notfred

If so, how far is your commute and how much cargo do you carry with you?

Just curious.

1fluffhead

10 miles one way, carrying about 10-15 pounds depending on other variables. doing it 5 days a week.

bostontrevor

5-1/2 each way, about 10 or 15 pounds on the back, sometimes more.

I have a friend who rolls fixed 12 miles each way in the winter time. Racks and pans for Tom.

noisebeam

9mi each way, totally flat route. Not sure the weight on my back but includes change of clothes and a laptop. It feels no different, nor takes any longer than riding a many geared bike. Hills would probably change that though.

Al

peugeotjoker

I commuted all of last winter on a five dollar garage sale Peugeot (hence my handle) that I cobbled together myself, redished the rear wheel, etc. I eventually stripped the cog and am just now getting around to getting it back on the road & have been riding geared bikes all summer. I also have another fixed gear based on a too small for me frame that I've outfitted with baskets and use as a neighborhood grocery getter. I also have a third project in the works using an older Fuji.
Anyway my commute was pretty short, just a couple of relatively flat miles either way, but I found the fixed setup worked quite well in all except the most extreme (i.e. fresh heavy snow) conditions. I typically carry a change of clothes, lunch and a lock, although just a couple weeks ago I stuffed 14 ears of sweetcorn from the farmers' market into my bag!
I'd concur with previous posters that it's not any more difficult than riding geared.

CBBaron

8.5 miles each way, 5-20 pounds in a messenger bag for my commute, 20 - 40 pounds on rack and messenger bag for groceries
I like the fixed gear for simplicity and control for my daily commute.
Craig

djbrod

I commute and do my grocery run on my fixed gear. Anywhere from 3 to 6 miles and sometimes 40+lbs of food, soda, TP, etc.

tibikefor2

I commute 20 miles each way with some undulating terrain. I carry about 2 lbs os stuff. I bring in a weeks worth of clothes every Sunday, so I do not need to carry a large bag or panniers.

hubcap

18 miles each way on a fixed gear. Sometimes I go light, sometimes I go heavy.

svwagner

16.5 miles each way. fixed 3-4 days a week, single 1-2 days a week.
i carry between 5-25 pounds in a messenger bag and/or a carradice saddlebag.

and, since homeward more downhill, i've been known to ride in fixed and the flip the wheel to ride home single. sometimes, i just want to coast.

akky

17 miles each way about 3 times a week fixed, 1 or 2 on gears. Messenger bag with a change of clothes, and food.

Aeroplane

9 miles each way fixed. Clothes, shoes, and food in the truck rack. Planning on getting an Xtra-cycle for grocery runs on the next fixed/single.

rykoala

5.5mi, fixed. I carry just a pannier with some tools in it, maybe 3lbs for the pannier, tools, pump, etc. Its not very heavy, I don't even notice it.

nitropowered

I was doing around 6 each way with just a set of clothes. I was living with my parents during the summer. Now to go to work, its about 4 miles, and again, just clothes. I'll be using it to get around campus to classes and for grocery runs.

Lone Prairie

Single speed cruiser, 2.5 miles each way, 10 lbs of stuff, heavy bike but the route is flat and the riding position is quite comfortable.

Best,
e.

same time

8 miles each way, carry about 15lbs in a backpack and ride a fixed gear, though not exclusively. Sometimes I ride one of my other multi-speed bikes, sometimes I even ride the train.

What's great about the fixed gear is you don't have to do much to tune it up - just lube the chain, put air in the tires, and you're good to go.

TrevorInSoCal

15 miles, fixed, mix of flat and gentle climbs. Average speed hovers around 17 or 18 mph.
I carry about 15 lbs. in a messenger bag, and generally commute 3 or 4 x per week.

-Trevor

pgoat

I did for years, and the commutes were always about 5-7 miles each way, but with a hill/bridge somewhre in there......bad idea. Messed up my knees. A bag full of lunch, office clothes, toiletries and bike tools didn't help matters...neither did a kryptonite chain. Or two.

If I was on a totally flat route I'd do it though.

I use a mountain bike now but my last commuter bike was a rudge three speed with a 40t chainring. I swapped the 18t cog for a sachs 24t and the low was fine for hills fully laden. (a low somewhere in the upper 30s?)

I really like the simplicity for commuting but if there's a hill involved I stick to derailleurs nowadays. I'm 41 but If I hadn't been doing so much jogging and ss hill riding way back in my 20s and early 30s my knees prolly would be in better shape today....but who can say? ymmv

ofofhy

Commute 5.6 mi each way, with roughly 10 lbs of crapola in my bag. Oh, it is a SS.

SpiderMike

2 miles to work 5 to 10 miles coming home (pending how frustrated I get at work). I carry about 9 lbs of stuff in a messy-bag. Doing this on a convert SS rigid mtb, running slicks now. Flat land so I can get away with running a 43x16 gear ratio (even on the trails). Wanting to go fixed, just trying to find good/cheap candidate.

karmaboy

16 miles one way, 4 days a week
Fixed gear with 46/16. I find I'm constantly tuning my bike...I need to have a perfect chainline for that sweet silent ride. A geared bike would be less fuss, but all that noise would make me nuts.
Messenger bag with work clothes and light lunch.

darkmother

Commuting fixed is great. I ride around 20 mi round trip on a my fixed gear machine, carrying a napsack with a change of clothes, tools, lunch etc. It's great, smooth fast and quiet.

noisebeam

The noisiest thing on my fixed right now are the buttons on my cheap cyclocomputer than rattle. It used to be annoying, now I live with it, although a bit of clear tape could fix it I guess.

Al

jnbacon

12.5 miles one-way, plus extra miles for school nights. I've never weighed it, but I'd guess it's about 15 pounds going to work, and about half that after I've consumed the food and water.

New2Cycling

I have a question to kind of add on to this thread. Can you bike on hills with a fixed speed bike? A lot of cruisers are only 7 speeds, but I'd love to know if you could go up hills comfortably. They are just so damned sweet looking.
N2C