Originally Posted by
capejohn
It was simply a confession with no malice intended. Also I didn't have the courage to go fixie with my new purchase over the Thanksgiving holiday but I did go single speed. It's the cat's meow.
Not picking on you mate because I hear this a lot. Why the fear of going fixed?
I think it comes down to all the 'fixie' nonsense, largely posted by non- fixed gear riders or by wannabes. There is nothing scary about riding fixed and it poses less chance of falling off than going clipless for the first time
The 'secrets'?
Don't over gear. If you have a choice, and I recommend this, gear for 65-70 gear inches - this gives a reasonable speed range while allowing you to use your legs. As it happens, I run 66gi all the time anyway and I have big hills on every ride I do.
Use your brakes. In particular, use them to stop. To start with, use your brakes as you would on a freewheel bike. As you ride the bike, you'll start to learn about using your legs to control your speed and that's when you'll start to discover that brakes are a really blunt tool for controlling your speed. For all that, use your brakes to stop or heavy slowing down - I don't hesitate to reach for the brake levers.
You will NOT be thrown over the handle bars if you forget to pedal. Yes, the bike will remind you of the mechanical properties of fixed gear via a shove on the rear foot but the damage is limited to personal embarrassment akin to muffing a gear change.
Coasting is grossly over rated, which is why I rarely coast on my geared bike.
It's actually easier to clip in or get into toe clips on a fixed gear than a geared bike because as you move off, the gearing means the pedals are travelling rather slowly. For all that, for your first few rides, there's nothing wrong with using platforms - foot retention is only needed for high cadences.
Go fixed my son. You are not embracing the dark side, you are abandoning it and embracing the purity of riding fixed
