GeraldChan

Will be 54 this year and have been riding fixed geared bike for almost 4 yrs. Just prior to my 50th birthday I turned my classic early 70's 10 sd racing bike into a FG by removing the deraileurs and outer chain ring and used washers and longer chain ring bolts to get a perfect chainline. I locktited a BB retainer onto the singe cog on the rear wheel. Due to the "suicide hub" arrangement I run both a F&R brakeset. Loved it so much I bought a purpose-built track bike. As a teen in the central valley town of Stockton (which is dead flat) I always lusted after a Paramount track bike like the one the cool guys had. I now have the modern equivalent, a Reynold's 531 Waterford tack bike.

FG riding is a great training tool as the downhills make you work very hard indeed. I make it a point to not touch my brakes on the descents, except in emergencies. I once got up to 36 mph on a 73" (44X16) My legs were a blur. I ride FG at least once/wk as it is more time efficient than a coasting bike.

RunningPirate

The answer I've heard most consistently is "simplicity" and "lack of maintenance" Apparently bicycle brakes require endless maintenance and adjustment and such. I haven't experienced this, so I guess I've been doing it wrong.

...and to the OP, the only time you'd be too old to ride a fixed gear is when you can no longer turn the pedals or maintain balance. Until then, you're golden!

buelito

56 here, and have been riding fixed since just after my 50th birthday... I love it. It has close to 24,000 miles on it, and has been to the top of Independence Pass in COlorado (12500+ft), has done several centuries (hilly ones), a couple of double metrics, and a LOT of commuting miles. If I had to trim my herd down to one bike, I would keep the fixie. I ride a 48x17 with spds and brakes.

train safe

Mr. Phisure

Picked up a Surly SteamRoller last year at the end of the season (end of season model). Put quite a few KM's on the freewheel side and finally work up the courage to flip the hub to the fixed side a couple months ago. It is an addiction! Absolutely love riding fixed. Got it in my head to build an All-City Nature Boy for my next build. 35's with fenders, Soma Sparrows, bar end brakes, maybe one of the new light green Brooks...

Rick@OCRR

Congratulations Mr. Phisure!

You've got the fixed gear fever and you've got it good! I intend to keep my fixed rolling for many more years. The Surley Steamroller is an excellent base!

Rick / OCRR

michaelnel

Most of the young hipsters in SF who ride brakeless fixies also smoke cigarettes heavily and do lots of drugs.

CB HI

So which came first: brakeless fixies, cigarettes or drugs?

i'm paramount

I to am too old for the fixed gear riding but ride my Fuji Obey Track Bike as a single speed with a great deal of joy!

JohnDThompson 

I'm 55 (56 in June) and have been riding fixed gear for many years. I like my current ride enough that it has become my bike of choice for group rides:

DiabloScott

I'm 52 next week and this is my winter commute bike.



It has front and rear brakes but I generally try not to use them so I get the full fixed gear experience, but I don't hesitate to use them whenever I need to or my legs just don't feel like supplying the necessary counterforce to stop. I do like having the brake hoods on both sides of the handlebars to grab.

Bonus for winter riding is that you don't mind letting the drivetrain get a little sloppy and you don't have shifters to gum up with gook. I just hose him down and squirt some goop on the chain.

Riding fixed is an extra set of skills that is enjoyable to learn and I just get a kick out of it.

northbend 

53 YO here. Started riding fixed out of curiosity a few years ago. 1st time I tried it I nearly crashed - it was so different after riding bikes with freewheels for so long. Felt like learning how to ride all over again. You will pick it up pretty quickly though. It's fun to ride long distances with it as it adds a level of challenge and a sense of adventure you just can't get from a normal geared bike.

FrenchFit 

I devolved from FG, back to a single speed. Having to pedal in fast turns, sweet downhill runs, over bad patches, over railroad tracks...kinda took the fun out of riding for me. For my rides, SS turns out to be the best of both worlds, I keep the power on unless it's more fun and/or better control to float.

But I devolved from clipless too, love traps and straps. I guess there is always one.

trackhub

Oh, there's more than one. I'm a toe clips and straps guy. I know a year round cyclist in his early 60s, who, like myself, is toe clips and straps, and has never used a cycling computer.
He's been riding for a long, long time.

But, as I have pointed out before, there are many advantages to being over 50. One is that you don't have to give a u-know-what what anyone thinks.

europa

I'm 54 and tried fixed about five years ago by taking my 80's Europa, removing the 'gear stuff' and spinning on a track cog. I loved it so much that when I could afford to, I bought some wheels (the rear having the correct hub). Over the next few years, I slowly upgraded her. Nine months ago, I parked my geared bike and haven't ridden it since. The old Europa was showing her age, so in a fit of n+1, I approached Hillbrick Racing Frames about a custom built bike, and here she is:



Columbus Zonal tubing.
Miche components.
She's my everyday ride, my toy, my commuter, my tourer ... and she lives in my bedroom.

Fixed - it's great for us old blokes.

Richard

europa

I live in an old glacial area so short (and long) steep hills are part of the course for me. I've just learned to spin and don't mind the long, downhill runs, in fact, a kilometre with a cadence over 150 is an intense experience, much better than mere speed. But I'm probably a bit nuts.

I too prefer straps and cages - clipless offers nothing except discomfort (I don't like the modern cycling shoe). I was lucky enough to get some skate shoes that support my foot but don't have that dead rigid sole you need to support clipless cleats and seeing I spend a lot of time off the bike as well, these are a better option for me.

Rowan

Hmmmm... old glacial region sounds like the Fleurieau Peninsula, where we are at the moment -- Middleton, in fact.

JohnDThompson 

I ride fixed with toe clips and straps, but still use my old Rivat shoes from 30 years ago:

DiabloScott

Oh man!
I had some Le Coq Sportifs that looked like that with nail on cleats... but that was only 27 years ago.

HenryL

I'm 56 and have a Raleigh Rush hour. A great bike and teriffic for building strength along with smoothing out the pedal stroke. I run 72 gear inches with a front brake.

icyclist 

I'm 63 and have ridden a fixed gear bike for a couple of years. Rather than build up a bike, like all the kids seem to do in Los Angeles, I went for one off the shelf - a Specialized Langster.

I switched out the stock gearing to 42x14. While it's a little more difficult to bring up to speed or climb hills, I don't worry about spinning out to soon, and I've got a little extra spin in my pedals on the downhills.

L.A., with plenty of reasonably flat riding (and lots of steep hills for those who ride road bikes) is a great place to ride a fixie. Having grown up in L.A., I don't mind riding in traffic, either, in fact, I like it.

Sixty Fiver

I am only 45... just a young whippersnapper here but an old geezer to those kids in SS/FG.

Riding fixed does not mean you have to rock a monster gear, run brakeless, or build a bike that looks like it belongs at a clown convention.

An old guy, and by old I mean 80 rolled into my shop one day and he has never ridden anything but a fixed gear bike and guess he missed the memo that said variable gears are for people over 45.

Ride them sensibly and they do wonders for your conditioning, suppleness, and hell... just ride them for the fun of it.

My favourite fixed gear is a 1951 CCM... has a sensible 69 gear inches while my road fixed runs 72/80 and my fixed touring bike runs 66/74.



I ride geared bikes as well and riding fixed just adds to the overall experience.

If you can turn a pedal you can ride a fixed gear and up until the early 50's a great number of bikes were fixed gear and no-one gave this a second thought.

This bike might belong at a clown convention... but at 21 pounds helps this busted up body make it up those hills just a little easier.

Rowan

Oh, I love that paint job. How did you do it?

Sixty Fiver

It isn't paint... it is decoupage.

It took about 25 hours of work to do but is not so hard that someone with decent skills could not do it. I went with a coffee house theme and think Machka would appreciate this. Underneath all that is a 531 framed Raleigh Gran Sport so the bike just isn't pretty and was never intended to be a garage queen... if I need to touch things up just need to pop down to The Second Cup to grab some more materials.

Full size image: https://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...fetti2010c.JPG

Sixty Fiver

In other news... I was riding down to the shop on my road bike I catch up to this guy climbing up off the bridge and can see he is riding a fixed gear and initially took him for one of the new crop of fixed gear riders that always appear with April showers here.

Guy must have been in his early 60's and was riding a beautiful new fixed gear bicycle.

Rowan

Yes, I have heard of decoupage. I researched it some time ago for something else. A very effective way to decorate just about anything.