I just finished converting my Miyata 710 to fixed and went on my maiden voyage. I started commuting to work earlier this year and have really enjoyed getting back on my bike. I came accross Bike Forums to date I have posted in Commuting and just lurked here. But you all got me to thinking that I might be missing out on something fun.

Some observations from the maiden voyage, the bike is so quite and smooth. It is raining here tonight and the swish of the water leaving the tire was the only sound I made. I was a little skeptical that a bike could be silent, not any more.

Coasting will not be allowed. Out of habit I tried to coast on the first down hill, but was quickly reminded this will not be done. So, I went with the flow and in no time at all my legs were moving faster than they ever have - a little too fast. I used the brakes to bring the pace down. On my second pass through the hill, I used my legs to keep the pace down. Wow, this woke up a whole bunch of muscles that I didn't know I had. I'll be feeling it tommorrow.

There is a very wide band of speed that is instantly available. If I want to go faster, I just turn the legs faster. When I wanted to slow down, I let the pedals push my legs. The bike responds immediately.

The bike is lighter and looks better without gear stuff. While there are still a few tweeks I want to do with the bike, there is a beauty and simplicity of my bike that is just cool, like having a brand new toy just for me. There is no need to think about what gear I'm in and what gear I want to move to. I can already see my fixed gear taking me to quite a few places, including my commute in to work.

Finally, thanks to all of you for posting here and sharing your experiences. They have been educational, inspirational and the major motivation for me to give this a try. I like it.

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