I have this thing that I started doing when I get off work. My work is one mile from my home so it's not nearly enough to get the blood flowing as far as a ride. So I sprint for a mile. Hard and fast, when the stop lights change I make an emergency right. No brakes. No stops. Spinning out for a mile. Car coming? Hit the sidewalk, cross the parking lot. Was that a cop? Too bad, he will never catch me.

Then I'm home and my legs tremble.

at the risk of being flayed, i don't think fixed gear is all that different from free wheelin gears. there are subtleties, sure, but you pedal and the bike goes. maybe the biggest thing is that it's a bike at it's most basic state.

that said, i really appreciate the subtleties.

Yup, life is found in the subtleties.

Dave

If you do not tend to coast most of the time when you ride, then the difference will be subtle. The biggest thing, as Sheldon describes, is the lack of details to pay attention to. If there is a hill, you will either pedal harder, stand up and pedal harder, or get off and walk. No more worrying about what gear to pick, etc. That being said, I did spend considerable time trying to pick a good gear up front due to the fact that I don't want to grow a collection of cogs and rings at the outset. Go for a ride on your geared bike and concentrate on pedalling all the time. Try to pick a gear that is a little easier than one that you think you could get by with up the hills you wanna ride. I think I picked a little too high a gear, but I'll just grow into it at this point, and as my pedalling becomes more "round" and smooth, I find I can turn that gear as necessary to be comfortable.

As for the comments about shredding your knees: it depends on your knees. I am apparently not the only one that had knees shot from football who finds that cycling in any form IMPROVES the feeling of me knees.

Best advice: just try it. Somebody mentioned that a LBS let them try a Langster. See if you can get the same opportunity.

What kind of data do you have to back that up?

Charts, graphs, flow charts?

I am looking forward to my first fixed ride on saturday. Looking forward to the feeling of no coasting.

Do you really want to see the flow chart?

Power point style, sure.

You grow a larger head from riding fixed. Sooner or later you have to find a place to hide it so it doesn't get crushed in your tiny helmet. Eventually you have to start taking anti-growth pills to reverse the trend.

Skitbra in da mix, yo.

Yeah, I got yer power point right here...

Whoa whoa whoa WHOA..

Back off there tigger.

Easy now.

No reason to go whiping things out in front of the kids...

You're thinking too hi-tech.

If you fire something with recoil, you will need to brace yourself. You can't just point and shoot without hitting the asphalt.

I've been debating how to do it for awhile now - looking at crossbows (aim for tires) on ebay has only pistol/rifle styles - you have to have a holster or carry it in one hand the whole time... I want a wrist launched arrow for tires.

It's either that or just get a paint gun or a wrist slingshot and start tagging a**hole drivers. If you see a SUV with a big 'ol paint smear, you'd know to keep away.

When riding motorcycles, I used to keep a pocketful of spark plug porcelain. It'll do a number on a windshield. Quiet too.

I don't advocate violence, I just actualize it.

I never understood how pieces of sparkplug porcelin can shatter tempered glass. How is that?

When riding my bike, I strap a 2ft section of rebar to the side...just for motorcycles.

sawn off paintball gun with ball bearings in the magazine?

[i get a semi-on thinking about the possibilities]

fssb
sparky

I liked fixed gear for the same reason I like my 1911a, they get the job done without a lot of fuss. I wish I was as good of shot as 165.

I still find it quite bizarre that it's legal to posess a gun. I guess it's just what you grow up with. It's not like I ever saw a gun though when I lived in the US or worried someone might pull one anymore than when living in the UK I guess. Why do you guys own one out of interest? Is it in case some funkster breaks into your house and tries to steal your fixie? Do you carry it with you? I mean I've fired a ton of weaponry (SA80, M16, LSW, AK47, MP5, Uzi, Ultramax etc) on shooting ranges when I was in highschool, but I still wouldn't ever feel like I'd want a gun.

Rumour has it that thieves use it to break into safety glass and other heavy glass for smash and grabs.

Never tried it myself. Must have something to do with density or vibrations.