I'm new to road biking and ride a '08 Giant OCR3. My neighbor, who's retired and older than Jesus, told me he used to train on a fixed gear bike back in the 70's. I have an old road bike that I was thinking of converting to fixed gear to do some training on. A lot of the local hipsters ride around here on their neon colored fixed gear bikes with their trendy messenger bags but before I spend $300+ I'm just wandering if there's anything to this fixed gear craze other than that they look real cool. Has training on a fixed gear helped anyone out there?

I started riding fixed to start training in the winter for racing season. I can't say I ever had a problem with spinning, but it certainly has built leg strength pushing 80 gear inches up all the hills around here.

The biggest impact is that I ride more--- since weather no longer is an issue.

just because a bunch of wanna-be hipsters made fg bike fashionable, does not imply it's a bad thing.

there's a reason why your neighbor, señor jesus, rode one back in the day: it does, indeed, provide a good source of off season/alternative training.

considering you're new to riding, the only other thing that could possibly be more helpful is a set of rollers.

ps - if you do get one, make sure to put a reasonable gear on it, not the huge gears that those cheap monday wearing, bandy legged, hipsters mash at 15 rpms.

I have been training with a fixed-gear for a couple years. For climbing hills, it was very good for me. I love hill workouts on my fixie. For cycling in general, I don't think it has been good for me. It has made me develop a lower cadence, because it's a big gear, and it has made my pedal stroke lazy. The laziness comes from the fact that the cranks move my feet for me. I think a fixie will only help your pedal stroke if it's a relatively easy gear. Otherwise the bike takes over.

hi, ive been riding singlespeed (which i know isnt as hard as a fixie, and i dont have a road bike yet). I ride about 90km (55miles) 4 times a week, and then do a long haul of 200-230km (125-140miles) one day a week. it usuallytakes me about 2.5hrs doing 90km on flat land, and 3-3.5hrs on hilly, and then my 200-230km route takes me about 6-7hrs to finish. For training purposes should i start doing less than 90km, like 55km, and try to pedal all out and shave time off every session? and for the long haul do around 320km instead of the 200-230km? or is my training ok at the momment?

I got a fixed gear last year to train on and yes for sure it has helped my riding...I am clearly stronger for it and I love the no decisions to make riding. You are always in the right gear...whether you like it or not. LOL

If you have a bike to convert then for sure go for it, it shouldn't cost $300 though. The main thing you will need is a new rear wheel...not much else has to change.

Amen.

IMHO, Fixed gear offers some advantages for off season/ base training. Mostly it's a nice change of pace, and it will help you to be able to produce power over a wide range of rpms.

However, IMHO, it doesn't do much to develop a smoth pedal stroke (one of the often claimed advantages) and if you only ride fixed gear can lead to developing a sloppy pedal stroke. The reason being is that the momentum of the bike pushes your feet through the deadspots, and you don't have to push over or pull back. Riding a freewheeled bike in a low gear will do more to develop your spin.

Biggest advantage of getting a fixed gear is if it gets you out riding more.

I love riding fixed. I do feel as though it's given me a lot of strength, and I feel better spinning out gears now.

I just bought a raodbike after ridig fixed exclusively for 5 years--my observations:

1. Riding fixed both helped an dhurt my spin. It helped in the sense that coasting feels unnatural, so I am always moving my legs. It hurt because my "up and over" stroke is quite weak because after riding long distances on a fixed gear, you body naturally adjusts to the pedals moving themselves forward for you.

2. Riding fixed was great hill trainining. On a fixed gear you HAVE to attack a hil--if you don't you are walking--in this respect, it feels very odd to spin up a hill rather than sprinting out of my saddle--but I usually beat my buddies up the hill..

3. Riding fixed was bad for downhill descents. On a fixed gear when you go down hill you either have to spin your legs as fast as the pedals (which youy can do to a point) or let them go all "gumbyish" and just ride it out. This means you are going MUCH slower downhill than a regular roadbike. I was thus totally unprepared for the speed you can achieve on a road bike going downhill and how to handle it, shift wieght, when to brake, etc.


Overall, I am glad I started riding my fixed gears before i bought a reoadbike. I bougt my first fixed gear because I couldn't afford a decent roadbike and built up another fixed gear to learn about bike mechanics. Not that I am good or anything (but coming from someone who smoked a pack a day up until 1 1/2 yrs ago) I wouldnt be where I am at today and would have my love of biking.

So, yes training on a fixed gear is good for certain things---buts its not some magic carpet ride that makes you a better rider instantly.

I have been riding my new roadfbike evryday since i got it in the morning and my legs ache all through the day. At night, I take my lower geared fixed bike to spin and spin and loosen them up.

--Hope that helps

I couldn't agree more with Botto and merlin. Fixed gears are a great alternative, especially in the off season. They are fun and get you out more. If you want a smoother spin, they aren't the best way to do that. Merlinextralight is right in that the momentum pushes you through dead spots. Rollers or one pedal exercises on a stationary trainer is better for that.

I like riding my fixed gear late Fall, the Winter and early Spring when riding takes some extra effort getting dressed. Instead of putting on all the gear, I just put on my helmet with whatever I'm wearing (jeans and a sweatshirt) and go riding through the streets around my house. I play around seeing how far up hills I can go without having to stand and how fast a cadence I can get downhill. 15 miles goes by quickly.

Another advantage of a fixed gear is that it's a good benchmark for fitness. If you can't spin your fixie in April the same way you did in November you lost something over the winter. With a geared bike you can always just go to a lower gear and pretend you're still as good as ever.

I also find that time on a fixie puts me back in the habit of just fighting my way over the little rolling hills instead of always just choosing a lower gear.

A fixed gear frame should have horizontal dropouts to deal with different gearing.

i do about half my mileage on a fixed gear. if i'm riding less than two hours i almost never grab my geared bike.

What exactly are you training for?

I want a fixed....

Yup thats the way I see it too.

This is why I've decided to build up a singlespeed at a gear-inch just above my fixed. ~84 gear inches on the fixed, moving to ~86 for the singlespeed. No more issues of going down hills (I ran a brake on the fixed as well), and I can work on the spin without letting my legs get used to a lazy stroke because there is no alternative gearing available. Great for commuting (28mi/day) + "off" season training + errands around town (~80mi/week in errands).

What do you think?

I tend toward a sloppy transition from standing to seated and I pause my pedaling before I sit. Riding fixed gear really helped correct this habit. I think I only stopped pedaling once before I learned that lesson.

I'm not a natural spinner, so riding fixed really helped to increase my cadence. I grew accustomed to spinning at a higher cadence and it definitely carried over to the road bike.

I'll get back on the fixed gear soon.

exactly the reason I built a fixed. I geared it so I'd have to spin at around 100 to reach 20 mph. And it has definitly carried over to the geared bike.

i know your neighbor. nice kid...

Me too. I have my winter gearing at 69 inches and it's really helped my spin. I handle the sudden pack surges much better because I can spin up much higher before dropping a cog.

Get an old road frame that'll take full fenders, put some beefy tires on it, and ride all year.

I love training on a fixed gear in the winter, but keep the gear low. I use about a 67 inch gear. I don't notice any negative impact on my pedaling when I switch back to mainly geared riding in the spring.

But I thought only Rivendell bikes could handle full fenders, and that wanna be racers would never ever want fenders, or beefy tires!?!



Seriously though, it seems like many of the negatives would be addressed with a SS freewheeling bike?

+2 I had an old road frame built up with a flip-flop hub & reasonable gear. It's helped improved my spin, besides the fact that it's just plain fun to ride.

Trying to ride it up hills has improved my strength, but that's less fun.