Why fg/ss?
 

Why do you guys ride FG/SS as opposed to having gears? Personally, as a former BMX kid, I'm just not used to having gears so I got an SS. When my FW started having issues, I switched to FG and haven't looked back. Why did you guys choose the discipline of cycling that makes steep ascents/decents hard at best and impossible at worst?

Sometimes, I ask myself why, and the only reason I can find other than "I just enjoy riding fixed" is that the simplicity of the drivetrain is unparalleled(other than to an unicycle, I suppose). I like thing that just work, and a fixed gear bike is one of those things.

Because Sheldon said it would be fun. He was right.

Because my freewheel on my road bike got gummed up and stopped coasting. I thought fixies were cool and wanted to give it a try. Now I do it because I think it's a fun challenge, I like the "community", and I've always been a fan of elegance through simplicity.

edit: Ti Member 3x combo!!

For me riding fixed feels like my whole body is part of the bike. I know a lot of people say that "zen" feeling is a stupid concept, but I actually feel it. You resist the pedals, the bike slows down. Also, for some reason a fixed gear bike feels more nimble to me as well. The whole feeling truly cannot be put into one word.


Edit: make that 4x!

I like riding fixed, but I've also been wanting to build up a road bike.

i like all bieks. but cuz i like to go slow, i ride FG :lol:

I said it once but I will say it again:

CAAD10 FTW.

I roll both ways

Got a Ti frame hanging in my closet waiting for some SHRAM.

Nice. Rival is just as good as anything else for training/light racing IMHO.

I'd be super stoked to have a Rival group.

troll CL, i got complete group for 400

I get asked this at work too. I don't have a reasonable answer that makes sense. My staple answer is "I just like it". If they want to ask more questions I do my best. It was so long ago when I first tried it that I honestly don't remember what it was that made it stick. To be fair, I ride fixed and geared equally these days although ~7 years ago it was almost 100% fixed.

I do it because they FG/SS's are great for commuting and being locked up; no fears of gears and whatnot getting bumped by other people/ bikes.

i love FG for the beautiful simplicity of operation. less is more.

i've had roadies/mtb/cruisers, but FG is very much my drug of choice. just sorry it took me so long to discover/try it.

CL here blows. I'm hoping I end up in Seattle for my internship so you can teach me your CL ways.

hurry! SO RONNERY

It's only obligatory. ;)

I'm a BMX kid too, and I like to work on my own bikes, so gears seemed like a bit too much to just sort of jump into. Soon enough though. And like homebrewk said, theres a sort of 'zen' feeling of connectedness to your bike that just feels really good.

Ha I was going to post the exact same question!

I ride fixed because I can bash the bike around without worrying about my gears getting messed up or my derailuer not acting properly
I have slightly perfectionist qualities, so I can't bear it when my gears aren't shifting properly (my road bike that I ride occasionally shifts like a beauty) I can just hop on my fixie and go. I dislike the clipping in that i'm obliged to do so, but hey it's a good trade off.

Also, fixies generally looks way more simplistic and fashionable then your standard road or mountain bike.

Because there isn't a hill within 25 miles of me.

And it's fun.

I got my fixed gear because I crashed my road bike and had nothing else to ride. Now I just ride it because it's fun and easy to maintain. I really like the simple look of SS/FG

I live in about the worst terrain for single speed (short, steep hills ad nauseum) but I have a cruiser with low gearing that I can ride through the country with ease. I get up hills without problems, and it keeps me from trying to spin like mad on downhills because I run out of gearing.

It may be slower than my geared bikes, but it forces me to relax. There's no planning hill attacks, I just pedal.

...because i have more than one bike. when was it a binary choice between fg/ss and gears?