squeakywheel

This morning commenced fixed gear experiment number 2. It went OK this time. The bike is an old steel road bike conversion. Gears are 39x15 (70 gear inches). Cranks are 165mm long. Pedals have Power Grips (straps).

There are a couple of factors which caused this second experiment to be more successful than the first. One is bike fit. The second is that I used the brakes to slow myself on the descents. In the first experiment, I tried to regulate my speed with my legs. No sore knees this time.

The only issue I had was trying to get my feet in the Power Grips when starting from a dead stop. I hit all the lights red too. So I got to fiddle around trying to get my feet in the straps while pedalling several times. I think the answer is to learn how to track stand at the stoplights.

jyossarian

Practice practice practice. Preferrably some place where you won't fall into on-coming traffic.

truman

practicing trackstands with cars around definitely keeps the commute interesting.

yes

practice on an uphill w/o cars until you have some proficiency. in my experience, letting gravity roll you back is much easier than using your pedals, b/c of chain slack. using the fixed gear on a downhill adds a new level of difficulty.

lpw71

I learned trackstanding on my ss trials bike by rolling up next to a curb, then turning the front wheel into the curb to prop up for balance (with a large curb it's obviously fairly easy, but it's tricky at first even on a small curb). Eventually you will pick up the balancing and you can use smaller curbs, or none at all. Then you can work on downhills or uphills, or one handed, or no handed.

Did you see the trackstanding video from messenger worlds! No hands and one foot, insanity!!

rocks in head 

a trick taught to me by spud: ride in circles, going slower and tighter circles until you come to a stop with your wheel tilted at least 45* maybe more. I'm not great yet, but it's definitely a good way to learn.

ps. I'm running 35's on my fixie, it's much easier than on my 23's, which are now on my gearie.

fordfasterr

Dang I miss the trackstanding days ! LOL =)

I don't ride fixed on the street anymore... maybe some day I will set up my track bike with some brakes and ride it to work =)

littlefoot

you have a brake correct? (if I read your post correctly)...just pedal around and practice. Tr.Standing ain't rocket science...80% is feel of the bike. Now getting to do it without the brake...that's another stage of development....I was trackstanding my bmx at age 12...nothing major...alot of what did help me learn to trackstand was having a freewheel at first....make a quick back pedal at a stop set cranks and relax. Of course tires...can also help.

littlefoot

I dunno...is wider better?

Moto-Velo

A brake? I'm definitely not one of the fixie riders of the brakeless persuasion, but for trackstanding don't touch your brake at all. It'll only mess you up.