edit/
while i was typing cc700 posted

that clears up everything I think, thanks, pretty sure I understand now that **** online or did you just write it cause if its not already online should add it somewhere its exactly what I needed. :) So I should probably get free/free and put lockrings on it but if for some reason I decide its not for me I just take the lockrings off?

And yeah I've ridden a friends Bridgestone fixed track bike but I have no idea the details I just know its really nice, light, fast, and you can't coast.

i just mean applying backpressure... on fixed it will transfer energy to the wheel and slow you down or make the bike travel backwards or break traction with the ground, on free it will just spin the freewheel bearing and do nothing.

the sides don't work at the same time you have to take the wheel off and turn it around so that the side you want to put the chain on is on the right side of the bike.
here's what it looks like put together
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...white-eno1.jpg
the freewheel is closer to you in the picture, the track cog is on the other side. if you were to put it on the bike with the side facing you on the chain, you'd have a freewheel singlespeed and could coast, if you turned it around and put it on the bike, the fixed gear would be on the chain and anything the wheel does the pedals do, so if the wheel's in motion you have to be pedaling.

here's one on the bike with the fixed side on the chain.
http://www.sheldonbrown.org/rambouil...ls/rearhub.jpg
if you took that wheel off and flipped it, the freewheel could be used with the chain.

Ah truly excellent explanation it all makes a lot of sense now, thanks a ton dude.

no problem. i'm a visual learner so i figured that would probably help. it's probably written up somewhere but i figured i'd try my hand at it.

Oh about to go for a ride to grab some dinner on my crap bike and was reminded of one other thing I am had a question about... the pedals. I read this thing a while ago http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html and he talks about not using regular pedals. A lot of photos I see seem to though and my friends bike has regular pedals. I've never worn cleats and am kinda intimidated by something that is difficult to pull out of quickly. For a beginner is it best to use regular pedals despite that guide or maybe a harness type thing that I see a lot of fixed bikes use?

When riding fixed, some guys (most?) prefer to use a skid-stopping technique rather than brakes. This works best when your feet are connected to the pedal.

Also, when riding fixed, if you get going too fast and aren't a skilled rider then you can lose control of the bike pretty quickly-- since the speed of the cranks is directly related to the speed of the wheel-- if your feet come off the pedals at high speed then you might be f*cked. Clipless pedals (confusingly named, as they require a cleat that mechanically engages with the pedal body) are the safest to use. The 'harness' you mention is a clip-and-strap system, which holds the foot to the pedal with a strap. Some [idiots] ride platform pedals without any retention system...which is generally regarded to be pretty stupid.

I wouldn't be too nervous about clipless pedals. They're surprisingly easy to use, and the release pressure can usually be adjusted. They can be a bit costly if you aren't sure about the whole thing (the shoes actually cost more than the pedals, generally)...do any of your friends use them, and would let you try them?

Great explanations, cc700. You really made it easy to understand the whole idea of freewheels/FGs/flip-flops! Thanks a bunch mate.

You have to try pretty hard to get a cog to break free once it's on there. I rode a new build for weeks once without a lock ring because I didn't have one. Once you've ridden up a few big hills, that sucker won't come under normal riding conditions. If you try to skid or skip, that's something else, but just back pressure won't do it unless you're really trying.

About the Raleigh Rush Hour...

I just bought one a week or two ago. I bought it since it was reasonably priced, came with two brakes, a seemingly decent wheelset (dimension hubs and random double-wall rims) and track geometry. Whether or not I really needed it to be so twitchy is still debatable, but its fun and handles considerably faster than my road bike, which makes me feel a bit more like a ninja. I like that. Yes I'm lame.

Anyways, it's pretty nice. The tubing seems really thin, but I've babied it for the short time I've had it, so no dents yet. The paint is real fragile as well. My lock brushed past it while locking it up and put a bit of a scratch in it. Two things I didn't expect were the Wellgo M-21 mountain bike pedals and 18 tooth cog. I'm far from disappointed though, the Wellgos are actually not that bad and I was looking into MTB pedals, and the 18t cog is nice for cruising around town. All in all, a satisfactory bike for darting around the city. My wet weather needs are handled by an SKS clip on fender and a tolerance for grime, and everything I need to carry goes in my Chrome bag.

If you're looking for a commuter, I'd stay away. Completely impractical for everything but the track and looking cool. And I'm really bad at both of those. In fact, I'd look into a conversion. The problem with having a new bike is that you will baby it too much. It truly is a curse. But that really depends on what kind of person you are.

You get +10 for being a n00b the right way.

agreed

yeah forreal.

I loved my 925. If I didn't need the parts for a FG/cyclocrossdevilbike I would still be riding it.

Think of "clipless" pedals like the binding on a ski/boot system.

If you were going to be skiing with a strap ("clip") system you'd be totally screwed if you had to fall.

As an avid road AND MTB cyclist that rides competitively for a team, I use clipless on all of my "racing" bicycles. On my fixed gear, I use "clips" because I commute to school and have the desire to wear sneakers. (plus, you can't fly an airplane in clipless shoes... trust me ;) ) I would consider clipless pedal systems (the ones you're thinking of as being intimidating) to be FAR FAR safer than a clip system when both are properly used.

The ONLY trouble with either is remembering to unclip when you come to a stop. With a clip system you can "panic" and yank ur foot and it usually works out ok. With clipless, the "yank method" might not work as well.

Ryan, everyone who tries clipless has between one and three comical slow-motion falls before the idea of unclipping by rotating your foot outwards gets burned into their brain. It doesn't hurt, you just look really stupid. I started on clipless---the 2nd hand bike I got came with clipless pedals, and at that point it was less scary for me to buy shoes than to attempt a pedal swap---and i did fine. If you want to save a little money though just start with clips and straps and ride in your sneakers.