i_am_you

This is my first foray into fixie land. I was surprised how natural riding fixed gear felt on my first day (yesterday)! It felt somehow familiar. I have only once forgotten I could not coast as usual (that was enough to never forget, ever again).

The saddle hurts.. oh it hurts.. so very bad.

It is so fun slowing the bike down with my whole body! It's like driving a manual instead of an automatic. At first I thought fixies were just some hipster fad but now I get it.. they are just way more fun to ride. So different, so much more intuitive. It feels more authentic; like I'm really earning my forward momentum. Or it's like I'm riding a horse! Like, I'm mostly in control of it.. but I have to work with the bike in order to make it do what I want.

Cool stuff.

I think I'm going to buy a new saddle, and I want to get that front brake off. I didn't have the right size tool so it's stripped now. I have to take it to a shop.

I love this bike!! It was only $390 shipped from Bikes Direct. I almost bought a Fuji Feather. I was all set to buy it. But I just loved the chrome! Must be from my BMX days. I had a chrome BMX bike that I loved dearly and it was stolen after I left it overnight.

Never leave your bike overnight. Anywhere!



I was in my kitchen so I couldn't get the whole bike in frame

Squirrelli

Should I....should I ride it to bed then?

Congrats on the new bike but you might want to put your straps back on as they are necessity for riding a fixed gear. You might always want to put the bars back into the right direction as well.

FixedAgenda

Nice bike! I too am new to riding fixed gear. I've only been riding fixie for about 2 weeks. I can't believe how natural it feels. I'm afraid I may never go back...but in case I do, I have a flip-flop hub LOL.

i_am_you

Mine is flip flop too!

As for the straps.. I've been riding without my straps! In fact I haven't done anything BUT ride without straps! I don't get it..

I should mention that I also took off the rubber deals that are shown in the picture as well. That shot is right before I took those rubber things off, and then I went on my first ride. So I have only ridden with just straight pedals, no straps of any kind! 8D

FixedAgenda

You should pop those reflectors off the pedals too

arp415

I like the chrome kilo, almost got one myself. Congrats, and position your bars however you like em. Although that is pretty silly.

i_am_you

I actually did that on accident lol. I have never assembled a bike before so I thought it looked right until somebody at a shop pointed it out. He was nice about it. I want those flat bars anyways.. i never liked the racey ones too much.

calbob76

frame looks too big if that's how your seat is positioned while you are riding

guitarmankyle

it is a complete necessity to run clips and straps in order to stop efficiently, unless you are running both front and rear brakes, and do not plan on going brakeless, put on your clips and straps. you'll get why in an event of an emergency(anytime you need to stop pretty much right away, so you don't end up on the ground, or in the middle of any intersection, or worst of all, dead)

JayNev

Congrats you have a bike that's not set up right! but

Higher Class

Do yourself a favor and take it in to a shop to have the bike fitted for you. There's no way a mile of steerer tube and a slammed seat is suitable for you, or for anyone, unless you happen to be riding a beach cruiser.

As for the pedal setup... I have a friend who rides without foot retention and he can skid/skip better than most, but he's been riding fixed for many years now. You should put those straps back on. Better Fred than dead.

XianRL

I thought this thread was going to be about a stripper who performs on a Kilo.

avner

Foot retention isn't fred. It's a requirement. I don't know how your friend does it without retention but I know I do not feel comfortable riding without it, I also have a brake.

If this is your first time on a fixie you should ride with a brake. I know HARDCORE riders who bounce through traffic and run lights during rush hour, brakeless. Talking to them they all say they learned how to ride with a brake, because they'd bomb hills, try and stop, fail and have to hit the brake.

TL;DR
First day riding a fixie, get proper foot retention and a brake.

Scrodzilla

You will.

vw addict

especially without that front brake hooked up.

avner

as Angie said.

Loryn

Yep, for more bettah skidzz and power strokes for mashing!

Oh, and love the bars and the chrome!

TejanoTrackie 

Er, buddy, you've got the handlebars backwards.

klaw091

lol...ohh my.

please get your bike built up properly before you hurt yourself or someone else due to your lack of experience/knowledge?
(trying to say it in the nicest way possible because you seem pretty.... )

vw addict

What's the odds that his hub is going to be stripped...

TejanoTrackie 

No brakes, no foot retention, back pedals / skids, hub strips, lockring and cog unscrew / fall off --------> Darwin award winner.

vw addict

My bikes stay overnight in my garage, everynight come to think of it!

Leukybear 

Somewhat high... had a friend strip his kilo's hub with his first skid... he was using the entirely nylon foot retention provided by BD thankfully...

FixedAgenda

How do you prevent stripping a hub?? Is it less likely with foot retention? I have toe clips and clipless but want to be sure there's not something else I should be doing to prevent stripping a hub?

TejanoTrackie 

Properly tighten the cog and lockring before riding. They are NOT properly tightened from the factory.