New to this... couple of ?'s
 

I am going to start commuting to work on a bike the idea of a fixed gear is something I want to consider.

Why do some people have an Aerospoke on the front wheel rather than the rear?

My good friend has a road bike, will I be able to keep up with him when we go on weekend rides with a fixed gear?

Thanks!

because they're clueless idiots.

1. What botto said...

2. Depends what gearing you go with and what gear your friend will be riding in I suppose....

Supposedly it's easier to lock up but those wheels have a lot of flex. They're also overpriced 'cause all the cool kids buy them. Check the Fixed Gear Forum.

Wrong sub-forum?

go to the ss/fg forum and be ready for some humiliation.

do not buy an aerospoke, deep v rims, or anodized anything. If you do, will throw a rock at you if i see you :)

Uh, it looks better? So fashion. And arrosproks are flexy, they're made out of plastic, so some people are afraid of torquing them when skidding or sprinting.

If you pick the right gearing for where you are yeah, but other than that, it has nothing to do with the bike.

I must apologize, I am not sure how I posted in here but I meant to do the fixed area of the forums.

I am sorry.

Should this be on the Fixed Gear Aerospoke Front Wheels Are for Idiots Commuter Forum?

People run a front aerospoke because they like how they look, they dont run a rear because sometimes the hub breaks loose when you apply the torque applied when you skip/skid/apply lots of back pressure.
If you want to keep up, it really doesnt matter though most people would suggest about 70 gear inches. I run a 44/17 and keep up when I ride with people on road bikes. I would try some different gearings and see what you feel good running. If you're worried about keeping up, you should be fine, you might just have to spin more or stand up and mash on the hills.

Some of these single gear bikes look great, easy to maintain, but I would also like to keep up with my road bike friends who insist on wearing spandex. I have nothing agasint anyone wearing anything they like, but I am not going to wear spandex plus I want a bike I can commute with daily.

I am 6'4" and need something with a big frame. I want to purchase the parts seperately and have a bike shop put them together.

Oh, and so far this community has been one of the best I have ever joined. People are really friendly and very eager to help - it is really appreciated.

Because of my height, I think a custom frame might be the way to go. I have been searching for frames that are large and its been difficult.

I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you're not trolling.

Aerospokes are for fashion. This has been discussed ad nauseum. They are heavy, tough, flexy and hard to knock out of true.

As far as the road bike vs. fixed, first of all let's assume you're both at similar fitness levels. If not, then no, you won't. If you are, then you should be fine in the flats for the most part. Uphills, you may beat him (unless you're climbing some serious grades), and downhills he'll smoke you.

Enjoy it while it lasts :D honestly if you troll around a bit and learn what they run like and what not to say you'll be fine and it is a great place. Just know that if you start a thread without searching first you will be humiliated, oh and the built in search sucks so google if you can't find it here first. welcome we're glad to have ya!

doh

So I guess this thread got moved over from the Road Forum? Thanks mods.

Yes, it's a real question and I am not trolling. I did attemp to use the search feature but I could not find anything so I read hundreds of posts and never really came across the reason why.

Thanks for clearing it up. Right now, he is in much better condition than I am and I would expect him to beat me with any bike at this point.

It seems like it would be a wise decision to get a single speed bike for now, especially since I will be commuting with it.

yes. black frame w/ boxed rims only.
buying parts in colors you like is not allowed.

powdercoated or coloured in with a sharpie, or wrapped in tape is an acceptable way to colour a bike

1) i dont know
2) no