Been riding on single speed since February. I have a flip flop hub and today my chain flew off on the single speed side twice today. I have no idea what causes that. The chain tension is fine, but the wheel is slipping around in the dropouts somehow... and the bolts are CRANKED down ('07 Langster). So starting tomorrow, I'm going fixed. Things I know... and have thought of:

1) Brake early
2) Ride slower at first (Obviously)
3) Don't take corners as fast... pedal drag sucks, especially when you can't do anything about it.
4) Heavy on the front brake, lift up back wheel, skid...... repeat. I can do that.
5) Watch out for the ladies lustfully lunging themselves for you as they see your bike. (No?)

Anyone have some advice for day 1? I'm just gonna give myself some more time to get to work tomorrow and hope for the best. Tell my wife I love her.

4- just forget about that. it's a good way to go over the bars. instead, put all your weight forward and pull the front crank forward with your foot, no brake.

5- you'll bust your ass and they'll laugh, or you'll go slow and they won't think anything of it.

For some reason, that doesn't register in my brain. I totally understand the "Going over your bars part."

You're saying, put my weight forward, and then crank down super hard with my rear pedal? Is it a natural feeling? I'm confident as hell on a bike, will it just kinda "come to me?" I can unicycle for christ's sake, but it's hard to get at the speed I think I'll be going. When I backpedal, is it a "coaster brake" feeling? It just seems like I won't be strong enough to stop the momentum with my legs. I dunno.

I have ****ty plastic toe straps on my pedals. Should I have something more sturdy? It's hard to "pull" with my feet because I ride in Birkenstocks and refuse to ride with anything different. I have some metal straps at work that I haven't put on yet, will those help?

Going to work is a downhill, I'm just sketched out.

Actually,

Are you saying I should put my foot under my pedal and pull it back? That's really gonna suck with sandals.

If you throwing the chain in single speed, you'll be throwing it fixed.

#4 - Use your brake, forget the skid.

That's terrible advice.
It's pretty damn hard to throw yourself over the bars on a road bike. You really have to be trying to do it. Leaning forward and skidding it really just a way to make braking as ineffective as possible, so you can skid for a really long time. It's a really lame way to trim off speed going down a long hill (like the op's ride to work).
Use the brake. Skid for fun or to look cool (or not). You won't flip over the bars unless you are leaning forward to skid and then hit the brake, or if you really try to lock up the front while you're going really fast. For a panic stop, get used to using the front brake, while skidding, and don't lean forward.

My exact thought. Although, hopefully the chain line is better, or something is better... otherwise, I'd rather be ss when I throw a chain.

You wanted things to think about on your first ride:

You are going to forget that you can't coast; it's ok, you wanted to stand anyway.

It will bug you that you can't exhaust yer gas.

Don't get pulled into racing with some regular road rider to prove that you can go just as fast on a fixie, because you'll forget to give yourself enough time to break when you come to a road crossing.

How the heck are you throwing a chain anyway? Can't you get the slack out of that thing?

Use your break and your leg strength for downhill. Skidding will come to you, if you have a friend who rides fixed ask him to show you, it's a lot easier when you see it done. I like to pull with my front rather than push with my rear but I guess different people do it differently, as long as you lock up the rear wheel doesn't really matter how you do it. it will probably be harder in birkenstocks, although, I wear loafers when I ride so I don't have the sturdiest shoes either

sandals plus bicycle does not equal smart

those birkenstocks are going to make skidding unpleasant. since you mash you back foot down, and pull up with your front foot, you will want full coverage shoes.

If you havent left for work already keep repeating the no0b fixie mantra...
keep pedaling-keep pedaling-keep pedaling-keep pedaling.....
If you need to jump a grate or curb and stop pedaling you will suffer undesirable
moment

yeah... my toe got destroyed from riding a kids bmx bike with a very slack chain in flip-flops. No skids for me for a while... I like my brake!

So true.

Fix your bike or you will get hurt. Your track nuts may be stripped, or you could have cracked a lock nut, it fell off, and you didn't notice. Dropping the chain on fixed sucks a lot more, if it drops to the inside it will lock the wheel whereas on freewheel it will often keep freewheeling.

Don't ride fixed in birkenstocks, at least not sandals, you will get hurt. You're talking about toe clips and not toe straps I think but if you don't have little straps running through the pedals and the things you're talking about, don't ride fixed.

Don't attempt to put your foot under the pedal to skid, you will get hurt.

use the axle tensioners to keep the axle from sliding forward...

if your bike is a conversion, use a single speed tensioner to keep the chain tight...

that explains why the uber elite fixie snobs are so scowly looking.

Just ride and get used to the fixed feeling and forget about doing trick maneuvers for now.

Hey, not to be a worrying willy...


But you're throwing your chain while riding SS because your wheel is slipping in the track-ends and to fix this you're going fixed?! Throwing a chain while riding fixed is SERIOUS business. I would suggest figuring out what the hell is wrong with your bicycle before attempting this. At least you have a brake, but still. STILL.

Your wheel should not be slipping. Are you using track-nuts on the rear axle? (They're practically serrated and have an attached, pseudo-washer thingy). Again, solve the problem before causing more problems for yourself!

and on a more serious note, i have no trouble farting while i ride.

i crashed terribly during my first week riding fixed because i forgot i was riding fixed. i got on my bike, pedalled up to superfast, and tried to rest my legs and coast. i got tosssed around, lost the pedals, then my balance and went down hard. my hip hated it. for 15 years my habit was to pedal hard then rest my legs and ass by standing on the still pedals and coasting. broke that habit, now coasting feels weird and kinda jerky and ********.

Well, I think I was destine to be a SS rider. I tried it on the way to work and wasn't all that in to it. I didn't have trouble remembering that I can't coast, I just don't see myself going as fast even if I was extremely used to it. Much respect to all fixie riders.

Luckily I had time to check out my bike today. There's a couple things going on with my bike.

1) The chainline isn't all that straight, so I threw a spacer behind the freewheel.
2) The axle nuts aren't gripping the frame enough so my wheel moves around a little bit. I'm going to find some chain tensioners on Sunday. I'm hoping that will help.
3) I'm just a silly goose. I threw on a 1/8 chain on there when I need a 3/32. Oops.

dont even try riding the streets for your first week. ride around in a ****ing parking lot for the first week until adjusted

^ ^ whoa hold on.....you talking about chain tensioners on a FIXED gear? um...no...SS ok, fixed gear with chain tensioner not ok....

:O