popeye

There are SS bikes and there are track bikes. A track bike has a very short wheel base and a front brake will put you over the bars before you know what happened. I learned to unclip fast, raise my legs above the bars and try to land vertical on my feet. There is no mounting boss for a rear brake on my Felt nor are they common that I have seen.

LarrySellerz

I was planning on buying a used one from craigslist, there are also some bike shops in san jose who have track bikes/fixies for sale. Or I could get one online (wabi looks nice but pricy) I wanted a track geometry as opposed to a more urban build, but really dont know much about fixed gears. Dont think ill take it on the velodrome

Carbonfiberboy 

IME it depends on the terrain. Around here, every ride will have 6%-10% grades, some fairly long, and SS works fine. fixed does not, though that depends on rider strength. Obviously big g.i. will be more compatible at speed on the flat and descending if one is strong enough to climb with it. One of the people I used to ride with rode ~90 g.i. in the mountains. There was a 2 who used to come out with us on his fixed in the winter, but he'd drop off about about 30 miles. When I was riding SS with the group, I remember long periods of spinning 135 - I wasn't strong enough to climb 10% in a bigger gear. This was when I was a kid in my 50s and early 60s.

IMO it's difficult to ride well in a surging paceline if you're not matching cadence with the other riders. Plus the cornering issue. Plus I know 2 very experienced fixed riders who were catapulted in a moment on inattention. That doesn't happen if one only ever rides fixed. So no, I don't think it's a great idea. OTOH, solo fixed doesn't have any of these issues. If one is with the right group, riding geared is plenty challenging.

koala logs

The main reason why riding fixed in a group is a bad idea. Another problem is that on some tight and fast corners, you'll to be slower than people on SS or geared. So if you end up anywhere on the group but the back, you become a collision risk if you brake when others don't expect anyone to brake.

I think the only good reason to bring fixed is that everyone or most in the group are riding fixed as well.

LarrySellerz

it would be fine as long as you stick to 92, its by far the easiest way over the hill. Faster than the traffic jam on weekends too

big chainring 

Just remember when going for that townline sprint... No handslings in the last 200 meters!

Trakhak

Larry, I bought a Felt TK2 about 10 years ago because I thought I missed the ultra-short wheelbase geometry of one of my earlier track bikes I used in the early '80s. I rode the TK2 maybe 4 or 5 times a year for a while and then admitted to myself that, even though the drilled fork allowed me to install a front brake, so it's not quite as suicidal a choice as it would otherwise be, it's just too hair-raisingly skittish for enjoyment out on the road.

Judging from your post history, that description probably increased rather than decreased your desire to buy a sprint-geometry track bike. That said, the Specialized Langster that I bought in its first year of production (I'd been searching for a road-worthy aluminum fixed-gear bike for years) is possibly my favorite bike that I've ever owned. Ironically, the wheelbase and geometry are likely very nearly identical to those of my first track bike, the Helyett Speciale that I wheedled my parents into buying in 1964.

And I rode that Helyett track bike with my local bike club when everyone else was on road bikes, training in the hilly terrain north of New Haven. At age 13, I was an unusually strong cyclist for my age, and it annoyed one of the 17-year-old guys so much that he couldn't stay with me on the climbs that he wanted to have me kicked out of our local cycling club. (Quote: "It's not fair that he gets to go on training rides after school while I have to go to my job!")

LarrySellerz

I think im going to get two, I'll need different ratios depending on where I ride anyways.

jonathanf2

I regularly ride with fixed gear riders and it isn't a problem. In fact on the flats, they can sprint out the gate faster than any of the geared cyclists. I especially make it a point to draft the bigger fixed gear riders because they're great for blocking the wind and can pull better on shorter road segments. Though when we hit the hills, I unfortunately can't reciprocate the favor and leave them behind!

smashndash

I've done it, but only easy/friendly group rides. And of course, I had a front brake. I wouldn't be comfortable doing hard group rides on a fixie, but if I were to try I'd stay at the back.

Hermes

I have not ridden 92 to the coast nor would I and I would not recommend it. I have ridden 92 from Canada to Skyline in the early morning and then left on 35 - light traffic. In the morning the ride up 35 to Kings/Tunitas Creek is inspiring. And I have climbed OLH, up Skyline past Kings and then descended 92 back to Canada - interesting but not necessarily a lot of fun. Although, Alto Velo does it from time to time.

Generally, 92 has too much traffic with most of the route without dedicated space for bikes and little shoulder with slow moving cars. As such, cyclists have to compete with cars for road space and that cuts in both directions. Slow cars slow down cyclists and heavy traffic in both directions squeeze cyclists to the right.

Could I do it? Absolutely, Would it be fun. No way and there are too many better alternatives.

The most fun route to the coast and back is OLH to 35. 35 to 84 to the coast. Right on Stage after a coffee at San Gregorio and then right on Tunitas Creek and decend Kings Mountain back to Woodside.

I rode a lot on the west side of Skyline and saw zero fixed gear riders.

I would check out what the guys rode and the setup for races like Redhook. Those were street races with fixed gear no brakes. I suspect track bikes with short cranks.

And we have a fixed gear forum here. I suggest you take the Larry Sellerz show over there. They will love some fresh meat.

Hermes

Larry, the more I think about it, the more I want to move this thread to Single Speed and Fixed Gear forum. It is running out of gas here and you will get more info on setup/frames and etc as well as riding in groups from riders who favor fixed over geared versus a group that favors gears over fixed.

Let me know if you want it moved.

LarrySellerz

Red hook is nuts haha, I dont plan on racing in something like that, was more for alleycats. possibly spectrum but should probably not ride it in alviso. descending 92 either way is honestly fine, and I swim in the ocean which is 50-60 degrees so im pretty drained after getting out, limping up 92 is easier. The worst part is going from canada to 92, but I can do it on a ss so fixed should be fine too. I should try tunitas and 84 to the coast never done those

move it plz .

JohnDThompson 

Two brakes for sure. Chances are, you won't need them, but that one time you do, you'll really appreciate it. I've been riding fixed gear for many, many years and feel the claim that you can "stop on a dime" with back-pressure on the pedals is BS. At best, you'll put the rear wheel in a skid, which by definition is a less controlled stop than using brakes.

That said, I find speed control riding in a group better with a fixed gear; the bike responds instantly to changes pedal pressure, just don't count on it being able to stop you "on a dime."

rustystrings61 

I've ridden fixed on lots of local and club rides, as well as several event rides through the years. I would steer clear of the hammerfest folks, but I do that anyway, whether on the cog or on variable gears. If it's people you know it should be fine. I've gotten the side-eye from riders who didn't know me, but my bikes tend to put me in that camp anyway. On big group rides - I did several t-shirt and cookie rides as well as the old MS-150 ride fixed - let the speedy folk go on by and settle in, you should be fine, and the point is to find people of comparable ability to ride with, anyway.

Because (with the exception of a Bianchi Pista I had 20-odd year ago) my fixed-gears have all been either conversions on older road frames or purpose-built custom road fixed-gears, I've always run brakes fore and aft while still using the fixed-cog-and-lockring's capabilities to modulate speed. I've also always used dropped bars, preferably something like a classic Maes bend, something that is NOT "ergo" but with the classical curves to provide all the little adjustments within each position to better use more muscle groups in different ways. The materials I read in the early 70s shaped my thinking that it's better to have the bar tops no more than two inches below the top of the saddle, and I can switch between standing climbing with my hands on the brake lever hoods to classical British climbing methods espoused in the 40s and 50s of sitting back in the saddle and holding the tops of the bars near the stem and slowly " turning 'em 'round" - or even easing into the drops and muscling things through. I mean, you could use flats, but you cheat yourself out of a lot of different positions when you do so.

LarrySellerz

I find myself mainly using the hoods or flats when riding, especially when just trolling around. I think lots of people have drop bars and never even use the drops, they could benefit from flats

Rolla

YMMV, but I found track geometry to be uncomfortable for road rides of longer distances. If you’re not using it on the track, I’d get something a little more forgiving. A Surly Steamroller, maybe.

veganbikes

If someone comes and reads this thread down the road keep in mind you can ride just about anything in a group ride if the group is cool with it and you can handle yourself in that ride. If you cannot comport yourself safely and within the spirit and rules of the group, you need to ride solo elsewhere or find a group that meets your skill level or beliefs on safety. Putting others in danger because you feel you need to ride with others is just wrong. When you are riding with a group make sure your bike is in good working order with proper brakes (unless it is a group of brakeless fixed gears and everyone can handle their bikes not that skidding is stopping or safe and secure but it is what it is) If you are going on longer rides, ride something comfortable not just to show off nobody cares but if you are uncomfortable and whining and whinging people will care as they won't want to hear it unless everyone is also in the same spot.

LarrySellerz

I genuinely want a track bike and have for years. Once I go fixed I will ride a few thousand miles solo before trying it in a group.

Hermes

Moderation note: Please get back on topic.

igorgroks

Considering doing one tomorrow. Small group of newbs will be going slow. I may not be the only SS, but am pretty sure I would be to only fixed. I wouldn't do it with a bunch of fast roadies, but mostly because I would get dropped on the first hill.