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What makes you do it?

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

What makes you do it?

Old 07-16-14, 03:39 PM
  #26  
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My commute has 86' of elevation gain over 15 miles.
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Old 07-16-14, 03:52 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by TejanoTrackie
Me too, although you failed to point out that we rode much lower gearing back then, typically low 60s, unlike the macho fixters of today.
Actually our coach had the roadies on low 70 gear inches for FG winter miles, I still ride a 70GI today.

-Bandera
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Old 07-16-14, 06:40 PM
  #28  
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Bought a new bike. The Europa was left sitting in the shed. Heard about fg so converted her. Loved it. Stopped riding the new bike. It gets a bit complicated after that but I loved fg enough to commission the Hillbrick which was designed and built as a fg all rounder and the Europa was eventually converted back to gears.

I love the feel of fg. I love the skill set (broader and more subtle than relying on gears). Can't say I'm impressed with long, steep hills.
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Old 07-16-14, 06:40 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by Bandera
Actually our coach had the roadies on low 70 gear inches for FG winter miles, I still ride a 70GI today.

-Bandera
I'd like to talk about how my coach made me ride fg in winter too only I've never raced and never had a coach.
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Old 07-16-14, 08:31 PM
  #30  
i'll probably break it
 
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i havent had a fixed gear bike in two years. still have my sscx. im probably going to put together a fixed conversion roadie in the near future as i have been missing it lately.

the people talking about cost effectiveness should know that with roadies going 11spd, 'old' 10spd groups are cheap as eff. if you take your time and make some friends at the LBS you can build a nice aluminum frame craybin fork roadbike for about the same cost as a middle of the way track setup.
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Old 07-16-14, 09:11 PM
  #31  
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You can't coast through life
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Old 07-17-14, 07:42 AM
  #32  
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One love, one gear.
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Old 07-17-14, 08:06 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by jlafitte
One love, one gear.
Bet your dog is sad about that ... the wife doesn't count
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Old 07-17-14, 08:32 AM
  #34  
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For Variety, Fun and Challenge...

Built up my first fixed gear conversion three falls ago for a winter riding treat. It turns out that I loved the change, after having ridden geared bikes for many years.

Fast forward to today, and I still enjoy the simplicity and experience of riding fixed. It's fun, plainly said. I also enjoy the challenge of mastering new skills, so riding fixed has given me opportunities in that way.

Finally, having a fixed gear bike among my others offers variety any time I want to change the ride that day. Have a standard rolling hilly ride that you enjoy? Do it one day on a racing bike, the next on a touring or utility bike, and the third day on a fixed gear. Three completely different experiences, but on the same basic course.

Want to tour the city? Why not on a fixed gear?

Errands to run? Using a backpack offer enough storage? Use the fixed gear instead of one of the others.

That sort of thing...
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Old 07-17-14, 08:57 PM
  #35  
Still kicking.
 
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I like pain.
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Old 07-18-14, 12:06 AM
  #36  
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can't stop, don't want to.
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Old 07-18-14, 04:10 AM
  #37  
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I don't have a car and my geared bike has a bunch parts I need to fix.
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Old 07-18-14, 05:03 AM
  #38  
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I wanted to start riding a bike again, and I'm pretty sure I stumbled across some clips from Macaframa and Keo Curry.
That pretty much did it.
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Old 07-18-14, 09:10 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Surly2698
You can't coast through life
lol
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Old 07-18-14, 10:39 AM
  #40  
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Because bmx bikes are cheap.
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Old 07-20-14, 02:53 AM
  #41  
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Sheldon Brown's website inspired me to ride fixed gears. I never stopped riding them.
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Old 07-20-14, 03:37 AM
  #42  
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They're just fun man. And wasting a grip of money on a nice build is pretty damn fulfilling.
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Old 07-20-14, 12:03 PM
  #43  
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I've gotten "too old" to skateboard so I wanted something new to do that my mom wouldn't approve of.
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Old 07-20-14, 06:21 PM
  #44  
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Maintenance...
My first commuter had something jam in the chain and rip the derailleur off during a pedal stroke. My second commuter had the derailleur cables and other parts corrode during the winter of commuting. The cable broke one day. Then I went SS. After that bike got stolen I went FG. Now I have a FG road bike (Kilo WT), a SS MTB for the winter, and a SS folding bike for errands and other odd jobs. My wife's winter commuter just had the cables corrode and she had to ride it around SS for a day. After that she is thinking of converting it to SS this winter. You just can't screw something up that is so simple.
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Old 07-20-14, 07:23 PM
  #45  
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Because Sheldon suggested it.
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Old 07-21-14, 08:34 AM
  #46  
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did a century yesterday. asking my self today "why did I do it" Of course I will forget the pain, remember the good moments and do it again but not until it cools down. This was outside of Houston-hot/humid.
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Old 07-21-14, 11:28 AM
  #47  
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Sheldon here too.
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Old 07-21-14, 01:09 PM
  #48  
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I am training for a mult-day loaded tour this fall and wanted a training tool to build my legs. Bought the Kilo for exactly that purpose. Now I enjoy commuting on as much as I can.
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Old 07-21-14, 01:54 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
I tried it, I liked it, I kept doing it.
+2.

That's why I kept riding brevets fixed, too. It works and I like it, and I'm a creature of habit.
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Old 07-23-14, 12:50 PM
  #50  
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Sometimes the cool kids on my block pick on me about my "geared" road bike, with all the cables hanging off it and weird parts stuck to it, so that's when I whip out the fixie and I become cool, again.
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