A single-speed bike can have a freewheel mechanism which allows the rider to coast while keeping the pedals stationary. A "fixie" or fixed-gear bike has the gear solidly affixed to the rear wheel so if the wheel turns the gear turns, the chain turns and the pedals turn ---so you can never ;'coast." You always have to be pedaling as fast as the wheel is turning or pretty close to that speed.

This requires some unholy pedaling cadences on downhills.

A single speed has just one speed as you've guessed. However, it doesn't really specify how the rear sprocket is connected to the hub.

There would be basically 3 types:

• Freewheeling. You can backpedal. The bike requires both front and rear brakes.
• Coaster Brake. Backpedal half a revolution then uses a type of friction brake in the hub. Often found on kid's bikes and beach cruisers.
• Fixie. This is the simplest type. The rear sprocket is attached directly to the hub. However, it should have a lockring to hold it in place. The cranks turn when the bike moves, no coasting. One can stop by backpedalling, or skidding. They should have a front brake.

Wow I was not aware of this. Learn something new everyday.. Would seem to make sharp turning dangerous. Seems like braking would be difficult as well. Fixie no longer seems like a simple bike to ride . Things are usually more complicated in my head though

The hardest part of riding a fixie is feeling comfortable with the weird hipster hairstyles you'd have to adopt.

Ah! The elusive fixie-riding-hipster that we have all heard of.
There was a single speed bike next to my non-fixie, non-single speed recumbent on the bike rack at work today. It had a flip-flop hub. I had to look close to determine that today the bike was a fixie. Flip the wheel and it's not a fixie.

Hmm.
How do you look in skinny jeans?

I was riding a fixie before Hipsters were popular!

OMG...............Do we R E A L L Y want to go there? Those jeans would Not be good......not good at all!

+1

And just to complicate things further, it is also possible to build a fixed-gear or coaster brake wheel that has variable speeds. In these cases, one will have the mechanism of a fixed gear (cranks continue to turn) or a coaster hub (backpedal to stop) along with an internal gear hub that allows one to change into different gears.

Once upon a time I thought about building a fixie with variable gears, but then got lazy and went with a single speed freewheel.

In other news, I don't think fixies are particularly cool anymore. Evidence is that most of us who got in on the original trend are pushing 40 or 50 years of age.

What if, uh, you have a certain lack of hair to style?

Lumberjack beards with waxed handlebar moustaches .....
and those expander earplugs that stretch your earlobes. you'll fit right in.

Or use some WD40

You can slow your speed by applying back pressure to the pedals.
Fixies (fixed gear) should at least have a front brake, if not 2 brakes.

Track bikes are fixed gear, without brakes becuase they are on the track only, not the road.

Time-honored tradition of setting up an old road bike as a fixed gear for training/commuting/fun. I also have a freewheel on the other side of the hub but 99% I ride it fixed.

Fixie means the bike never coasts.
Single gear is in one gear and can coast.

Nothing for nothing but a Google search and a YouTube search could answered this.

True but that would have spoiled your fun of leaving a snarky comment. BTW The question was answered way back in post # 2

Yeah, but I was the poster of post #2 . Who would ever think that I would post a simple, accurate, helpful answer to a straightforward question?

Much appreciated though. I had asked at the LBS - They only sell new High end stuff, he told me a Fixie was a ....................wait for it....................a bike that needed .......................work (fixing) True Story. I won't be back there

And your point?

I have a question...

Why would anyone want to ride, much less own a "fixie"?