Fixed vs. Single-speed?
 

I'm new to riding fixed-gear. I'm having trouble building my confidence up in NYC traffic. I'm considering switching to a freewheel until I get used to the ride, does anyone have an opinion on this or advice? Is this a good idea or am I just being a total girl? I'm used to coasting nimbly between traffic and parked cars and if there was an unexpected obstacle, I only had to think about braking and maybe swerving. Now I have so many things to think about all at once, stop pedaling, get feet out of straps, brake and/ or swerve. Will this come to me if I give it more time? I wanted to ride fixed for many reasons, the main being that I understood it would make me a better rider.

How is it to ride fixed for Mass, if we get to ride at all?

http://nyc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/128198/

You should just keep riding fixed, even if it's in NY traffic. I think discomfort/danger are good sometimes. And you'll get used to it in less than a week, I'm pretty sure. Just put a front brake on if you're nervous - get a cheap used on at an LBS.

It will make you a better rider...

I don't understand the "get feet out of straps" part. Just slow down a lot rather than coming to a full stop. And don't yank down too hard on your straps at first. Even if you have some embarassing sideways falls cause you're strapped in, it doesn't hurt that much. And the chance that it'll happen when a car might run you over is like, nil.

yeah, what he said. you'll never get used to riding fixed (if that's what you want to do) by riding a freewheel. if you don't already have one, a brake will certainly help. it will soon come as second nature - you'll find yourself modulating your speed with your legs without even thinking.

yeah, that's exactly what happened, I panicked in traffic, I guess maybe lost my balance and fell over against a car and then fell over onto my face because I forget to get my feet out of the straps. It was really quite a sight I'm sure. Thanks for the advice, I'll keep at it.

Coasting is for wimps. When you get used to it, you're not thinking of braking and swerving, you're suddently going slower from the pressure from your legs and swerving. I don't think I can ride a freewheel anymore - I'd have to think about the brakes, and move my hands to touch them to slow down. In that time, I've usually avoided whatever was in the way.

If you have something to prove, just go fixed.

If you don't have a brake, you could get one to increase your confidence.

If you do, just give it time.

They have a brake...

Maybe they shouldn't have one?

That could be, who knows. Like your sig HereNT

Read the first post - they said they have to think about braking...

Thanks on the sig BTW - but it will change soon, whenever I hear something that I want to put there...

keep at it bro.

Don't worry, we all fall. Don't we? RIGHT?!?!?

Yup!

We all fall down like toy soldiers.

Take a weekend and spend some time getting to know your fix. Do some seriously intense riding, it'll come to you. Will it make you a better rider? Hell if I know. I mean I know some seriously badass riders who've never touched fixed. So whatever. Is it more enjoyable? It is for some. It is for me.

If after taking some time to get used to it and getting your feet wet gradually, you still don't like it, you can always swap on a freewheel.

Could you please explain to me how hard it is to think about brakes? This seems to be a big thing for you, so much so that you announce it every chance you get.

I have to move my hands... and remember they are there... I don't know exactly what it is.

I might have one this winter though. Doubtfull that I would use it...

do whatever makes you comfortable; f the rest.

After a few shots of Jamie it's hard to think about anything?
;)

Case in point. I had a brake on a junker fixie last year because I did not trust the hub. I am cruising along and passing a bus on the left when out runs this girl. In split second reactions I immediately locked the wheel and swung the bike into a side skid saving both her ass and mine. I did not even think about the brake and if I did then there probably would have been an accident.

I started with clips and no straps. Then, to make it easier to get my foot into the clip I sawed off about 1.5" of the clip part that goes over the top of the foot. I have the cheap plastic clips, not old skool metal ones.

The clip no longer drags on the asphalt and getting in/out of the clips are a breeze. I have plenty of pedal control with this setup too. YMMV.

Oh yea and B-Tel maybe go out to a big empty lot and practice some simple maneuvers before getting in traffic. Definitely practice stopping, skidding, and skipping.

That is the point of Jameson, isn't it?

I think you summed it better than I usually do. It's immediate. When you hit a brake, you have a time delay. Almost a second to reach for the lever, and that's after you have already taken the time to see/react to whatever the obstacle is. Then you are doing two things at once, and limiting your mobility options at the same time. Brakeless turns traffic into holes and potential holes. Slowing down or speeding up 10 or 15% will often create a place for you to move through/around. I've also noticed on our Sat group rides out here, I've had a lot of times where someone in front of me slows down suddently, or someone has to swerve that puts them in my path. I've usually already dropped my speed or moved by the time that I start hearing the brake pads.

Riding hell bent at top speed until I hit a brake at the last second just isn't the way for me. It probably never will be. And it's not like I ride slow or anything - I made it from Lake and Lyndale in Uptown to the TCF bank downtown in 5 min last night, at least from comparing the clocks at the two points. It could have been the clocks seemed to jive with what was on my home clock, and the Red Cross clock when I got to work about 10 min later (bad lights/train - would have been shorter)... That wasn't just putzing around.

You'll never get a proper scientific test - all the brakeless riders are usually under the influence of various substances... And the people that track accidents involving bikes most likely don't count brakes as a factor...

It would be a cool study to see, though.

keep at it bro.

thanks, I'm a sister, but thanks!

The thought of practicing skidding to a stop scares the hell out of me but I'll try it in a lot this weekend. What is skipping?

Sorry for any gender misidentifcation issues - they do tend to happen on the net...

Skipping is a really short skid to cut speed - up with the back wheel, put it back down moving backwards if possible. Your legs may not always be able to counteract the forward momentum once the wheel is down, but it takes a lot off of your speed. You don't always have to stop to avoid an accident, anyways...

Practicing skidding to a stop is reccomended by 1/1 drunken brakeless riders as something to do in a parking lot or park with no traffic late at night. There are for mor pressing matters when you are on the bike than doing a sweet 40 foot skid (which I can't do anyways). Stay alive, and keep in your abilities.

Dammit, am I going to have to change my status back to 'Clear Blue Reason'? That is really not the state of my mind right now...

Oh god no way I would use a brake in London too, you people ride on the wrong side of the road :)


Skidding is actually a poor technique of stopping because well your skidding. Skipping is a finesse technique where on each pedal stroke that the pedals are horizontal to the ground, so as the pedal comes up from 6 o’clock to 9 o’clock you take the weight off the back tire just enough to stop the wheel with the cranks and then weight the tire again. Don't actually jump the tire in the air though you can do that but every time your tire is not in contact with the road you are not affectively slowing down. Repeat on the opposite pedal stroke till stopped or in control.

Skidding is still a very useful skill because it shows that you understand the weight distribution of your bike. And in the event of an emergency you wil want to skid out like you would on skis for example.

For what it´s worth, I ride an old 10-speeder converted to SS with a freewheel and really enjoy it, why not just try and see? a freewheel is cheap.

I ride a ghetto singlespeed conversion whilest I wait for the money to finish converting it to fixed gear, and last night while riding out to get some food in a downpour (which doesn't happen very often here in LA) I wished with all my heart I was riding fixed. With all the rain, my brakes failed. Thank the gods I wasn't going very fast and wasn't in traffic, but that was freaking scary. Fixed gear could have saved my life!

Steel rims? Alu rims and getting rid of ganky old hardened brake pads will work wonders. You may still have some delay in brake response, but it won't be complete failure.