Observations on Fixed riding
 

Finally got my 80s road frame converted, and it is very very sweet.

I have been riding bikes for years and years and feel very comfortable on them. Thought I'd throw out that disclaimer. Here are my quick observations after doing 10 miles.

- getting on the bike..took me a few to get comfortable with it. I am extremely used to adjusting the pedals level and getting on. Now it is a different story..they don't move that easily..I just put my weight on the lead pedal now and go from there. Not sure which way is proper, but it was funny the first few times..felt super weird.

- riding. This was easy. Quite fun to ride this way..yes the pedals keep moving, but that was not a huge issue for me. My toe clips have not come in yet, so I am riding on platforms with no straps..slightly dangerous, but it was not an issue.

- It felt like I was using more energy, then it also felt like I wasn't. Hard to describe this, but when I was getting speed, it felt fantastic..I was flying.

- calfs cramped a little..I had to stop and stretch my calves out..that was a first for me on a bike ever. It is very very hot down here, so that may have had something to do with it..I was sweating a fair amount.

- The Fixed gear forces you to spin right..you need to pull up on the pedals or you feel disconnected like you are going to come off. Luckily this felt pretty normal for me.

- I have a front brake but use it too much. I need to learn how to stop without it. I was slowing down without the brake, but it felt like it could be a crutch for me. Regardless, I think having a front brake is key for tight turns and rapid stops.

Any advice you guys have for techniques on braking..skills to learn etc are always appreciated. I am going to practice more this weekend and do some bigger rides once I get the toe clips on as well.

Why do you need to learn to stop without your front brake? There's nothing wrong with using it.

Also when starting, if you lift your back wheel you can easily adjust the pedal position... only if you have clips/straps though.

I'd like to be able to control the bike as much as possible with my legs just to be able to do it really.

Is that the best way to mount the bike? I can do that..wasn't sure if there was a proper way or anything. Never thought about it before in my life.

Idk if it's the best or proper way... but I was in the same pickle as you and then my friend showed me and I was like a-ha! It works well.

+1 on both. I live in the city and use the hell out of my front brake. It'll save your knees a lot of problems down the road as well. You'll especially like it when a pedestrian steps out in front of you or you go head to head with a car.

skidding looks so freakin cool though man, I mean how else is my ride gonna get me chicks

Cool. Well so far I really enjoy the whole experience. Defintley not worth hurting the knees so I will keep that in mind as well and use the front brake more. I just like the control I get on the pedals now..it is totally different.

Personally I use my brake all the time. I do fairly long distances everyday and resisting the pedals really take a lot out of me. I feel like even just getting off the saddle when hitting a bump kills my quads after 10miles of riding.

I couldn't imagine riding w/o foot retention. Did it for a day or two when I first started and damn near killed myself. LBS should have clips/straps for less than ten bucks.

We have hills here (in Arkansas). So it's front and back brakes both on my fixie. I rode it the first couple of weeks around the flat parts of town, but eventually wandered into the hilly part. Going up not so bad, but coming back down...

As soon as I got 'er stopped, we went to the LBS and installed brakes on both ends ;-)

Front-brake-only can be a risk if you don't practice a good bit to avoid locking it up and causing an endo situation.

Never worry about endo (might come from mtb/trials/motorcycle riding)... heat is my issue. A long decent can generate enough heat to kill a tube.

So then roadbikes shouldn't use breaks either, no? If pro's don't have flats going down mountains you won't have one going down central avenue.

They do, they just are on order and should be on today. I am stoked because I used straps on my MTB when I was younger and loved them. I ride wearing Nike Frees and they grip the pedals so well that I knew I'd be alright.

I am not going to commute until I have the clips though.

As for the front brake, I always shift my weight back to keep the bike properly balanced and prevent an endo situation.

yeah i ride around with a buddy that doesn't use any either -- but his quads are the size of an elephant so he can stop himself pretty well lol

If you don't have foot retention, your ability to stop is almost 100% limited to the force your body weight has on the peddle. You can hold yourself down a bit with your arms, but without a way to really hold yourself down to the bike, the pedals will just lift you up as they rotate around and you try to stop.

I try to minimize usage of the front brake on my fixed-gear just like I minimize usage of any brake on any bike: If I'm in traffic, parks or the likes, I should be going slowly enough not to have to brake - If I'm constantly braking, I should probably slow down anyway. There's always a finger on the lever, though, for emergencies.

If I'm going on a sportive ride, there's not much reason to brake other than to scrub off some speed - which, on a fixed gear, is just as easy to do by pedaling slower. If I'm training (likely on the fixed-gear, then), the added effort of resisting the pedals is a plus in my book.


As for "lift-off": Once your straps arrive, you'll learn to start from whatever position the pedals are. I sometimes lift my rear wheel to realign them ("parallel with the downtube"), but more often, I simply give a push with the foot on the ground, and use the strap to pull the pedal upwards.

Phat Skidz!

Bolded for emphasis.

^^^
Yes it sounds kind of silly, but I don't know how else to describe it. I think for someone that has ridden bikes a long time and wants a new feel, this is the way to go. If you are new to riding and just doing it for the trend, I am not sure that it is the best idea.

No, that's exactly it. And I've been riding a fixed gear for years but I have never been able to describe it any better.