you asked about single-speed, implying freewheel. in which case, yes, going down is easy. many others have been speaking fixed gear, in which case going down is different. you must pedal. 150rpm+ is challenging and gravity is *not* your friend.

This is exactly why I tend to just defy gravity.

amen, brother.

momentum, momentum, momentum. do *not* get behind the gear. on the slopes: hold a high cadence and spin the turbine; on the steeps: a brief out-of-saddle lung-coughing interval is way better than an extended 50rpm grind. go hard and rest at the top.

"I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer?

I AM A MAN

Interesting. I had no idea was Fixed gear really meant.. Technically, you can reverse pedal with fixed gear? Wow....that's something I just learned today. Why would anyone want fixed gears? beats...me. It would be scary going 40 mile and hour with fixed gear... :eek:

I typically do this on the hilly trails around my area. I scare a lot of walkers with my friend when we are climbing the hills screaming, "YA BUDDY!" (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO45iY7hilI [funny that hill is basically in the url]) then we scream "WHEEEEE" down the hills.

I have a stopsign on the hills up to my house that I ALWAYS get stopped at. Then the hill gets steeper after the stop sign, it's so depressing because I'm less than a quarter mile from home and it takes me the longest part of my entire biking experiences. Needless to say, I try to come up the other hills to get home. Living on the top of a hill no matter which way I come to my house is really not fun.

I feel you bro.

i eat my wheaties.


what i don't understand is how people ride bikes in wind. storm front today and i was blown out of the bike lane across four lanes of traffic into a bus lane. during rush hour. thank god the cars stopped. i mean i stayed upright but the wind somehow moved me faster from left to right than i was traveling forward. it was crazy.

What!?! Glad you're still here to write about it. Must have been unnerving, to say the least.

Down south, we ain't got no hills, but we got plenty of sea breeze. Rather have hills, cause the wind never stops blowing. Like a constant climb.

Edit: But the tailwind can be nice, it just never seems to appear.

yes, was nutty out there today! the rain felt like needles on my face.

Wait...huh?

Who goes 40 on a fixed gear?

it was fun! admit it. :V

most of my ride this afternoon was with the gusts to my back. (for once)

i had no idea how my wife made it home, she's got more balls then me.

also, hills, aren't those the fun part of riding bikes?

I was pulling his leg >:O!

47/16 on my commuter with some decent hills in Santa Cruz.

Pulling up as well as pushing down on the cranks really helps going up hill.

Downhill. U dont have to go 40. Gravity will do it for you. Like a roller coaster ride.

You've got a Private Message. Looks like some decent riding weather coming up this weekend. :)

You aren't too far from me. I've never ridden the NCR but after looking it up it looks like a nice ride.

For getting a workout, it's hard to beat a fixed gear. Once you pedal one for a little while your quads will be thick like tree trunks.

How do they fit into skinny jeans?

You must live in Cincinnati.

My methods of climbing (W/ 48/17) in order of preferance.

1) Sprint up hill, out of saddle - blow by geared riders. Do not acknowlege thier existance as you pass.

2) Sprint up hill, out of saddle - blow by geared riders. Stop at top of hill and wait for them to catch up. Hope lungs have recovered before they notice imminent vomiting.

3) Tack (zig-zag) up hill to reduce effective slope. Spit, grunt and weeze as needed. Mutter under breath (but audiablly) about geared riders being P*****s.

4) Do a track stand and look cool while geared riders pass. When out of sight, walk up. Prepare to rant about rocks in the road and fixing 3-pinch flats.

if you can fit into skinny jeans you aren't doing it right...

rmmm, that's the fun part


34 waist jeans are tight. **** yeah

Especially going in circles on a steep banked track.

I have a similar question about single speeds: why would anyone want to coast?

Riding fixed gear bikes involves many different styles of riding.

I ride a lower-geared fixed gear bike on the street, and I like the precision and agility that fixed gear bikes have the potential to offer.

And, speaking of different styles, I go downhill the same speed I go uphill.

Going downhill slowly, or the same speed one goes uphill, improves one's back-pedaling enormously.

I've given away all my coasting bikes and only ride fixed gear, now.

Why would anyone want to coast?