General Cycling Discussion - Fixies anyone?

There are a number of Fixed gear riders posting here. I've searched, but there isn't a lot of info, so those who ride fixies, what is your set up and why?
I'm just starting out and don't know better so I'm riding an old C-dale set up 53 with a Surley flip flop 16/17. I like the feel in my quads pushing those big gears.
On my Schwinn World(I am going to love this bike) I am running 52 up front and started with the 16, as I am in the middle of building a Surley flip flop with a Mavic MA3 rim, and add a 22 or 24(the horizontal rear drops allow for more play in the chain and rear wheel).

Sheldonbrown.com has as much fixed-gear information as anyone.

Im not sure that mashing big gears is the point of riding fixies. You should be practicing that fluid fast spin.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Im not sure that mashing big gears is the point of riding fixies. You should be practicing that fluid fast spin.

I agree there. The fluid motion of a good spin will go farther for you than pushing a big gear and getting aching knees. Choice is yours of course. Some people just like pushing harder than others.

I run a 80's vintage steel Trek that I stripped except for the front brake and I've played around a bit with the gears. I finally settled on a 39T front ring and alternated between a 16T & 17T rear. I have to do a lot of stops and starts in traffic and side street stop signs on my commute (I try to be good and not run the stop signs and red lights - makes for bad attitude amongst cars seeing you do that, but that's another topic). I found being close to the recommended 2:1 ratio seems to works for me. I can get spun out with a tailwind or slight downhill, but that doesn't happen often. I guess I'll continue to mess around with my gears since I've only been doing this a couple of years. I definately think it has made me a smoother rider and that was my goal.

The rear hub is not flip-flop, but is 70's vintage Campy Record with a locking ring on the cog. The front ring is old-school Shimano Ultegra. I have horizontal dropouts can get the chain quite snug with adjusting the spacing so I don't need any chain tension devices. So far I love to ride a fixie. My friends don't understand the fascination. Too bad for them.

I ride the remnants of an old Raliegh Capri converted into a fixed gear. I got most of my info from sheldonbrown.com, and the holes in my knowledge were filled by some friends and one of my LBSs.

I have a 52/19 set up. Most of my rides are fairly flat, so I'm usually spinning pretty fast with this.

I love it. It's my favorite bike. I read some website that mentioned that a $300 fixed gear will get more attention that an ultegra-equiped carbon-fiber racing bike, and I think it's true, at least among bike people. There's some sort of mystique to riding a fixed gear. Not that I really think there should be, since I'm not much of a cyclist and the idea of me being involved in some kind of bicycle mystique is laughable. But if people think cool, then more fun for me.

andy

MIne is set up with a road crank 53X42 and I have several cogs 20 through 15? I've used it strictly for working on my spin- maximum and sustained, so far, with the 42 and some of the cogs with higher tooth counts.

Ride to spin
Pat