Havnt posted in 3 weeks or so--been too busy riding and on vacation with my first fixie. Couple of observations

1. Wow is this ever fun--i almost never ride my other bike now.

2. Going up hills isnt as hard i thought it would be--i'm geared at 42 x 16 and can make it up most hills around here---not that it doesnt take effort or kill my knees, but i thought i'd never be able to ride with just one gear---i am surprised at how relatively easy it is.

3. Going down hills is a lot harder than i thought it would be. Stopping sucks.

4. I enjoy my rides a lot more now and can actually enjoy the scenery and the pleasure of riding instead of trying to outrun the "i wanna be lance" roadies or worry about what gear i am in. Riding is so much more peaceful--i feel so connected to the bike and the road, its unbelievable. I still havent had a "zen" experience, but the only thing that gets me off of my bike is when my legs give out. I go out twice a day now whereas before i only went out a few times a week.

5. I actually get nods or waves from roadies whereas before on my mtb/hybrid, i got dirty looks.

6. This is the most fun i've had on a biek since i was a kid

Couple of questions for you experienced folks:

1. my knees are killing me--i dont think i am geared too high, but it this a common problem when yoyu first start riding fixed?--does it go away?


2. I figued out how to skid my first day, but cannot for the life of me do a trackstand--any pointers?

3. Peddle resisting technique: is it more effective/better for your legs to pull your knees in and try and push back on the cranks or shove your knees out to the sides and let the weight of your legs slow the bike down?


thanks