logdrum

What gearing do you guys have to effectively skid stop. I think 42X18 is all I can do, but since I am commuting fixed now and can effectively climb the one steep hill on my commute -- I ride a 49 X 18 (all fixed) and a 46 X 17/15 -- At 90 RPM -- I can go around 19-21 mph which is a good clip for me. It is really hard to skid stop and not worth the effort, plus on the way down, traffic is also flying by me down the hill on this narrow road and there is a stop sign in the bottom. How about if if it's raining or snowing and you are going down a steep hill? You may skid but maybe nor stop.

ryansexton

Skidding doesn't really help me stop. I skid for like 20-30 feet sometimes, by then I'd be smoked by a car. front brake!

c0urt

hahaha

reckon

I fourteenth the "your fixie SHOULD have a brake" mantra

because you start down from the top of 21st ST, in SF without a brake you get one of three things 1) a brand new rear tire with the threads now showing (in 15 spots!),.....2) a couple of broken ankles,.....3) your a hood ornament on a volvo GS or a suburban.

a brake will bring back your sanity not to mention you get to keep your skin on.

~Stuart~

run 2.5" slicks



really though, run the front brake and learn how hard you can back peddle before you start to skid, then when you put that together with your front brake, you stop fast as hell... almost as fast as a fat kid into a candy store

jaywhy

ok
front brake check.
but how do you people skid while in the seat?
seems impossible.

pedex

flex your ankles

first a hard but short stab on descending front pedal then pushdown on rear upcoming pedal while pulling up on the front, or use the rear upcoming pedal to spring off of, works either way

here do this while off the bike:
standing feet together, barely flex your ankles at all but just enough to jump off the ground, do this with your legs stiff, its all ankle power

same deal on the bike

the idea is to get your body weight OFF the bike for a split second, once your body weight is in mid air so to speak you can over power the rear wheel quite easily

once youve done it a few times you can do sort of a rocking motion with the cranks and do a whole bunch of little 6-12" skids and never leave the saddle

it isn't so much a brute force type maneuver but finesse and timing, it really doesn't take a bunch of effort to do it if you have had some practice

Gyeswho

skidding is the absolute worse to do on a hill since you barely slow down.

Use backpedaling combined with short skips and fishtail whip when needed. Of course get your skipping/skid technique down to actually do the fishtail whip.

stronzo

THIS. a buddy of mine remarked that it's getting embarrassing to ride a track bike w/all the new uncontrolled, brakeless riders flooding onto the streets.

kidtwisty

jam your foot into your drivetrain.
or your dickhead.

jgarcia186

If in doubt do what mander said and GIS "spokes" you will find the answer real quick.

Igneous Faction

Skidding doesn't stop a bike going downhill.

SKIPPING stops a bike going downhill.


I can't figure out why everyone's all into skids. They're too long and too destructive to my tires. Skipping stops me faster and with (I think?) less wear on my tire.

deadly downtube

if you have to ask, you need to install a brake asap. this trend + hills is killing people, seriously...

frankstoneline

Just pull up your pants
and do the roc away.

eXCeSS

its not even a fixed gear, and come on! TWO bottle holders AND reflectors?

jgarcia186

HAHA Classic

ryansexton

Can someone inform me what skips are? DO NOT KNOW

muccapazza

look for a convenient shrubbery to cushion the impending crash. avoid the tree, dog, truck, and close lying buildings. I actually plowed a fiat uno into a house while in italy. once.

Gyeswho

it's when you lock the rear wheel momentarily to scrub off speed.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=H63FivObTLM&feature=related
take note at 34 sec how he locks his feet. that is a skip

logdrum

Pedex!!!

Thank you for this tip. Now I can skid-stop on a 48X18 and and 46 X 18 and I am not a young or strong hipster at all! I was always thinking -- if skidding is so bad for the kness then all this young dudes should be in hospitals with blown kneecaps by now! I will still use a front brake but I think if I use a 42 in the front, this would be even easier to do. I think necessary skill to cultivate just in casef my front brake fails!

pedex

this forum should have a skidding technique sticky, why it doesn't I do not know, but based on the serious lack of answers when it comes to explaining it means one thing, most can't do it

next up: bunny hopping a fixed gear

ThunderChunky

so let me get this straight:

-you dont understand why people are "all into skids", you don't like going through tire after tire, and so your final solution to this dilemma is that "skipping" around is the most efficient way of stopping? sounds to me like a brake is the real answer, but you can't sacrifice the loss in cool points.

gearkraft

I can skid on 48x16 in the saddle all day long. Like said before its all about technique. A wet (and preferably freshly paved) parking lot is a good place to get it down.

For me, snapping my 'down push' foot tends to break traction the easiest. Lifting your butt a few inches out of the saddle gives you considerably more stopping power as well. The best advice has been given though already...

Do not go any faster than you can comfortably stop... and throw a muhf'in brake on your bike.

reckon

patiently awaiting the you tube vid

curiousincident

Yes! We need the first fixed freestyle superstar to emerge with a how-to video blog.