Freewheel is lame...
 

Haha, I've been riding nothing but fixed gear around town for the last couple years, and I realized I have become very accustomed to it. Reading a comment in another thread about whether or not having a brake was safer got me thinking about it, and I think it is your comfort level and riding style on the bike that keep you safe more than anything.

The reason I know this is because I recently built up a singlespeed freewheel to cruise around on and I am all over the place on that thing. My hands aren't used to having to squeeze the brakes, so stopping is very uninstinctive at this point. Coasting feels so foreign that every time I slacken my legs and they just stop I experience a moment of horror until I remember what is happening. Also, I never realized it before, but I counted on the pressure in the pedals to be able to shift my weight while manuevering. Going into a right turn lets say, as the right pedal comes up you put a little pressure on it and that puts you into your lean while also allowing you to control your speed through the turn. I don't have that same feeling of control on the freewheel, but more the opposite as my legs just hang their disconnected.

That is what I miss the most riding this freewheel. I didn't even know I was doing it, it was basicly just a reflex that my body learned from riding, but on the fixed gear I would constantly be recieving feedback through the pedals and making adjustments. Now I can't do that. It's basicly a comfort thing -- if I only rode this bike around for a while I'm sure I would do fine with it. I think you develop a big connection with a fixed gear though. Instead of just being the accelerator your legs really become the control center for the bike. I don't know what my point is, other than that I just sold my track bike and now I think I need another!

I just stripped my fixed side of my hub on my newer KHS. The shop I bought it from back home will warranty it for me but that is no fun because, I am at school and it involves sending them my hub and waiting for 2 long bikeless weeks.

I mean the other side of the hub (freewheel) works but it just isnt the same.

I just flipped the flop on my ghetto conversion and added a 18t freewheel so that my wife can ride a SS to work. I took it for a quick spin to tighten it up. Damn...freewheeling is so freaky.

I just put slicks on my mtb and rode it for the first time on the road in well over a year. It freaking sucked, i felt like i was totally powerless, the position was all wrong, it was slow, i couldnt feel the bike. It really didnt feel right.

Right. SS freewheel bikes are ********. Get a bloody dreailler or ride fixed!!

Whatever, to each their own...

Alot of it depends on what you ride. I love to ride my fixed but this spring built up a crosscheck ss with a freeewheel and it's become my main commuter. If I'm bored, I can ride the doubletrack along a deserted rail road track for about 4 miles each way to work.

Dont get me wrong, I love to roll with traffic when I get downtown, but there's nothing more fun (IMHO) than haulin' along the dopest shortcut I could find.

would you like to amend that to


"SS freewheel bikes on the road are ********"

Quite a different animal, no?

I think that it's just the same process but reversed of when you initially transferred to fixed. There's always a learning curve and you've definitely forgotten the finer points or just how it feels to ride free, I don't think this is anything negative unless you pose it as negative yourself. I enjoy being able to cruise around, I feel like a little kid when I have my freewheel on, just one who's mother isn't there to tell him not to play in traffic.

SS freewheel bikes are fun, offroad and on.

A lot of people don't have what it takes to operate a freewheel or handbrakes, but for those willing to learn, it's totally worth it.

Well played.

It's ******** to not be able to adapt to the bike you are riding.

I've never noticed a downside to having a freewheel. I ride fixed 90% of the time, but I really like having a freewheel on my mtb and touring rig because they allow me to shift and dodge obstacles more effectivly. I rarely find myself coasting on either of those bikes, cause it feels good to keep the legs moving, but I'm glad to have the option.

My g/f borrowed a fixie from work last night, which she rode around for a few minutes and decided it was like trying to switch from an automatic car to a manual.

Haha. I thought this was a Freewhel (LBS) rant about the shop on Valencia in SF.

True that, the most effective riders are the most adaptive. Each discipline you practice will improve upon the skill of any other. Likewise if you limit yourself to one you will not necessarily become the adept rider you could be in that catagory.

It's fun to have a favourite and everyone does but if you want to hone your skills you'll bite the bullet and find something worthwhile in another style and master it as well.