous. I am a huge proponent of running at least a front brake (so you at least have a redundant (and 70% more efficient) way to stop in an emergency) and am all for laws requiring a working brake.

I couldn't agree more; however, I have no hate towards (sensible) brakeless riders.

Do you have clips or straps or clipless? If not this is going to be a very painful learning experience for you. A lot of people don't realize how important foot retention is if they are coming from SS or geared bikes, which are easy to ride without. Seems like you just wanted to try it out, but plan on a SS. If you do want to ride fixed even occasionally, you should get some clips or something for your build.

I also agree about learning to ride fixed with a brake(s). In fact, I never took mine off. If you ride fixed for a while you will actually feel weird the next time you are on a coasting bike. To me it's a bit like coming out of the ocean after a few hours playing in the waves...........standing still gives you that weird feeling.

After riding fixed, having to ride my girlfriends mountain bike to her apartment one day felt incredibly weird. Wasn't used to being able to coast, and every single time, it felt like the cranks had gotten stuck.

Plenty of good advice. If I decide to ride fixed gear again will do so with brakes and straps. However, what I was looking for are definitive advantages to riding fixed gear. Everything I've heard so far has been vague at best.

. It's a zen thing.

How unique! What a novel concept.

How unique! What a novel concept.

I get enough zen in my cornflakes.

How unique! What a novel concept.

It doesn't matter to me in the slightest whether you understand the meaning. You can fight the bike, stress out about traffic and generally have a ****ty time. Or you can learn that when you ride fixed, you relate to your bike in a much different way. You can adjust your riding style, learn how to work with your bike and your surroundings, and enjoy a oneness that you're not likely to find on any other type of bike.

To the OP: Practically, riding fixed essentially requires that you learn good pedaling technique, as it's nearly impossible to ride for any considerable length of time without understanding how to keep a fluid pedal stroke. Depending on gear choice, you'll be forced to either strengthen your legs(to get up hills) or learn to spin effectively(to get down them), which will make you a more effective cyclist in general.

Also, riding fixed without foot retention is incredibly dangerous, no matter what your skill level. I think it would be wrong if you weren't totally stressed out riding like that.

relax im just joshin' ya.

I think this topic is interesting because I always wonder what the benefits of riding SS are over fixed. :lol:

I started riding because I thought fixies were cool. At first it was all about the novelty of "learning how to ride a bike again." If you don't of think that experience as a fun adventure, you may not understand why a lot of us liked it so much initially. After riding for a while I started to notice some of the less vague benefits; most of which were mentioned before.
- Very low regular maintenance. Just lube the chain and put air in the tires.
- Excellent low speed control. Helpful if you are biking around a busy campus.
- Track stands get easier. Really nice skill to have in stop and go traffic if you're clipless or slow to clip in.
- Lighter weight, all else being equal, than a road bike. Makes acceleration and climbing easier. (Shed ~450g fixed over SS due to extra brake equipment)
- Controlling speed by resisting begins to feel much more fluid and natural than using brakes
- I feel like I pace myself better on FG because I'm constantly pedaling. You really get into a rhythm better. I'm sure there's some exercise benefits to not coasting too.

As others have said, it takes a week or two to feel "zen" with the bike. If you give it a shot and you still don't see why we like it, it may not be for you.

Thank you striknein and EpicSchwinn. Finally some valid reasons for going fixed gear. I was beginning to wonder if there were any. I've been seeing more and more fixies around NYC and I've been asking around and it seemed like people were just doing it because they wanted to be like the cool kids and that's not my style. If I do something there has to be a reason, not just cause it's what other people are doing. I've got both cogs on my wheel and I ride in traffic to commute and on bike paths for fun so I think I'll use the fixed cog on the bike path for a while and see if I like it.

+1
Riding in city traffic/streets with 0 brakeless fixed experience is dumb and dangerous. I am a huge proponent of running at least a front brake (so you at least have a redundant (and 70% more efficient) way to stop in an emergency) and am all for laws requiring a working brake.

Also, riding fixed without foot retention is incredibly dangerous, no matter what your skill level.

Thats an unrealistically broad and exagerated statement. I do some fixed riding without foot retention and its perfectly fine. Naturally, you should not bomb hills @ 180 rpms brakeless without retention, but basic cruising around with platform pedals is completely reasonable.

I think this topic is interesting because I always wonder what the benefits of riding SS are over fixed. :lol:

I started riding because I thought fixies were cool. At first it was all about the novelty of "learning how to ride a bike again." If you don't of think that experience as a fun adventure, you may not understand why a lot of us liked it so much initially. After riding for a while I started to notice some of the less vague benefits; most of which were mentioned before.
- Very low regular maintenance. Just lube the chain and put air in the tires.
- Excellent low speed control. Helpful if you are biking around a busy campus.
- Track stands get easier. Really nice skill to have in stop and go traffic if you're clipless or slow to clip in.
- Lighter weight, all else being equal, than a road bike. Makes acceleration and climbing easier. (Shed ~450g fixed over SS due to extra brake equipment)
- Controlling speed by resisting begins to feel much more fluid and natural than using brakes
- I feel like I pace myself better on FG because I'm constantly pedaling. You really get into a rhythm better. I'm sure there's some exercise benefits to not coasting too.

As others have said, it takes a week or two to feel "zen" with the bike. If you give it a shot and you still don't see why we like it, it may not be for you.

excellent post.

Ride it for a week, with foot retention. If you don't like it, no problem, you're 99% of the way to your ss. Just cuz some people think it's fun doesn't mean you're OBLIGATED to like it. Whatever gets you out and riding is gravy :)

[Puts on flame suit] Everyone needs to relax about foot retention. I've been riding fairly regularly without foot retention since August and have slipped off of my pedals twice, only when wearing my boat shoes(I don't typically). I haven't had any other issues. Obviously, foot retention is a good thing for fixed riding, but it's not ridiculous or dangerous to not use it.

/guywhoisgoingtobuystrapssoon

Riding fixed gear is fun for me. All the other benefits are just bonuses.

Kind of amusing to see folks defending riding without brakes while claiming that riding without foot retention is extraordinarily dangerous.

To the OP: there are almost no practical advantages to fixed over free. There's a reason fixed was abandoned by road racers more than fifty years ago: freewheels and multiple gears are better - in practical terms - in almost every situation. The reasons that some people still choose fixed are these:

1) Riding a very small (<65 inches) fixed gear can improve your pedal stroke. (Larger gears can actually make it worse, as they allow you to let the bike propel your legs through the dead parts of the stroke.)

2) A fixed gear bike can be among the simplest bikes available. Some people appreciate that and are willing to compromise in other areas to get it.

3) A fixed gear is historically correct. If you want to know what it was like in the Tour de France before 1936, for instance, get a comfortable FG bike WITH BRAKES and go ride it on your local dirt roads.

4) Some people simply like the way a fixed gear bike feels. That doesn't have to be rationalized and probably shouldn't be.

And of course, the single most popular reason these days:

5) A fixed gear is necessary if you want to be one of the identical individualists currently perpetuating the fixed gear fad.

HTH!

[Puts on flame suit] Everyone needs to relax about foot retention. I've been riding fairly regularly without foot retention since August and have slipped off of my pedals twice, only when wearing my boat shoes(I don't typically). I haven't had any other issues. Obviously, foot retention is a good thing for fixed riding, but it's not ridiculous or dangerous to not use it.

/guywhoisgoingtobuystrapssoon

everyone seems to assume everyone else is doing hard fast paced riding. Going around at 15mhp or less, not so much. My friend converted a cruiser to fixed with just platform pedals, and man, that thing is fun

[Puts on flame suit] Everyone needs to relax about foot retention. I've been riding fairly regularly without foot retention since August and have slipped off of my pedals twice, only when wearing my boat shoes(I don't typically). I haven't had any other issues. Obviously, foot retention is a good thing for fixed riding, but it's not ridiculous or dangerous to not use it.

/guywhoisgoingtobuystrapssoon

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080819022761/uncyclopedia/images/0/01/Phelps_super_saiyan.gif

everyone seems to assume everyone else is doing hard fast paced riding. Going around at 15 mph or less, not so much

Even at "only" 15mph, riding brakeless and foot retentionless can be risky for an inexperienced FG rider, especially on busy streets. I've done all that at some time or other, but then I've been riding / racing FG bikes for 35 years. All things considered, I'd recommend at least starting out with both a front brake and some sort of foot retention when riding on the street. By choice, I do both anyway.

Kind of amusing to see folks defending riding without brakes while claiming that riding without foot retention is extraordinarily dangerous.

I may be missing something but who is "defending" anything in this thread?

Even at "only" 15mph, riding brakeless and foot retentionless can be risky for an inexperienced FG rider, especially on busy streets. I've done all that at some time or other, but then I've been riding / racing FG bikes for 35 years. All things considered, I'd recommend at least starting out with both a front brake and some sort of foot retention when riding on the street. By choice, I do both anyway.

...words of wisdom.

Plenty of good advice. If I decide to ride fixed gear again will do so with brakes and straps. However, what I was looking for are definitive advantages to riding fixed gear. Everything I've heard so far has been vague at best.

Advantages to me are 1) it smooths out my pedaling. 2) It breaks me of the insidious habit of coasting. 3) It's a better workout. 4) It's made me a stronger rider. 5) I just plain enjoy it.

This past summer I was unlocking my Earl from a bike rack. A kid no older than 11 or 12 walks up to me and asks "where are your gears?" I replied with "my cog is right here," and I pointed to the rear wheel. He was confused. He then asked again; I told him that I ride a single speed. "There's only 1 gear; it's actually quite fun. Also, you can't coast." That confused him even more. He then said that my bike was stupid so I rode off.

Sigh.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html
Nobody has mentioned that fixed gears prevent allow greater control on slippery surfaces in the winter, which is why I started it. Also, some people like to ride their bikes backwards etc.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html
Nobody has mentioned that fixed gears prevent allow greater control on slippery surfaces in the winter...

I've read the same article numerous times and over several consecutive winters of riding have concluded that its horse****. All else being equal, i can manage ice and snow just as well on a ss as with a fg. Honestly, gears and a good pair of disk brakes are far superior to fg on slippery surfaces.

Calling sheldon horse ****? Them's fighten words. I don't even remember what it feels like to ride on ice with a freewheel to argue. It seemed pretty legitimate when I moved to a place where there is a lot of snow but could just be gas.

Calling sheldon horse ****? Them's fighten words. I don't even remember what it feels like to ride on ice with a freewheel to argue. It seemed pretty legitimate when I moved to a place where there is a lot of snow but could just be gas.

I'll say that Sheldon's right about _nearly_ everything. When it comes to fixed and slippery conditions though, I feel much safer being able to coast through a patch of ice than I would by having an oh-**** moment and resisting at the wrong time. I think his thoughts regarding fixed gear in adverse weather could just as easily apply to a freewheel; gear low and stay off the brakes if you can.

Great. Now let me tell you whats going on in NYC if you don't already know. The streets are crawling with people riding fg and they are of two types. West Village/Williamsburg hipsters who go all kinda blank faced when you ask them why and bike messengers who either can't be bothered or just laugh at you for being such a noob. Nice to know that there are some good solid reasons for riding one. Even if not everyone agrees what those reasons are. Thanx fellas.

cuz it's fun. dats enuff for me

Great. Now let me tell you whats going on in NYC if you don't already know. The streets are crawling with people riding fg and they are of two types. West Village/Williamsburg hipsters who go all kinda blank faced when you ask them why and bike messengers who either can't be bothered or just laugh at you for being such a noob. Nice to know that there are some good solid reasons for riding one. Even if not everyone agrees what those reasons are. Thanx fellas.

This is accurate. Keep in mind that messengers don't always ride fixed... a surprising amount of them ride road bieks.

Dunno whatchu talking about INOX NYC: half the williamsburgh is into cyclocross now, thats whats HOT! so whassap

I also feel like it's kinda nice for climbing since I have the momentum of each pedal stroke carrying with me as I go uphill where that momentum in pedaling can easily be lost by a SS

[Puts on flame suit] Everyone needs to relax about foot retention. I've been riding fairly regularly without foot retention since August and have slipped off of my pedals twice, only when wearing my boat shoes(I don't typically). I haven't had any other issues. Obviously, foot retention is a good thing for fixed riding, but it's not ridiculous or dangerous to not use it.

/guywhoisgoingtobuystrapssoon

The problem is when your foot slips off and you go down. When/if that happens, it will be unexpected and probably while pushing your limits/making an evasive maneuver. I have busted my ass since I was a kid to get where I am and am not going to risk going down in traffic/getting run over because I was to lazy to buy $10 clips and straps.

One advantage I've found is that it can help you widen your power band. On downhills or with a tailwind, your gear will be too low and you'll be forced to spin a higher cadence than you're used to, thus building supplesse. On uphills or with a headwind, your gear will be too high and you'll be forced to muscle up, thus building strength. Translating to a geared bike: when the group surges, you'll be able to spin up to match the surge and then drop a cog. It's much smoother. Or digging hard out of a corner or powering up a short steep hill without needing to drop onto the small ring.

Just don't be like me and assume that standing on the pedals during a climb is some sort of personal failing. Keep a close watch on how your knees feel. Also, +1 vote here for the primacy of foot retention. If you don't need it, you probably aren't riding very vigorously, which is fine, but where's the fun in that?

There's lots of fun in not riding vigorously. Cycling isn't all about going fast and suffering

Also, riding fixed without foot retention is incredibly dangerous, no matter what your skill level. I think it would be wrong if you weren't totally stressed out riding like that.


Thats an unrealistically broad and exagerated statement. I do some fixed riding without foot retention and its perfectly fine. Naturally, you should not bomb hills @ 180 rpms brakeless without retention, but basic cruising around with platform pedals is completely reasonable.

+1


[Puts on flame suit] Everyone needs to relax about foot retention. I've been riding fairly regularly without foot retention since August and have slipped off of my pedals twice, only when wearing my boat shoes(I don't typically). I haven't had any other issues. Obviously, foot retention is a good thing for fixed riding, but it's not ridiculous or dangerous to not use it.

/guywhoisgoingtobuystrapssoon

+1

I kinda did like the OP.... I built a new wheel with a FG cog and wanted to try it out right away. I had brakes on the bike already, but foot retention consisted of strapless toe clips. I've been riding that way for a while now, and no problems yet. Just take it easy when you first start.

I have a couple of friends that ride strapless with platform pedals only, and they do fine.


Kind of amusing to see folks defending riding without brakes while claiming that riding without foot retention is extraordinarily dangerous.

To the OP: there are almost no practical advantages to fixed over free. There's a reason fixed was abandoned by road racers more than fifty years ago: freewheels and multiple gears are better - in practical terms - in almost every situation. The reasons that some people still choose fixed are these:

1) Riding a very small (<65 inches) fixed gear can improve your pedal stroke. (Larger gears can actually make it worse, as they allow you to let the bike propel your legs through the dead parts of the stroke.)

2) A fixed gear bike can be among the simplest bikes available. Some people appreciate that and are willing to compromise in other areas to get it.

3) A fixed gear is historically correct. If you want to know what it was like in the Tour de France before 1936, for instance, get a comfortable FG bike WITH BRAKES and go ride it on your local dirt roads.

4) Some people simply like the way a fixed gear bike feels. That doesn't have to be rationalized and probably shouldn't be.

And of course, the single most popular reason these days:

5) A fixed gear is necessary if you want to be one of the identical individualists currently perpetuating the fixed gear fad.

HTH!

Depends on what you mean by practical. Epicschwinn listed several advantages I think are pretty practical.


This past summer I was unlocking my Earl from a bike rack. A kid no older than 11 or 12 walks up to me and asks "where are your gears?" I replied with "my cog is right here," and I pointed to the rear wheel. He was confused. He then asked again; I told him that I ride a single speed. "There's only 1 gear; it's actually quite fun. Also, you can't coast." That confused him even more. He then said that my bike was stupid so I rode off.

Sigh.

Sigh.? I think it was a pretty awesome response. Not everyone is going to be awed by the awesome awesomeness of FG, you know.


My two cents: When you ride with a freewheel, your only connection to the bike through the crank is from the forward foot. The rear foot is simply "there" until it becomes the forward foot. You only use one leg at a time for both speed control and balance.

With a FG, you are using both legs through all portions of the stroke. That's where the zen, the control, all the rest of that comes from- you are more completely connected to the bike physically and dynamically. Then you go back and try riding with a freewheel and you feel like the bike is busted, loose, just plain not right.

Me, I switch back and forth between my FG bike and several geared bikes. I see advantages to both. My FG bike has a flip-flop hub so I could easily make it freewheel again, but I doubt I ever will. I like FG. But if I don't want to ride it, I just take one of my other bikes that has a freewheel.

Depends on what you mean by practical. Epicschwinn listed several advantages I think are pretty practical.

IMO the things he listed are either imaginary (better low speed control) or are replicated by SS (light weight, ease of maintenance).

I have nothing against fixed and enjoy it myself. But I still think most of the justifications for fixed are silly. It should be enough just to say "I like it because I like it. No other justifications are necessary."

As Sheldon Brown convinced me....

Fixies allow for:

(1) greater efficiency, teaching proper technique
-&-
(2) greater control (xen with road & surroundings)

Advantages to me are 1) it smooths out my pedaling. 2) It breaks me of the insidious habit of coasting. 3) It's a better workout. 4) It's made me a stronger rider. 5) I just plain enjoy it.

That's my reasoning... well, I don't have anything against coasting. I actually like both ss free or fixed.

The main reason is it really develops your spin.
Spinning is not just trying to spin as fast as you can- I can do that on my road bike in 39x23.
Fixed helps develop your spin: putting power down all the around your pedal stroke at 100+rpms.

Riding at 120-150rpms, smoothly, just that feeling of laying power all the around your pedal stroke- feels like what I imagine surfers feel catching the perfect wave.

It peels away all the excuses (gears, freewheeling, stuff) and just lets you to focus.

Learning to ride Fixed gear is just like riding a bicycle. :)

What the advantages are, or whether it's "better" depends on your environment and goals. If it's hilly where you ride, fixed is not better, unless you want to get stronger climbing, and develop a good spin while descending. If it's flat, 1 gear- the right one- is all you need. If you're not in shape, or don't want to have to work so hard, stick with a single speed, at least.

Fixed is potentially more dangerous, but a brake and foot retention, plus experience, minimize the risk. I know roadies who are intrigued by fixed gears, but apprehensive about riding one. Certainly they're simpler, and I enjoy the smooth, quiet ride. But if a geared bike to too complicated, you probably shouldn't be using a computer, a phone, or driving a car either.

The idea that fixed gear automatically improves your pedal stroke is a myth. A fixed gear actually encourages a lazy pedal stroke, as the gear carries your legs through the dead parts of the stroke. The only way a fixed gear improves a rider's pedaling action is by forcing him to pedal quickly. That's why "back in the day" road racers would spend the winter in a 65" gear. The folks riding around on a 49x15 are kidding themselves if they think it's improving their pedaling - a few months of riding around on a fixed gear at 80 RPM is often enough to throw a serious dead spot into the bottom of each pedal stroke, when the rider switches back to free.

The idea that fixed gear automatically improves your pedal stroke is a myth. A fixed gear actually encourages a lazy pedal stroke, as the gear carries your legs through the dead parts of the stroke. The only way a fixed gear improves a rider's pedaling action is by forcing him to pedal quickly. That's why "back in the day" road racers would spend the winter in a 65" gear. The folks riding around on a 49x15 are kidding themselves if they think it's improving their pedaling - a few months of riding around in a fixed gear at 80 RPM is often enough to throw a serious dead spot into the bottom of each pedal stroke once the rider switches back to free.

When was the last time you saw someone in this forum recommend a 49x15 setup on the street?

The last time I logged in, actually.

The idea that fixed gear automatically improves your pedal stroke is a myth. A fixed gear actually encourages a lazy pedal stroke, as the gear carries your legs through the dead parts of the stroke. The only way a fixed gear improves a rider's pedaling action is by forcing him to pedal quickly. That's why "back in the day" road racers would spend the winter in a 65" gear. The folks riding around on a 49x15 are kidding themselves if they think it's improving their pedaling - a few months of riding around on a fixed gear at 80 RPM is often enough to throw a serious dead spot into the bottom of each pedal stroke, when the rider switches back to free.

Agreed. 7 or 8/10 times that I ride my fg (with a 42t ring) I have it on the 18t fixed cog. I have a 15t fixed cog on the other side, but that only gets used when I have a fairly hard day planned.

Gotta keep those rpm's in the triple digits.