noisebeam

It all depends of course. Depends on how big the hill and how low a gearing you are OK with for the flats/downhills. Easiest is to try it on your multigeared bike. Keep in in one gear all day. Can you go up all the hills you want? If not, switch down a gear - then find if you are OK being cadence limited at that lower gear on the flats. I like going fast on flats on my commute so I have a 75" gear inch ratio and simply won't take my fixed on longer non commute rides with hills (6%, 3-4mi climbs), as I am quite sure I couldn't handle it.

Al

jnbacon

Just to add to Noisebeam's comments, going downhill can be an issue as well, especially if you aren't riding with a brake (I do). You have to be able to spin with the pedals on the downhills, and depending on the grade, that can be pretty fast. If you have a brake, you can manage your speed and it's not an issue.

New2Cycling

When you say it that way, with keeping it in one gear all day, it wouldn't happen. I have a 21 speed. The hills I climb are pretty steep. Even walking up those hills is a difficult task. I keep it in granny gear, 1 and 1. Thanks for putting in perspective for me.

noisebeam

There are some long steep climbs where I am in 38:28 spinning 100rpm for some of the steeper sections. But I've gone over steeper, but much shorter climbs at much higher gearing, standing up, etc. It obviously not how steep the hill, but how long too. If was was putting a fixed togeter for a hilly area I wouldn't make it too low, as I would need to adjust my body to, develop more strength vs. spin for where the little hills are. Sometimes you don't realize that you could do the hill in a higher gear until you are forced to try it.

There are fixed riders in very hill cities, like San Francisco, I personally can't imagine it, but also wonder what gearing they use. Certainly the faster riders there are very powerful and have great spin as well for the downhills.

Al

Mueslix

I was doing about 8 miles round trip, fixed. And of course side trips to other places. I've been off the bike for medical reasons, and recently moved, but it should be about the same, just more hills.

orange

20 miles each way. Handlebar bag with clothes, work stuff. Saddle bag with tools. The backpack was bothering my shoulders. I ride 47 x 19, pretty low but I've gotten good at spinning; hills (around nyc) are no problem.

memphis

I was doing 13 round trip on my fixed until I got hit by a car on a recreational ride on August 6th 2005. My fixed gear was totaled but I wasan't. I have spent a fair amount of my post-surgery recovery time shopping for a new "ideal" fixed gear for the commute. I will be able to ride again in a few weeks. I prefer to commute on a fixed gear bike.

richardmasoner

The fixie is my bad weather bike for my 5.5 mile (9km) commute. Clothing and lunch and some papers go into a small knapsack.

roadfix

A short 6 miles each way...
If I have to carry more stuff I'll use my racked & panniered commuter. But commuting on fixed gear is so much more fun...
Here's my fixed gear commute setup:

DanO220

I ride 30 miles from Castaic to Burbank, CA. It's an undulating route with several medium and one big a$$ hill. I carry about 10 lbs in tools and clothes on my Crosscheck. I run a 48 tooth chainring and a SS Novatec MTB hub with a 18 tooth cog. Sometimes I get a ride home, sometimes I take the train half way then pedal 12 miles from the station. When work permits I like to ride 3 times a week.

DanO

BlueBikeRider

Less than 2 miles to campus with some books and the occasional coffee. It all fits nicely in my messanger bag. I'll sometimes use one of my other bikes with gears for longer trips to the grocery store or to run other errands.

beekay

6mi one way, fixed; 10 lb. in a messenger bag; 5 days a week; hilly.

The last portion of my trip is a significant, half-mile decent, so consequently, the first thing on the way home is a wreched half mile climb before I've had a chance to warm up. I've only been riding fixed for 2 weeks now, but I've found that I prefer my 17t cog to my 18t freewheel for that climb, (I've got a flip-flop.)

Camel

I've been using my fixed gear track bike w/added front brake, for allmost every commute since I bought it (~4 months). It's a LOT of fun (a "HOOT!"), and great to build up strength/skill (spin) for riding my geared bikes.

I carry ~10-20 lbs in a bacpack when commuting on it 4 to 7 days/nights a week. 7.5mi inbound, 10mi outbound.

It's currently geared 48X18x700c. I could now go to higher gearing (if I wanted to), but I just spin faster instead.

pedex

You can do a 44/16 in san francisco

prodigal son

20 miles each way. I usually just have clothes,a lock and sometimes a jacket. I also ride 44x16, but LA is pretty flat.

Mueslix

For those with long commutes, how long does your ride usually take you, and is it all urban, bike trails, etc.? I'm hoping to get a new job, but it's 15 miles away via google maps, which means it'll be even longer once I plot out routes that don't involve major highways.

So far, my longest straight through trips (of course stopping for lights and such) have been about 8-10 miles, late at night without a whole lot of cars or people to deal with.

Frankie Fixed

I commute 17 miles each way, from my home in Vermont to my job across the river in New Hampshire. There are two killer hills (7% grade) and a lot of easier ones. You might have to work up to it, depending on your terrain, but you can definitely do it and it is easier than you probably think it would be.
My setup is 48 on the chainring, 18 on the rear cog of my Pista. The bike is light, simple, and the drivetrain is very efficient. It will make you stronger, by the way, so, when you ride your old bike, you'll feel the difference. Go for it. I sold my roadbike after riding fixed for a month.

rainedon

16 miles each way with some decent hills in Portland. I ride a fixed 42x15 and carry 10-20 lbs in my panniers on my lowrider front rack. I've carried rear panniers, backpacks, saddlebags and these front panniers. I hate riding with a backpack, and my saddlebag didn't have the capacity that I needed for commuting. The bike handles much better with the weight low and in the front than it does with rear panniers. Much more stable climbing out of the saddle.

I think I've done maybe 5 rides on my roadbike this year. About 95% of my miles have been fixed. I love it.

Nate

bsyptak

"If the ride is fly, you must buy" or something like that. Thanks to Snoop Dog!

I ride this superfly bike on the days it doesn't rain. I love it. The gearing is 42x16. My 17 mile RT commute is mostly flat, but getting out of the parking garage at work is a chore. Still, so worth it.

bostontrevor

Given those mountains, I wonder what "mostly flat" means.

Still, a fixed gear is fine around Boston. I think towards the south is a little hillier than west or north, but I'm also just more familiar with that direction, so I may be wrong. Anyhow, I know lots of people who commute fixed gear around here, including that friend I mentioned who rides in from Dedham 12 miles each way.

If you're a reasonably fit cyclist, start out around 67 or 69 gear inches.

VermontRides

I have a 26 mile roundtrip with 2500 feet of climbing, steepest sections about 11%, time to work 35 to 45 minutes, home 45 to 60 minutes, did the whole thing fixed once (never again, the downhill was not at all pleasant - 5 miles and 1300 feet down), I try to limit the singlespeed to about 15 lbs. of load, bike is a 28 year young Eisentraut Limited with a 42 x 18 700 x 32c with Shimano dyno hub in front and Surly Flip-Flop in rear matrix ceramic rims Planet Bike fenders silca pump Brooks saddle Carradice saddlebag Vredestein Sport Flex tires (sadly, no longer made) and some sort of SPD style pedal ........my commute times are the same as on my 24 speed road bike, the climbs are faster, but I have to coast a lot, riding the route fixed is slower due to all the downhill sections.....climbing on the fixed is about one cog easier than on the single speed......I use a multispeed bike with 700 x 35 knobbies and disc brakes for snowy weather/slippery/windy conditions or when I expect to carry more than 15 lbs

LCI_Brian

When I was 30 miles from work, all flat, I'd put my fixie on the back of the vanpool van in the morning and ride home at night. Only gear to take home was the palm pilot. Now I have a 20 mile commute, but it is too hilly for my knees to survive on a fixie.

spidercyclist

I ride my ss sometime now and the other ss all winter.
I carry 10 to 15 lbs of stuff . It is 3 miles each way 5 time a week . I wound ride more after work ,But my work is to hard right now . Have a good nite .

pgoat

alla u young whippersnappers just be nice to your knees; you can make it up those hills alright, but you may be stressing your knees and not know it - mine didn't give a lot of signs I was abusing them, till the damage was done. Just be smart, gear it a little low (not overboard low but comfy for your steepest hill) and yes, the front brake on a fixie will help spare your knees on the descents.

man, all these SS threads make me miss my old bikes!

pgoat

This one really gets me....great shot!

I have a 12 spd Trek very similar and am torn between fixing it up to a 9 spd or stripping down to fixie......my knees are shaking just thinking about it.