richardmasoner

Are there many people who ride the fixed gear for road rides? Do you enjoy the weird reactions you get from other roadies?

My fixie is generally used for in-town commuting but I like to bring it out occasionally on the lunch-time group ride. Another group caught us today at 27 mph and drafted behind us for a mile when one of them suddenly exclaimed "HOLY $#%! Is that just one gear?!" Oh man, I was wondering why I was pedaling at 150 rpm; I must have left the other 29 gears at home The expression of shock and awe on the guy's face was priceless.

Another time I spun out on a steep downhill and unclipped. A group of roadies in matching team kit going the opposite direction all twisted their necks around in unison as I buzzed by at 40 mph with my feet resting on the down tube and the cranks spinning around on their own.

Does anyone else get similar reactions? I live and ride in Boulder County, Colorado, which is kind of a road cycling mecca.

RFM

46x17

Hmmm, I don't think there are any roadies left in San Francisco... All I see are fixes and track bikes.

smurfy

Heard on fast-paced club ride: "Wow, I feel sorry for you, you must be working really hard!"

On another (slower ride), old man club cyclist says: "I had a bike just like that in the 1930's!!!" and (same guy) "why would you want to ride one like that?

Overheard lady cyclist on club ride commenting about me: "wow, he's just flying up those hills!"

Riding my fixie and joking with riding buddy on club ride: "I seem to have trouble with my gear shifters". He says he'll tell me what's wrong with it if I give him ten bucks.

Riding my fixie and telling a clueless club rider about my bike: "there's something wrong with my sprocket, I can't coast". He says "you better go to the bike shop and have it checked out". He was serious. And he's never heard of a fixed gear.

Another club rider: "yeah, I got a fixed gear bike, but I only ride it on rollers/trainer at home, never out on a club ride". Oh, please! (It's probably just a stationary bike).

I'll try to remember some more. Those are the ones I can think of right now.

TightPants

It is just curses as I pass them. They are super competitive and especially hate it when some hipster kid on a track bikes makes them look bad.

somebodies

Well, the guy on the cannondale who passed me up on a hill by house was very pleasant and simply waved. And then I was like, "How's it going, man?" And then he just nodded, like, "it's going cool, thanks."

Kennetht638

A pretty funny one with a riding buddy of mine who had a brand new Hampsten with Ksyrium SSC SL's built up the night before.

Him (to the group of 3 or 4): When my rear wheel is freewheeling, the pedals move a little bit sometimes. Does that happen to any of you guys?
Somebody else: Um...does it really matter?
Me: Oh yeah, mine does that too!
Him: Really? Oh. Shut up!

howling.fantods

All about perspective; seems to me more like the hipster fixie kids are super competitive and all about wanting to pass roadies. Hate it when they edge up past me into the crosswalk when I'm stopped at a red light on Market (since I actually do like to leave room for walkers), then cruise at like 10 miles an hour so you gotta wait for a gap in traffic to pass them.

I dig the idea of fixies, been thinking about getting one for something fun to ride with my lady friend since she goes slower than i do on my roadie, but the hipsterer than thou mission whiff of fixie riders in SF kinda turns me off.

marcusbandito

I have been commuting on my fixed for the last few weeks on contry roads. It is 30miles round trip and I have not had any comments from geared riders but have noticed the looks. I have been noticing more that ever how noisy all the group rider's bikes are, the transmissions I mean. When a pack of 20 bikes go by all I hear is chains that need to be lubed.

the pope

He said, "On your left."
Then, followed up with a "How's going?," as he passed me.
I said, "Great."
He said, "Me, too."

Then he turned.

khackney

I recently rode with a group on an easy ride. The comment I got was how steady the speed was when I was leading. Fixies are like airplanes in that they have a favored cruising speed. If you're riding with a group of geared bikes you have to be really aware when your in a paceline. Fixies have by nature some differences in the way they gain and lose speed and can cause geared riders and yourself some problems if you are not careful...

I do get some looks. Usually any question are only after they haven't dropped me.

harryhood

i think the "passing just to get passed again" syndrome is ubiquitous across all different bikers. i try not to let it bother me, and sometimes i find that i'm that person too. oh well.

jim-bob

My bike gets more weird looks from the 'fixie' kids than it does from roadies.

beat_pedalr

while riding on a bike path in front of my buddy (he was on a singlespeed) and some random roadie... the roadie says to my friend " someone likes to live dangerously, huh?" ( implying me..)
im assuming he said that because i dont run brake because i was in complete control and riding safely.
still made me chuckle..

roadfix

A good number of roadies I encounter simply do not understand the concept riding fixed. Either they get it or they don't.

giant99

Im the only one in my town who rides fixie. I dont get any strange looks becuse nobody knows what it is. My wife thinks Im nuts does that count.

rainedon

I did a club ride last night on my fixie. I was the only one out of 40 that was on a fixie and come to think of it...I've been doing this weekly ride for 4 years now and I think I was the first one to ever show up fixed. It is a fast paced ride that usually has some substantial climbs in it (followed by some substantial descents). I was on my own for the majority of the ride, but didn't finish too far behind the group. Since I hung out at the back from the beginning and then rode off the back by myself, nobody knew what I was riding until we regrouped at the park at the end of the ride. Once people saw my bike, they thought I was crazy for pushing that gear up those hills. After my commute home, I had put 62 miles with probably around 3000 feet of climbing on my bike and I was cooked.

junioroverlord

I had a roadie creep up on me on a considerably creepy part of South Pasadena in the late hours of day just as the sun was setting, he said, "Hi there!" and I cursed at him. He laughed, I laughed, it was a good day.

Sometimes I get flat out ignored, more often than not I get a friendly wave, or a greeting of the day.

Every once in a while I'll get curious looks, Fixes haven't caught on here in LA. We're too lazy.

luciano

What's wrong with you? You guys should hate each other like enemies!

luciano

I agree, some of us are cool though

somebodies

I know. my first thought was to pull my blade, lunge, and stab him in the eye. You know, I was like "Egads, man! Gears, must destroy!!." But then he got too far ahead of me, so I just played it cool. Maybe we'll meet again. And next time, he won't fare so well. I'll be like, "Nice bike. I am gonna camp in the Eastern Sierras next month. Wish I had something like that to take." And then he'll probably be like, "Yeah, that'd be cool. Your fixed gear seems fun, though." Then me, "It sure is." But maybe I should just stab him. I don't know.

cicadashell

i see a real promising future for you two. once you get past the stab thing.

flythebike

I'm still trying to pull myself out of the crater of tiredness that resulted from a 60+ mile bike ride with roadies. The comments I got were, "I've never seen you so strong" after I was pulling through and leading over some tough rollers; and some comment about my leg speed, which was probably about 200 on some downhills.

These guys wer talking about doing an 80 mile ride this weekend (on road bikes) with over 10,000 feet of climbing. One wrote me:

In your honor, I will do the ride on my fixed gear.

You'll find me Saturday evening at the nearest hospital for one of the following:
1. Knee replacement (from climbing in the 44x17)
2. Skin replacement (from descending in the 44x17)
3. Lung replacement (from actually completing the ride on the fixed gear)

I would assume #1 or #2 as the outcome.

travismcgee

I ride in Marin County north of San Francisco. I hear there is at least on group of fixed gear riders that ride together. I have never seen them. I rarely see anyone riding fixed. I have the impression that there are more of us.

It is fair to say that, in general, people don't like being passed. This is particularly true of the fully uniformed packs of roadies. Most geared riders are very confused when I pass them riding uphill and exultant if they pass me riding downhill. They rarely notice what I am riding, but when they do they are pretty shocked. Hearing "What the *%$# are you riding?" is strangely satisfying. With that said, I think I get more extreme reactions when single speed mountain biking.

C Law

Definately. I can't explain it.

Robbykills

I hate when people ask "whats the point?" pertaining to a single speed mountain bike. They usually follow it up with "that doesn't make sense, especially if you were actually mountain biking." I usually reply with "you gear it low enough to work for you, and the point is to work harder and not be lazy. Not to mention it's fun and there isn't a huge clutter of **** on your bike to hit against a log."