Originally Posted by
Colnago Mixte
What I'm wondering with a fixed gear though, is how you handle hitting dips or pot holes in situations where you would otherwise try to level out your pedals like on a geared bike? If you hit a really big one, especially with your pedals in a bad position, what's the drill?
If inattentive and riding into a bad patch of pavement one eases a slight bit off of the saddle, look where the bike needs to go and ride right on/over what should have been avoided.
Situational awareness, calm confident bike handling skills and adaptation to the relentless nature of the machine are required for riding FG on the debris strewn badly maintained open public roads.
A FG bike takes more of a beating, as does the rider, since coasting and easing over rough surfaces does not happen and a bunny hop is out of the question.
Riding FG is not for everyone.
edit: Long time/Old School FG road riders have converted road bikes w/ horizontal dropouts to FG for decades. Bikes designed for nimble compliant ride/handing at pace on the rough secondary roads and pave' of European road racing in the '60s-'80's have the geometry and tire width clearance to shrug off surface imperfections that track or modern "track-likes" bikes would find more punishing, destabilizing and unpleasant.
As always, suit yourself.
.-Bandera