srsly?? :twitchy:

I like going fast downhill without any effort or pedaling. I like the feel of the cool breeze while i coast downhill. It's natures way of rewarding you after a long climb.

Anyways...seriously...for workout and training, a fixed-gear would probably be the way to go, but it's not my cup of tea...i am more like a casual rider...i guess. I had single speed (freewheel) in mind when i opened this tread...cause I am not a big fan of all the hassles and expense of geared bikes.

Yes.

Effective back-pedaling involves skill and coordination more than strength.

Additionally, for safety reasons, I don't like riding "ballistic."

I enjoy control and precision now as much or more than I formerly enjoyed speed.

So, on a steep downhill, I get light on the saddle, slide as far back as I can, and very pleasantly and easily try to match my uphill speed on the same hill.

Fun, really.

As for getting around town, I average the same times on my low-geared fixed gear bike as I formerly averaged on my geared bike.

That said, an elite geared-bike rider leaves me in the dust.

As for reward, I feel rewarded when I pass geared-bike riders going uphiill.

Ironically, on local hills, fixed gear riders tend to climb faster than geared-bike riders.

On very long hills, geared-bike riders will eventually catch fixed gear riders.

I think the climbing ability of fixed-gear bikes has something to do with enforced cadence.

If you pedal too slowly, it gets harder, and so a fixed gear rider has to maintain his cadence.

When you ride the same hills every day at the same cadence, you get good at it and you develop some great anaerobic capability.

When it becomes aerobic, in contrast to anaerobic, the geared-riders prevail.

Wow. Great info ken. Learned a lot. Now i'm gassing for the Surly Steamroller :-)

Just started a conversion on an old 21 speed mountain bike...still messing around with the gearing ratio as I have moderate hills where I live...BUT what difference! You wont know till you try.......plain and simple

Ha, runaway train is more like it!

I don't know many people (none that Ive seen do it) that I think could pull 40 on a downhill. That's some serious spinning in most gears! Even if you had a gearing suitable for downhill at 40 mph, getting up that hill with that gearing isn't going to be fun!

Remember that even if gravity pushes you to 40, your legs are going to have to SPIN SPIN SPIN! Im def not the fastest rider out there but I max out at about 30 (29.7 was the fastest I've clocked reliably. 48x17 w/ 28s) just because I can't spin any faster... and I almost lost it! Even with a brake it was pretty sketch trying to maintain controll at the upper end of my spinning capabilities. Throw bakeless riding in there and the importance of a smooth/controlled cadence becomes way more important!

... And as far as why anyone would want to deal with all that BS when technology gave us multiple gears and coasting...

It's fun to challenge yourself sometimes. Same principle behind getting on any bike vs sitting on a couch.

Yay, spinning.

Don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, but doing a single speed conversion is the cheapest way to make your bike lighter.

lighter ain't better all the time. unless your gears weigh five pounds, hills are better with gears.

They make both chocolate and vanilla ice cream because different people have different preferences.

While coasting appeals to Nick, I find that coasting makes a bike feel vague, slippery and awkward.

It might take a few years of riding, plus a personal preference, to cause one to prefer the precision of fixed gear over coasting.

Frankly, I don't see the desirability of coasting.

Regarding hills, I notice geared bike riders agonizing on the same hills I enjoy, as I pass them.

That doesn't mean geared bike riders can't climb.

I live in a town famous for elite professional and amature bicyclists, and these elite riders pass me easily on hills.

However, amongst normal riders, and on short in-town hills, fixed gear riders generally rule on hills.

If we go out of town, say 20 miles and 3,500 feet of rise to Mt. Bachelor, the advantage flips around.

Put away your geared bike for a year and learn to spin and back pedal.

I did!

Not everyone rides the same way and style.

And, as individuals, we change our style over time.

When I first started riding fixed gear, I really got into speed and efficiency.

For a while, then, I had a 15 mile commute, most of it on flat rural roads.

I geared up to 82 gear inches (53 X 17), put on a front brake, and rode on high pressure skinny tires.

When I'd get on a long straight away with smooth pavement, I'd just FLY.

Very, very satisfying and enjoyable to go fast on a fixed gear bike.

I had one bad two-mile hill at one end of the commute, but I quickly adapted to it and it became a big nothing.

However, at that high of a gearing, due to the very slow acceleration, I found it difficult to mix with traffic and I started taking more chances in order to avoid coming to a stop.

Eventually, my commute changed to a new location, only seven miles, and through city traffic.

I also had a medical treatment going on that took the starch out of me, and so I geared all the way down in the other direction, to 63 gear inches (45 X 19) with fatter, tougher tires (28mm).

I learned to spin, and to accelerate and decelerate.

Soon, because of the quickness of the new setup, I started matching my times at my previously high gearing.

And, more fun and much safer.

What a surprise.

I have an older fixed gear bike hanging up in the garage.

I've thought about gearing it back up to 82 gear inches, and then I could choose either bike (the quick or the fast) depending on the day and me.

Whichever one I choose, I'll still ride a two-wheel unicycle.

I didn't bother to read every post but it seems people are mentioning their ratios and leaving out some info.

Example:

My ratio is this
42/16
170mm cranks
700 X 23c wheels/tires

that puts me at a gain ratio of 5.2 according to Sheldon Brown.

anyway on another note I agree with those who said it is much more satisfying getting to the top of a hill with burning legs and continuing on your way.

It is pretty good feeling when you vanquish the hill with SS or Fixie. weather you go ZigZag or straight, it feels good when you make it.

I have a mind set of "if I can makit it on my fixie, I can make it much faster on the gear-bike". Think of it as a training.

and, if it's still to hard, get low gear SS or fixie such as 42/18

Training yes, but I have knee problems, so i may not want to blow it on o fixie.

Exactly! Thank you. That's why I have have geared bike to enable me to do so :-)

not at all!!!!!