ultra-g

I wanted to know how big the difference would be in difficulty if I change my Langster's rear cog from a free-wheel to a fixed?

I've been riding a month now on the free-wheel and would like to go fixed but as I ride over long distances usually (at least 40 miles each time I ride) I don't want to get ahead of my skill level.

Is this something I should worry about or should I go ahead and get fixed?

kurremkarm

Go for it!

MKRG

you may want to get some toe clips for those platforms if'n you do.

roadfix

night & day

skitbraviking

yea, I second the toe clips...

Do it! Don't think about it. Do it!

I think that's a Rollins Band lyric. So Hank commands you, so thou shalt go fixed.

dwylie75

i tried my friends about 4 years ago and bought one that day. do it man

d

ultra-g

Cool, I'm gonna go for it.

I need new straps for my toe clips though, I took them off the pedals because one of the straps were torn.

skitbraviking

oldskooltrack.com has lots of good links for shops in your area to pick some up at

ephemeralskin

"Do it! Don't think about it. Do it!"

nope. the pink fairies were singin this when rollins was in diapers. he covered it tho.

interpol

i just went fixed on my langster a couple of days ago. it's kinda hilly where i live so i went to 18t and kept both brakes on cause i didn't want to have to have a bad experience if i bailed and be turned off fixed. i'm trying to ride without ever using the brakes but sometimes the downhills get the best of me. it's a great experience and a great workout. my legs still turn when i'm sitting at my desk at work. and for around thirty bucks for a cog it's not much to lose if you hate it. i think you'll like it though, i feel like i'm in more control of the bike. except when i'm practicing track stands...it may be awhile.
anyway, i'm a noob so take anything i say with a grain of salt. that being said, i don't know if i'm overreacting (and sorry if you feel like i'm highjacking this thread) but none of th lbs's around here are fixie-friendly. all the info i get is on this forum so thanks. anyway, when i went ficed the chainline was just a tad off, onyl enough to visually observe a skew and to make for a noisy grinding ride. the mechs looked at it and said "we've seen worse" and said that this bike like all track bikes aren't good for riding around the city. i asked about a shim for the cog and they said i wouldn't want to lose the precious few threads on the hub and that the only way to adjust it is to adjust the bottom bracket but it wasn't worth it cause i wouldn't be able to adjust it that little. anyway, i guess i'm just overreacting but i'm worried about the uneven wear on the cog and chainring over time. are they right that i shouldn't worry about it? oh, its a surly 1/8 8t, if you're wondering.

ultra-g

I got the fixed gear cog put on my Langster today.

I asked them (Bicycle Habitat, where I bought it) for a 12 teeth rear cog and they kind of laughed at me and said it'd be too hard to pedal so I settled for a 15 teeth cog (the freewheel cog is 16t). It cost $25 + $10 for labor.

I'm really happy. There's not a big difference between the 16t & the 15t cog but the huge difference is not being able to cruise.

I went and did 4 laps in Central Park afterwards (24 miles) and it was killing me that I couldn't cruise on the downhills. Also adjusting my saddle position was pretty hard.

I had the Specialized Armadillo tires put on my Langster too (because I got a flat on the Queensboro Bridge on my way to the bike shop). Hope I won't get any flats now.

I also bought some leather straps for my toe clips and just put the clips back on when I got home. I just hope I put them on right.

redfooj

yeah, dude... 48x12... and you'd probably need to get towed by a pick up truck to start moving

LuisB

I say go do it too! I had a fixed cog installed on my Langster and have done a few rides on it. I actually took out the freewheel that came with the bike because I can use my geared bike if I want to ride with the freewheel. I was told to get a bigger cog than what you're comfortable with on a freewheel. Must have something to do with the no coasting thing. Anyway I like it a lot. Just have to get used to the fact that you can't coast. This is not much of a problem. My problem is that because it's harder to adjust saddle position, my butt hurts everytime I ride. It's getting better though as I use the bike more often. Good luck to you and keep us updated.

LuisB