If you already like to ride bicycles, then by all means get a fixed gear. I know a dude your age who has a hard time putting miles on his $5000 trek madone anymore because he fell in love with his cheap bianchi pista fixed.

Seriously, do you need any more punishment from this stupid forum?

Go try one out.

My advice is to try a fixed, not a single speed. Single speeds make no sense to me except on cruisers.

word, you're fine.

Riding around the city is all fixed for me.

But there is nothing as fast as opening up a good road bike on some hills.

2 different bikes, 2 different uses.

Online abuse from cowardly passive aggresive types who would wilt in a real face to face confrontation, doesnt bother me a bit, I expect it, the same thing happens on audiophile web sites when someone asks if Bose makes good audio equipment, not everyone that asks this question is a troll..
Another stupid question, difference between fixed and single speed?

I SWEAR TO GOD, I JUST WANT THE DEFINITION!

fixed gear has a fixed rear axle, a single speed has a freewheel.

Fixed gear has a fixed cog, no coasting. Single speed is like a bmx or cruiser. Theres the definition.

edit: I need to start typing faster. I'm getting beat left and right.

They are actually calling you a troll because you're being a bit assholish yourself.

Really? How so? Could you be more specific?
Thanks.


I'm really trying not to, I am really fighting my natural tendencies to BE an *******, and I thought I was doing pretty well....

Personal reasons:

-No slacking, I have to always pedal, better conditioning.
-More fun to do as far as trying to control my speed
-Cheaper than a road bike in most cases because you're not paying 1200 dollars on a braking system or something else ridiculous that roadies love to do.
-Easier to maintain, I know nothing about bikes, but I can keep my fixie running fine.
-SKIDZ

haha. Is anyone keeping track of how many threads end this way?

Dorkhead, just go ride a fixed gear. Don't ask us questions, we like abusing more than helping.

Even though you are a bit of a vadg I will direct you to http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed. You'll find your reception here will be more helpful if you're prepared to ask questions in a respectful, polite and non-confrontatinal way.

Excuse my ignorance of the vernacular, vadg?

Vagina. A stupid internet insult that sticks with the tradition of comparing the insultee to a woman or piece of a woman. We're an enlightened group.

I hate the reasons most people have for riding fixed. I started because I had a 70's Raleigh with broken componentry and discovered that I could get rid of the bent derailleurs and seized brakes and still be able to go.

I've stayed with it because I'm used to it, and building a decent, reliable fixed gear with decent, reliable componentry is cheaper than doing the same with a road bike. Though I'd love a road bike.

Thanks for the explanation, I also have and old Raleigh touring frame (Super Tourer) hanging up on the wall in my garage that might be better served showing me what all the noise is about.....

i ride a road bike and a fixed gear. they both have their uses. you have to try both to see which one you like someone has a coffee analogy which sums it up perfectly

You can coast with a single speed. ;) Fixie, if you quit pedaling you get thrown ;)

Great site Court! This confirms what I have always thought, you meet the most (and least) interesting people on bicycles.

^^^
exactly what he said. read the resource thread and sheldon browns site. they will answer every question you could possibly come up with.


oh and thanks for the opinion on my site

hahahaha dorkhead your not being a dick... the people on the forum like to jump on anyone for anything... think nothing of it



but try a fixed, i only started because a friend told me they loved it, and i had been riding a SS for a while.


wow. you lose

i switched because I got really really into cycling on my junky trek hardtail frame. After getting sick of having to make adjustments every day (7 year old bike that I had replaced every part of with other ****ty used parts) I decided that I wanted something that didnt require me to have to tighten cables and figure out the black magic of dérailleurs for, so I took my dad's college bike (which had been sitting in the garage for a long time... he'd since got himself a decent touring bike which he occasionally rides) stripped it down to nothing and built it back up with new parts, using the old ones where theyd suffice.

needless to say I have a great "connection" with the bike having built it up myself and it requires virtually no maintenance and is pretty lightweight considering its a steel frame (all those brakes/derailleurs etc weigh a bunch) and fell in love with the ability to control it on all sorts of levels. I had no idea that doing backwards circles between classes could be so much fun (I get to ride my bike and learn to control it better without building up sweat which would make sitting in my next class really uncomforatble)

you're over complicating it (or at least attempting to).
plain and simple: it's fun.
ask a driver why they enjoy driving a six speed manual transmission over an automatic. same principle.
if you want to apply advantages, there's the benefit of a simple machine; less maintenance, lighter bike, et al.
throw in skids, slowing down with no hands and the connection (albeit superficial at times) to track culture, and you have your answer.

duhh, no one has said trackstanding and sweet skiiddzzz?

cause its cheaper, less to repair, less to maintain, put on a low gear and ride somewhere hilly and its great for your spin.

read the shelden (r.i.p) page.

I'm just an old guy that rides for fun and fitness as well. I finally got talking into trying fixed last year. It's a lot of fun.

It's very hilly here, but I found after riding it a month or so that the hills became less and less of a problem. But make sure your legs have some miles in them, your knees aren't as young as they used to be.

And I definitely run a front brake. I don't have to use it, but it's there when I need it.

Az

I think my favourite part of fixed gear riding is the same as my favourite part of driving a stick shift. Instant acceleration and compression braking. Fun stuff, try it and your geared bikes will be lonely and dusty, like mine.

uh, you can do this with a geared bike. just ask fabian cancellara...

the connection thing. i hate when other cyclist bring that up. when i ride on group rides with other roadies you always get someone who ask about it and go "so do you feel really connected to it?" usually i have to fight the urge to tell them "about as connected to 15 some odd pounds of metal shoved up your ass as you can"

but one day i was riding in the rain it was cold and i was navigating a turn and i realized that my feet where only doing what feet do and controlling speed and my hands where only doing what hands do and turning. no controlling speed by braking with my hands. everything was simple everything had a job everything was connected. it kinda struck. then i shook my head said damn hipsters and kept riding