mic2377

Hi all,
Just curious as to what the reasons are you ride fixed. I see a fair amount around here in Madison, WI.

I am one of those old-school "roadies" and I have one exclusively for winter training, and nasty weather commuting, geared 44x17. In WI, winters are nasty, slushy, and salty, and destroy a more complex machine in short order. 2000+ winter miles cost only 2 chains, a chain ring, and 1 severely chewed DA cog.

What makes you ride one of these archaic machines? I hope not everyone is as strictly utilitarian as I am.... I am sure this is not the case.

Cheers~

skinnyland

For me, it's a combination of reasons.
1. fewer parts to maintain/worry about
2. exercise
3. generally lighter-weight than geared bikes
4. fewer dollars required to build & maintain a fixed gear
5. fixies are sexy. I rarely see a geared bike that makes me want to blur the line between man & machine in an erotic fashion.

jotog

The quiet.

Cromulent

Fun. Different than my roadie. I use it as a winter commuter/rain bike (though I rode it in to work today). And it's fun.

danish

sorry if this doesn't help at all ( and sorry for the car reference ) BUT it's a similar feeling to why people choose manual transmissions.

Smorgasgeorge

It's fun and I like when people look at me doing flawless rear dismounts.

explody pup

Because it's fun to hop on a fixed gear after riding my geared bike for 50 miles and try to coast, nearly snapping my leg in half at the knee.

camashtorcal

It feels that void in between running and geared biking. I don't know if you'll understand, but I feel like you earn the speed you maintain. If you want to go fast, you gotta pull your legs fast, if you tire out, you still have to pedal through it. It doesn't give you a choice, just makes things simple. With a geared bike, it's should I drop to lower gear, coast, brake, on a fixed, you just go or stop. If reminds me of the days when I was a runner but now I'm moving much, much faster.

ryanday

I like this analogy. Though most of the bikers that I know hate running, I love running and I think fixed is like running and biking combined. You don't work, you don't move.

octopus magic

It's like a really big bmx bike.

BostonFixed

"riding fixed makes you a better lover"

moe sizlack

cause dudes in spandex are gay.

dirtyphotons

so that moe sizlack doesn't find out i'm gay

(i wear my spandex under cargo shorts)

roadfix

fun, coolness, and the simplicity factor, in that order.....

moe sizlack

not that there's anything wrong with that.

Gyeswho

well i started because i saw June on www.oldskooltrack.com do reverse circles and wanted to try it myself then it went to the feeling of having so much control and fun on the bike. it's true that you really exerience what biking is on a fixed. its also cheaper because of less parts needed (unless you get into the aesthetics realm) and is just so much fun. Did i mention its fun? o yea its fun.

gnarlsbukowski

cause my porsche is broke down

Cromulent

As a dude in spandex, I resent being called a roadie. I have a fetish.

Zurich

Dudes in spandex are Bi-curious is a little more accurate.

Fixed gear is an attempt to control a rocket.

blu3d0g

thighs of power from running big gears
my drive train is a ninja
chicks dig fixed guys ;-)
the feeling of control
the simplicity

also, see thread about the pros and cons of fixed vs. free

tonym

i find other bikes boring and tedious to work on

reinventingevan

Skidding is fun, and there is nothing to maintain. I don't have to worry about it, just jump on and go.

Maracski

Because I absolutely adore the way riding fixed makes me feel connected to my bike and the road. I like feeling that I am soley responsible for my own mechanical advantage.

And because it gets me lots of kissings from cute skinny boys that are into girls on bikes.

crater

because it can make a terrible day better

thebristolkid

Aside from maintenance, simplicity, exercise, etc., it's all about controlling speed with your legs. I hate hitting brakes, even when I'm driving my car (that said, I will always ride with a front brake on my bike). I just hate that grinding feeling. I've found countless other reasons after I made the switch from free to fixed, so I dont count those.