amazed SS newb
 

I just got my brand new Kona Unit! At first I thought I would feel a bit slowed by never being able to find the right gear but after 2 backcountry rides and commutes on the way there I find that my 34*17 combo is simply the perfect gearing for almost everything possible. Maybe no big performances but a heck of a good time!

Hourrah to SingleSpeeds!

and from ss to fixed is but a short step! ;)

congrats on the new ride.

The first time I heard about single speed I was doubtful ... The first time I heard about fixed I was incredulous. I haven't changed gears in over two years and i haven't coasted for about half that ... its amazing how much you can do with out. But, you're on a bike so you already knew that.

I am just wondering how good braking is acchieved with a fixie? with only a front brake? I never tried one so i don't know how the 'push back' slows you down for traffic riding and emergencies!

any clue guys?

some people use a technique called skipping (here, other people can probably describe it better than me, since i don't do it), which is where you do a tiny little hop, and stop the wheel, so when it hits the ground, though it starts moving, it offers a bunch of resistance--and you do that repeately. there's also skidding, where you lean on the handlebars and actually push down on one pedal and up on another, applying backpressure, locking the wheel, causing it to skid.

lots of people have a brake for traffic and emergencies, and since you can push back to slow the back wheel, the front brake is all that's necessary. besides, when you brake, all the weight goes forward (like why you have a seatbelt in a car), so when you're braking hardest with a front brake, you don't need a rear brake, b/c the rear wheel has increasingly less weight on it, and therefore less traction and less ability to stop the bike were the brakes resisting the wheel.

i don't skip or skid much at all, nor do i use my brake much (just big downhills, really)... i find it's very possible to stop by resisting the pedals. the trick here is thinking a little bit further in advance.

ok , but don't you burn your tires in no time while skidding or hopping to stop? Is it better to use a high quality tire that may stand up for some time or use cheap ones often?

dunno about the tires, but if you go to oldskooltrack.com and tool around, you can find some links to people skidding.

Another MTB SSer. Our numbers are growing on the forum, soon world domination.

More to come , after seeing all of these cool pictures of fixies or simply SSs I'm thinking of building myself one. I just need a set of wheels and I'm good to go...!

You probably all know this link already but this is was gave me the will to have a 1 speed :http://www.digave.com/videos/
---- its a shame in Quebec City we don't have the kind of traffic major cities does 8-(

not having traffic isn't a shame... as fun as it may be to dart in and out, that .s.h.i.t. is dangerous.

many in the bike 'community' have lost loved ones because of traffic. because of the spatial dominance of cars and the mentality of importance and hurry.

no shame.

in fact it would be about 60billion times cooler to have a city dominated by bikes, eh.

True, that's a good point... but for the thrill of riding inbetween cars and all its dull!

But i'd surely trade any traffic jam for a day without cars! That would be so cool!

Wow. I can't believe you just said Quebec city doesn't have as much traffic as a big city. It's been a while since I've been ther, but in my recollection, the traffic is crazy. It might not be bumper to bumper, but the drivers are insane. It's about the same in Montreal.

I could be wrong. Like I said, I haven't been in a while, and have spent much more time in Montreal. However, biking with Montreal (and probably QC) traffic is bound to be more exhilirating than weaving through stalled traffic jams. Throw in the narrow streets of the old districts, and you're off to the races. Woot.

There are some roads where it gets jammed but nothing like the vids I've seen from digave.com/videos in NYC, sure nothing beats the Big Apple but still... Being a rather 'small city' compared to the major ones in the U.S or even Montreal or Toronto for ex. the zones where you can actualy have good fun are rather small