How fast does a fixed gear bike go?
07-23-12, 06:37 PM
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How fast does a fixed gear bike go?
Today, I was on my way to work, traveling on a paved bike path. I was just rolling along about 13 to 14 mph. An older man with a fixed gear bike passed me up. He said hi. I said hi and your looking good, as he went by. The bike was a fixed gear with 700 wheels. It had standard sit up type of handle bars and nothing seem special about it: except it was going so fast. He must have been spinning about 150 rpms or so. I thought about catching up just to see how fast he was going but I decided to let him have his day. About half a mile later, he turned off.
07-23-12, 07:28 PM
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You could plug some numbers into a Gear Calculator like Sheldon has on his site. Since you don't know what gearing the other guy has, you could play with the info from your bike. Note, I still haven't been able to attain the theoritical max speed on my bike 
https://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
But from what I've read and heard, you feel like you're moving faster on fixie no matter how fast you really are.
https://sheldonbrown.com/gears/
But from what I've read and heard, you feel like you're moving faster on fixie no matter how fast you really are.
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07-24-12, 06:47 AM
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The track riders I`ve seen are among the fastest in the world. Look at Wiggins, Cavendish, O`Grady etc. All previous track riders...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVbwn...e_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVbwn...e_gdata_player
07-24-12, 06:56 AM
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A fixed gear goes exactly the same speed as a geared bike in the same gear ratio. Except downhill, when your speed is limited by the cadence you can manage, because you can't coast.
During the TdF Cavendish tweeted that on their recovery ride during the rest day the Sky team had an informal high cadence competition, which he won at (IIRC) 227 rpm. If you can spin that fast, you can go pretty quick. Top track sprinters routinely train at cadences of >160 rpm.
During the TdF Cavendish tweeted that on their recovery ride during the rest day the Sky team had an informal high cadence competition, which he won at (IIRC) 227 rpm. If you can spin that fast, you can go pretty quick. Top track sprinters routinely train at cadences of >160 rpm.
Last edited by chasm54; 07-24-12 at 07:01 AM.
07-24-12, 02:28 PM
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The answer is "pretty darned."
Here is a video about an 'underground' bike race on the Los Angeles marathon course in the early morning hours before the race. They race geared and fixed together. They are all moving along pretty good.
As is often said about hill climbing--it's more about the engine than the bike.
Here is a video about an 'underground' bike race on the Los Angeles marathon course in the early morning hours before the race. They race geared and fixed together. They are all moving along pretty good.
As is often said about hill climbing--it's more about the engine than the bike.
07-24-12, 02:30 PM
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I got mine up to 28 downhill the other day.
I have low gearing and don't like spinning much, though.
There was a how fast thread not too long ago in the Single Speed / Fixed Gear forum if you wan't more answers. I'd only hit 26ish back then though.
I have low gearing and don't like spinning much, though.
There was a how fast thread not too long ago in the Single Speed / Fixed Gear forum if you wan't more answers. I'd only hit 26ish back then though.
