Over 50 Fixed Gear Riders
07-28-19, 09:03 PM
#51
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08-05-19, 08:06 PM
#52
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Twin brothers
I too started riding fixed gear at age 56 and I'll be 60 in a couple of months. It is truly the way to be one with the bike. When I hop on a geared bike it seems dead compared to my fixed gear bike. Hear's what mine looked like quite a while ago. Today (don't have pictures at the moment) it's a lot less townie looking. It's got a high BB so pedal strikes are zero. 
08-05-19, 08:12 PM
#53
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Fascinating
What a ride that would be!
I hadn't seen that quote before, but, yup! I got started late for yesterday's ride. Did 46 miles instead of closer to 60. But as a disciplined fix gear ride, it was quite real!
One change I did about 8 years ago that I love is flip-flip wheels. (My term. Flip-flop wheels are fixed-singlespeed. Flip-flip are fixed on both sides.)
I run a normal cog on one side and a big one on the other when I go climbing. (And strap a custom, lightweight chainwhip to the TT and bring a tiny cog to go down.) Or, for flat rides, I put on two cogs a tooth apart. Yesterday 16 and 17. 17 the first 6 miles to my espresso/ride start stop then 16 until a mile from home. (44 in front)
I'd love to see the ancient tradition of flip-flip hubs brought back. I knew an Englishman who raced the grass tracks of that country many years ago. Would ride a big cog to the races, flip the wheel, race, flip and ride home. A common practice.
One change I did about 8 years ago that I love is flip-flip wheels. (My term. Flip-flop wheels are fixed-singlespeed. Flip-flip are fixed on both sides.)
I run a normal cog on one side and a big one on the other when I go climbing. (And strap a custom, lightweight chainwhip to the TT and bring a tiny cog to go down.) Or, for flat rides, I put on two cogs a tooth apart. Yesterday 16 and 17. 17 the first 6 miles to my espresso/ride start stop then 16 until a mile from home. (44 in front)
I'd love to see the ancient tradition of flip-flip hubs brought back. I knew an Englishman who raced the grass tracks of that country many years ago. Would ride a big cog to the races, flip the wheel, race, flip and ride home. A common practice.
08-06-19, 06:03 AM
#54
~>~
I think that starting FG riding after 50 saved us from taking too many risks of younger, say wild 20’s, he he.
-Bandera
Last edited by Bandera; 08-06-19 at 06:17 AM.
08-26-19, 09:41 AM
#55
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Just for fun, an updated photo of my '71 Gitane TdF fixed-gear conversion, now wearing Weinmann Carrera sidepulls. It's my rattiest looking bike. It also gets more mileage than all my other bikes combined.
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12-12-20, 08:20 PM
#56
Full Member
Humbling. I'm just a newcomer. Didn't ride my first one until 1976. But I was sold that first ride, have had one ever since and done more than half my lifetime miles fixed. And yeah, I started my first season of racing when the club vets told me i needed to set my second bike up fixed to learn to pedal smoothly. Thank you! my Mooney is a (rather differently geared) very traditional English road fix gear and wonderful! My TiCycles is what we might have raced in the '80s as a top of the line road bike in a fictional world where gears never happened. If I were to put light sewups on, that bike would be pure race.
Fix gear bikes:
~1983 Trek 400 set up with an enormous stem, centerpull brakes, fenders, LowRider rack and a U-lock mount. Winter/rain/city bike. The bike I will always have. All parts, including frame, subject to wear, crashes and replacement. 28c Paselas. The Trek is about to roll 20,000 miles, all fixed. ~75,000 with all five frames it's been through.
2011 TiCycles ti fix gear with custom super long dropout (yes, not track ends), fenders as appropriate and two brake/"cockpit"s. Dual pivots, deep, wide pista bars and V-brake levers for the climbing setup and traditional Nitto road bars with regular levers and Superbe sidepulls for flat rides. 5 minutes to swap. Tires to 25c. Bigger at the expense of the biggest (23 and 24 tooth) cogs. Can run all cogs, 12 to 24 on one length chain. 17,000 miles. Never seen a freewheel.
And in part time fix gear use, my Mooney running a triple in front with super low Q-factor and 1/8" rings. In back a single or double cog on one side, a single on the other so I can run either a true mountain fix gear (95", 70" and 46" with the option of going to a 41" if I carry a chainwhip) or simple fix-fix two speed for the flat, say 72" and 67". Brakes of course and fenders as appropriate. Tires to 35c. Part time fix gear use because this bike is also the one I will take for serious gravel or touring. A newbie. Only 3200 miles fixed.
Ben
Fix gear bikes:
~1983 Trek 400 set up with an enormous stem, centerpull brakes, fenders, LowRider rack and a U-lock mount. Winter/rain/city bike. The bike I will always have. All parts, including frame, subject to wear, crashes and replacement. 28c Paselas. The Trek is about to roll 20,000 miles, all fixed. ~75,000 with all five frames it's been through.
2011 TiCycles ti fix gear with custom super long dropout (yes, not track ends), fenders as appropriate and two brake/"cockpit"s. Dual pivots, deep, wide pista bars and V-brake levers for the climbing setup and traditional Nitto road bars with regular levers and Superbe sidepulls for flat rides. 5 minutes to swap. Tires to 25c. Bigger at the expense of the biggest (23 and 24 tooth) cogs. Can run all cogs, 12 to 24 on one length chain. 17,000 miles. Never seen a freewheel.
And in part time fix gear use, my Mooney running a triple in front with super low Q-factor and 1/8" rings. In back a single or double cog on one side, a single on the other so I can run either a true mountain fix gear (95", 70" and 46" with the option of going to a 41" if I carry a chainwhip) or simple fix-fix two speed for the flat, say 72" and 67". Brakes of course and fenders as appropriate. Tires to 35c. Part time fix gear use because this bike is also the one I will take for serious gravel or touring. A newbie. Only 3200 miles fixed.
Ben
12-12-20, 09:44 PM
#57
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No. That bike is my workhorse. I'm now retired but before, when things happened, I went to the local shops and picked up a usable used frame. It started as a Peugeot UO-8; turned fix gear in 1976. Shortened it on a car door in 1982. Picked up Japanese built sport Schwinn frame. (fun ride!) That got stolen 4 years later but the key part, the Campy track hub rear wheel was not on it so a Sekine got built around that. Broke that frame and picked up a Miyata 610 frame. 27,000 miles later, I shortened that in a crash 2008 and picked up the Trek frame that now has a 20,000 miles, powder re-paint and repairs on the seatstay caps.
Sorry, no photos or ideas on where to find a frame like mine. I don't even know exactly what it is. A Trek store owner told me it was a 2003 420 as I recall, but it doesn't look like the 420s I've seen pictures of. I got the frame with no decals, just the Trek head badge. It is (I think) high tensile stays and fork, butted main tubes. Again, I think that it is, at least in part, Japanese built.
Sorry, no photos or ideas on where to find a frame like mine. I don't even know exactly what it is. A Trek store owner told me it was a 2003 420 as I recall, but it doesn't look like the 420s I've seen pictures of. I got the frame with no decals, just the Trek head badge. It is (I think) high tensile stays and fork, butted main tubes. Again, I think that it is, at least in part, Japanese built.
12-12-20, 10:22 PM
#58
You gonna eat that?
36 miles today on my 2009 Schwinn Cutter
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
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12-12-20, 10:35 PM
#59
You gonna eat that?
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
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12-13-20, 01:45 PM
#60
Full Member
Originally Posted by 1AvidCyclist
[QUOTE=79pmooney;21830210
[QUOTE=79pmooney;21830210
No. That bike is my workhorse. I'm now retired but before, when things happened, I went to the local shops and picked up a usable used frame. It started as a Peugeot UO-8; turned fix gear in 1976. Shortened it on a car door in 1982. Picked up Japanese built sport Schwinn frame. (fun ride!) That got stolen 4 years later but the key part, the Campy track hub rear wheel was not on it so a Sekine got built around that. Broke that frame and picked up a Miyata 610 frame. 27,000 miles later, I shortened that in a crash 2008 and picked up the Trek frame that now has a 20,000 miles, powder re-paint and repairs on the seatstay caps.
Sorry, no photos or ideas on where to find a frame like mine. I don't even know exactly what it is. A Trek store owner told me it was a 2003 420 as I recall, but it doesn't look like the 420s I've seen pictures of. I got the frame with no decals, just the Trek head badge. It is (I think) high tensile stays and fork, butted main tubes. Again, I think that it is, at least in part, Japanese built.
Sorry, no photos or ideas on where to find a frame like mine. I don't even know exactly what it is. A Trek store owner told me it was a 2003 420 as I recall, but it doesn't look like the 420s I've seen pictures of. I got the frame with no decals, just the Trek head badge. It is (I think) high tensile stays and fork, butted main tubes. Again, I think that it is, at least in part, Japanese built.
12-15-20, 12:59 AM
#61
Senior Member
This is my Bianchi Pista. which I ride everyday out here in the Pacific Northwest. I have it at 46/16 but I'm going to take it down to 44/16. You would think 46/16 would be just a hair higher than 44/16, but for me it was a big change. It took all the fun out of riding this bike and I started to dread riding it. So I'm going back to 44/16.
I tend to be very careful going downhill on this bike, especially on rainy days,. since I only have a front brake. The weather here can be really unpredictable. It can be 40 degrees one moment and ice up the next moment especially when you get into the hills.
It hasn't happened yet, but when I see it I'll just get off and walk, because those 25 mm tires would be like ice skates.
I like the simplicity of the bike. In the summer when its warm and those tires stick like glue you can really have some fun. Unfortunately I took such a liking to it, that I still use it in the rainy winter up here.
I tend to be very careful going downhill on this bike, especially on rainy days,. since I only have a front brake. The weather here can be really unpredictable. It can be 40 degrees one moment and ice up the next moment especially when you get into the hills.
It hasn't happened yet, but when I see it I'll just get off and walk, because those 25 mm tires would be like ice skates.
I like the simplicity of the bike. In the summer when its warm and those tires stick like glue you can really have some fun. Unfortunately I took such a liking to it, that I still use it in the rainy winter up here.
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03-13-21, 04:51 AM
#62
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First fixed gear bike
Hi All
Just bought my first fixed gear bike second hand cheap and cheerful, tightened everything and gave it a clean, any advice from the more experienced fixed gear riders appreciated I am an experienced cyclist and have rode my bike the few km from where I bought it no issues, starting or stopping i have a front brake, it was tougher than my mtb freewheel bike for sure so fitness will have to be built up I am more for the smiles than miles these days I am 59 years old and live in SE Asia.
Just bought my first fixed gear bike second hand cheap and cheerful, tightened everything and gave it a clean, any advice from the more experienced fixed gear riders appreciated I am an experienced cyclist and have rode my bike the few km from where I bought it no issues, starting or stopping i have a front brake, it was tougher than my mtb freewheel bike for sure so fitness will have to be built up I am more for the smiles than miles these days I am 59 years old and live in SE Asia.
03-13-21, 05:37 AM
#63
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I think there are only a couple of people on Bike Forums who have been riding fixed gear longer than I have. Got my first track bike in 1964 at age 13, a few months before I raced it in the Track Nationals at the Kissena Park Velodrome in Queens, NY. I'll be taking one of my two aluminum track bikes out for a hilly ride in Baltimore County later today.
03-13-21, 06:53 AM
#64
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Mid 50s here and have been riding fixed since I broke the derailleur of my MTB back in about 2004 in MD.
I really liked it right off the bat and didn’t use a brake for a while, but these days most my bikes have at least a front brake to save my knees if I decide to ride too fast or need to ride where/ when quick stops will be needed.
I really liked it right off the bat and didn’t use a brake for a while, but these days most my bikes have at least a front brake to save my knees if I decide to ride too fast or need to ride where/ when quick stops will be needed.
03-13-21, 06:26 PM
#65
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Fixed gear is the best gear
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03-16-21, 08:25 PM
#67
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I would need big cajones to ride my SS in Fixed.....but then they'll be hitting my knees so not gonna happen.
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03-17-21, 02:33 PM
#71
Ups!
03-17-21, 03:00 PM
#73
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The term is used like the term "freewheel". The pawl mechanism in a cassette hub turns it into any engineer's definition of a freewheel but in the bike world, that freewheeling hub is always called a cassette hub and "freewheel" always refers to the screw-on assembly. Likewise, yes, fix gears have only one single gear (or the hub can be flipped or if you are me, additional chainlines added) but in our cycling world, fix gears are never called single speeds.
03-19-21, 06:18 AM
#74
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Thread Starter
