I would bet most of the board regulars would not be considered 'hipsters', but how many admit to having been influenced to
a. add a fixed gear to your stable out of curiosity, and ridding on occasion (of course you have it outfitted with TA cranks...)
b. ridding your fixed gear (that you've had for ages) a bit more regularly
c. or possibly even discover a real love for this type of bicycle (as broad of a type it really is), that you would never probably have been introduced to otherwise (or had previously dismissed)


I know that personally because of my lifelong love of biking I would have at some point built/bought a fixed gear bike, but I think that because of this fad I have been driven to possibly do it sooner, though ironically I may have been put off from the whole idea about 5 years ago living in philly when I saw the way it was emulating track bikes (...and I now admit I was hasty in my judgment for I really do enjoy ridding a fixed gear bicycle, even it is devoid of deep-v wheels etc..)

share your thoughts,

I built a fixed gear for my daughter and she hated it. I tried it and I hated it. Now it has gears again.

I had more than a few before I realized that it wasn't for me, I prefer single speed.

I've been ridding one for about 3 years regularly, around town (out to the lake for a swim today). It's simple and fun, climbs really well on short climbs, great for winter and rain riding (less to clean drivetrain lasts longer). Fixed gears are great. of course mine has fender, mudflaps that nearly drag the ground, campy brakes front and back, phil wood hubs laced to Nisi rims, a moustache bar and yes... TA cranks, though I am thinking about switching to first gen chorus (I want to try 172.5 and could use something stiffer, the TA are pretty noodly). And with fixamatosis producing 135BCD 1/8" track rings it opens a new window of crank useage.

When I first got into riding someone told me I'd be riding a fixed gear in 6 months. Well get was close, 9 months later I built a fixed gear conversion. I think it's great. The steel fixie is worlds apart from the aluminum road bike.

How about D: "Would own one if a genuine track machine popped up at a good price, but not actively looking."

Personally, I'd love to own a curved-tube Jack Taylor path racer, but only because I like the looks of them - not specifically because they are often set up as fixed gear:





-Kurt

As I said elsewhere, I recently bought a bronze green 1971 Raleigh Record with the intention of converting it to a path racer. So yes, I have been influenced by fixed gear advocates to try it out:

The 1971 Raleigh Record was my first adult bike (bought new, when I was in high school), and my first geared bike (I had previously been riding a SS cruiser), and I LOVED having gears (and I still love having gears). Now I'll be converting a 1971 Raleigh Record to fixed gear. How's that for (unintended) irony, o hipster trend-followers?

Definitely no tight girl pants or a white belt for me, but I ride fixed all the time. I got back into riding after a few year hiatus about 5-6 years ago. That was back into mountain bikes though. I had two geared MTBs and "took a chance" and bought a single speed 29er MTB. I loved SS and sold off both of my geared bikes, and eventually added another SS MTB. That first 29er SS was the first bike I ever rode fixed on a recommendation from a track racer to give fixed a try. Riding fixed on the MTB (not off road, but on dirt roads mostly) led me to build a fixed gear for the road. Fixed actually got me more into cycling in general and most notable C&V bikes in general. I ride fixed on the road, and have even rode the local Velodrome on some occasions.

When I started riding fixed on the road I only had fixed gear bikes. I have added a number of geared bikes to the stable since then. In the beginning I was riding way more on the fixed gears, but the last two years most of my riding is commuting to work. I normally ride one of two geared bikes for the work commute, but I do have one fixed gear I ride on occasion. I currently own 6 fixed gear bikes: 4 true track bikes, one conversion of a touring bike, and another conversion that is a one trick pony (dedicated bike polo bike). I have previously owned 8 other fixed gear bikes (conversions, MTB, and track bikes) that have been sold off including the original SS 29er that started it all for me.

And, oh ya none of them have TA cranks, but two do have Deep V's.

I was influenced by our dearly departed Sheldon Brown to try riding fixed. I tried it and was hooked.

I bought an 89 Trek 660 frame from eBay and built it up as a fixed gear road bike. I didn't want a track bike, as I had no plans to ride on the track (although now I'd love to try it). I wanted a road bike with road bike geometry, brake holes, and water bottle cage bosses. Here it is on one of my favorite country road loops:



After a couple of winters, the finish was getting a little ragged so I had it powdercoated. I tried to match Trek's Race Blue of the mid-80s.




I will always have at least one FG in my stable.

1988 Kuwahara Shasta


1987 Kuwahara Cascade


1940 CCM path / road bike


1973 Phillip's 20


1955 Raleigh Lenton "Reg Harris Road Model" - my only real fixed gear.


And Bridgette... the bike that started all this madness.

I have 13 bikes (I have been reducing the herd of late) and I split my riding time pretty evenly between riding fixed and geared.

The year I built Bridgette I rode her nearly 5000 miles.

I have one. I like riding it. I like riding my other eight bikes also.

This whole hippster movement began long after I started riding and racing. I began riding fixed gears in the 1970's. I raced track and had a dedicated track bike, a Schwinn Paramount P14. I converted road bikes into road going fixed gears with lower gearing (60-65 gear inches), brakes, water bottle cages and even fenders and generator lights for winter training to get my leg speed back after a season of big gear mashing in road races and TTs. It was real easy to convert the old road bikes into fixed gears, because the rear dropout spacing was the same 120mm as a track frame, and the freewheel threads were the same as a track cog. You could even use a left side bottom bracket lock ring as a cog lockring. The chainline worked out if you placed the chain on the inside crank chainring. Today, I still race track on a pure track bike, and ride a separate road fixed gear for training as well as just running around town. I pull track stands at traffic lights, and all the kiddos are impressed, but don't do all that stupid skidding and stunt stuff.

Note: Due to errors on this webpage, I am unable to upload photos of my steed.

I'm getting ready to build my first fixed gear out of a Raleigh Grand Prix I got almost a year ago that departed my company for a while. I got it back today, and withing an hour had it almost completely torn apart. It'll be a few more weeks till it's finished, but it won't be too long till I try it.
-Gene-

I ride one all winter, and have been doing so for a long time. It's perfect for getting in a good workout on under two hours rides. And I'm sure it's responsible for why I still have the leg speed to beat a lot of guys half my age in sprints.

People get too hung up on this hipster BS. It has nothing to do with cycling. Fixed gear conversions have been used for race training for decades. It's way fun and can really improve all aspects of your form if done correctly.

You can ride fixed without feeling "zen", skidding, smoking cigs, knuckle tattoos, stupid handlebars, or a my little pony color scheme. Honest.

My SS is a vintage conversion, but my fixed is a BF IRO group buy. But sorry, no TA crank. It's a black Sugino 75, just like all the hipsters want. My front wheel is built on an older Record hub, and the rear is a Phil fixed/fixed. My front brake is an early 80's Record, but I really think I'm going to swap it out for some dual pivots, co they're won't be much vintage left. But it is all steel.

Dude! switch to black or bare alluminum cages, you will not regret it!

Ok, so what's that little thing at the end of the bar? Some kind of shifter? Thought it was a fixed? So confused.

ACS fixed 3 speed. Something everybody thinks they need, until they actually ride one.

I like this thread! I can't argue if you've tried it and hated it, but I'm glad people are giving it a chance. Regulars have probably already have seen this photo a few times, but I really miss this bike and it has some sentimental value for me since it was my first bike I actually owned (never had my own bike as a kid) and it single handedly brought me into the C&V world. It's sitting now in a corner with a bent fork

Sixty Fiver: I always love seeing those Kuwahara pictures! Great looking machines

Here is my former bike, pictured as sold. I took my carbon post and my Brooks off


I had/have been riding single speed for years, but in mountain biking.

I was cruising the internets one night looking for parts, found the IRO website, and discovered this fixed gear thing.

I bought a Mark V, loved it to death, but I sold it afterwards and recouped a lot of my $$ thank god.

Once the new 3 speed fixed gear hub is released (soon from what I hear) I've got a lower end Dawes road frame that's finally going to get used.

I love fixed, but I want the next one to be a little more "personal" than a mass marketed one.

The guys in the club told me to fix my bike for the winter club runs of 1972. They also told me what size of gear we would all be using (65 inches).

- and some of you thought the hipster scene was conformist:-)

OK, so the website finally let me upload my photos. First is my 1976 Schwinn Paramount P14 steel track bike only ridden on a velodrome. Second is my 1976 Ron Cooper steel road frame fixie conversion, which will soon be returned to its multi-speed classic Campy Nuovo Record glory and old school toe clips and straps. Got to find my old Sidis now. Third is my new fixie, built on a VISP Taiwanese aluminum all purpose SS/FG/track framseset that I recently scored on eBay for $51 + shipping and a bunch of parts I had lying around.

I lusted over the Peugeot PX10, with its fancy lugs and beautiful Stronglight cranks, but as a poor college student could only afford a Peugeot UO8. Yours is in fabulous condition.

I plan to get one for winter training. To work on my pedaling. No idea if I'll hate it or not, but I suspect I'll be fine. Sometimes I'm too lazy to shift even when I have gears, but I like the option.

I'm not entirely convinced it is an ASC. I pulled up the picture because it was one of the best photos of a curved-tube JT frame with rear facing drops, and added that caveat in my text to note that they were not always set up fixed.

That said, someone linked to a beautiful lime green fixed Jack Taylor on Craigslist - very similar to this red frame - not long ago; I would have posted it in place of this red machine, but I don't have the link to the Flickr photos handy.

-Kurt