I don't really understand the difference.
How exactly is a fixed gear bike different from a singlespeed?

One of them coasts... the other does not.

You're just being lazy.

"A fixed-gear bicycle or fixed wheel bicycle is a bicycle without the ability to coast."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle

"A single-speed bicycle is a type of bicycle with a single gear ratio."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-speed_bicycle


"A subset of single speed bike is the fixed-gear bicycle. The difference is that a fixed-gear bike does not have freewheel mechanism to allow coasting."

A fixed gear bike is technically a single speed bicycle but commonly a "Singlespeed" bike is a 1 speed freewheel bike and a "Fixed gear" bike is a 1 speed bike that does not coast.

So the singlespeed ones are the ones that make the clicking noise at the cog in the rear when coasting? Just like geared bikes do?
And a fixed ratio is like a child's tri-cycle then? So if I pedal backwards the wheel is gonna move the other way?

Yes.

You can stop pedaling with a single speed freehub and coast.
With a fixed gear you pedal no matter what unless fully stopped.

looks like he

That seems kind of difficult. What if the cadence gets so high, let's say when you go downhill, that you lose control and your feet get off the pedal, then you can't brake anymore.

fixed gear: like a child's tricycle

in before next hipster fad

Most people make this assumption, and it seems pretty obvious why. However, there are a lot of factors that determine speed of descent (tire/road friction, rotational weight of wheels, weight of rider and bike, etc.). On a fixed gear bike you can also resist the rotation of the pedals or simply allow your feet to follow the pedals around which will help to control the speed of descent. Most (smart) fixed gear riders ride with foot retention which keeps the feet connected to the pedals even at high cadence speeds. The fastest descent speed I have had is 35 mph, and with my gear ratio I wasn't losing control of the pedals. In fact if I had not been winded from the climb to the top of the hill I could have easily topped that speed.

this is the first thing i thought of before i started riding.
plus, i didn't even know about foot retention . . .

Thanks, that was a really helpful reply.
Fixed gear sounds very nice for the city, but seems to add a little bit too much difficulty. I think I am going to keep my geared bike around for longer trips.
I mean especially with foot retention I can see some really ugly accident going downhill.
Once your legs get tired you can't brake anymore and at that speed you can't get your feet of either.

>Once your legs get tired you can't brake anymore and at that speed you can't get your feet of either.<

Brakes are allowed. :-)

Believe me if you need to stop you will stop no matter how tired your legs are. Plus, you can install a front brake like most riders do. And foot retention will prevent an ugly downhill accident happening, not the other way around.

Yeah, I guess I would need to test ride one, to see how it feels.
but a front brake for downhill doesn't sound very safe.

It is very safe if you know how to use it. The rear is next to useless compared to the front.

well, you pull the brake lever? how much more is there too it?
and if I am already going downhill and pull that hard, physics is telling me I am gonna fly.

You need to take a few riding lessons... proper braking technique is really important no matter what you are riding and many people who have been riding for decades don't possess this skill.

Any suggestions on how to learn that?
I don't know of any places that offer riding lessons for bikes.

Whenever you test ride your first fixie, don't try to just stop your legs (like you would on a singlespeed with freewheel). I almost made that mistake. It doesn't feel good

Physics tells you you fill fly if you are going so fast and you try to stop too soon. The art of braking is to stop as fast as you can without crossing that line.

Ride on grass and experiment. When you make a mistake it wont hurt as much as on a pavement, and cars won't run over you when you fall.

Yeah, only problem is that no single store in Tokyo will have a 54cm frame in stock. I'll have to order everything. So basically have to commit to buying before test riding.

Read this...

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

I don't believe you for a second. Tokyo must be full of cool bike stores that carry anything you can think of. Where abouts in Tokyo are you?

That was a good article. Thanks. I'll try that out tomorrow.