Respect to fixers!

gralegav
gralegav Posts: 94
edited June 2007 in Commuting chat
Saw two very cool riders/bikes this morning on the Uxbridge road in Acton.

First up was a lovely carbon De Rosa in red and black, nicely accessorised with matching tyres and Royal Mail postbag turned courier bag!

But the special award must go to the guy on the fixed Ellsworth Butterworth(?), with saddle-shaped wear holes in his 3/4 baggy shorts, who managed a full minute or more of trackstanding whilst chatting up another cyclist at the lights! And he was faster than everyone else, even away from the lights.

Respect is due...

Comments

  • last saturday i was riding through london west end and a guy on a fixie overtook me,but he got caught at the lights.he did a one arm trackstand for about 45 seconds. realy impresive.
  • 45 seconds? i don't believe it.
  • why dont you believe it?
  • Hackbike 6
    Hackbike 6 Posts: 3,116
    Beacuse he thoght it was sixty seconds.

    Anyone can ride a fixie.I've had a spell of fixie's in my time.

    Great to ride and brilliant control.You also have to do a bit of thinking some of the time.

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  • lol
  • The Bosscp
    The Bosscp Posts: 647
    sodding deathtraps.
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    Oh come on! That's just a lack of skill and the correct mental approach. Both are easily achievable by almost all cyclists, though I do appreciate that some people approach fixed wheel riding with wrong expectations and then get caught out.

    <font size="1">My bikes
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    If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.
  • Hackbike 6
    Hackbike 6 Posts: 3,116
    Agree with mikey...most peoples can ride a fixie.

    ...also brakes are an optional extra.[}:)]

    <font color="green"><font size="1">Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006</font id="green"></font id="size1"><font size="1"><font color="blue">Dawes Audax 2006</font id="blue"></font id="size1"><font size="1"><font color="green"> New 20/09/2006</font id="green"><font color="red"> </font id="red"></font id="size1">
    <font color="blue">
    <font size="1"><font color="red"> Cycle Commuting since 1981 </font id="red"></font id="blue"></font id="size1">
    <font color="blue">
    <font size="1">Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977</font id="blue"><font color="red"><font size="1"> (30 years ago)</font id="size1"></font id="red"></font id="size1">

    <font size="1"><font color="red"> Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc</font id="size1"></font id="red">
    <font color="red"><font size="1">Ride to work part 2 of 8 </font id="size1"></font id="red"><font size="1">http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu</font id="size1">
    <font color="red"><font size="1">Ride to work part 3 of 8</font id="red"></font id="size1"><font size="1"> http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv </font id="size1">
  • papercorn2000
    papercorn2000 Posts: 4,517
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by The Boss</i>

    sodding deathtraps.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    That's 'cos you are a newbie to bike riding. One day you may want to take off the stabilisers and maybe even risk <whispers> <font size="1">clipless pedals!</font id="size1">[:D]

    God told me to skin you alive.
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    God told me to skin you alive.
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  • The Bosscp
    The Bosscp Posts: 647
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by BentMikey</i>

    Oh come on! That's just a lack of skill and the correct mental approach. Both are easily achievable by almost all cyclists, though I do appreciate that some people approach fixed wheel riding with wrong expectations and then get caught out.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
    The 'correct mental approach' is not to touch the bloody thing with a barge pole! It goes against the whole ethos of cycling, such as the fact that going downhill should be fast and easy. Also, you should be keeping your outside foot down on a corner, to stabilise weight distribution. You can't do that on a fixed.
  • The Bosscp
    The Bosscp Posts: 647
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by papercorn2000</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by The Boss</i>

    sodding deathtraps.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    That's 'cos you are a newbie to bike riding. One day you may want to take off the stabilisers and maybe even risk <whispers> <font size="1">clipless pedals!</font id="size1">[:D]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
    I've got clipless pedals thanks, and have NEVER fell off due to them.
  • jakob_s
    jakob_s Posts: 477
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by The Boss</i>
    The 'correct mental approach' is not to touch the bloody thing with a barge pole! It goes against the whole ethos of cycling,
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Actually, it brings the focus back on cycling and away from the latest carbon/Ti/10-speed bling.
    Sure, it takes a little practice to ride at the speed you would normally do on a geared bike, but nothing the average joe can't learn.

    FGG #2384
  • Ste_S
    Ste_S Posts: 1,173
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jakob_s</i>
    Actually, it brings the focus back on cycling and away from the latest carbon/Ti/10-speed bling.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Tosh. That arguement went out the window as soon as people started wearing Rapha while riding bikes with expensive track groupsets [;)]
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    what is a fixie?

    and how do you do track standing? i cant manage a second nevertheless a minute!

    http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bikeim9.jpg
  • PeteinSQ
    PeteinSQ Posts: 2,292
    You want to get some clipless pedals for you Cannondale.
    <a><img></a>
  • PeteinSQ
    PeteinSQ Posts: 2,292
    Sorry, I didn't see it.
    <a><img></a>
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by The Boss</i>

    you should be keeping your outside foot down on a corner, to stabilise weight distribution. You can't do that on a fixed.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Hahaha, that's also bollocks. Your outside foot should be down to avoid grounding a pedal, it's nothing to do with weight distribution. That's not an issue on most fixed wheel bikes due to higher BB and or shorter cranks.

    <font size="1">My bikes
    My skates</font id="size1">

    If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    i think it was me doing the one handed trackstand.

    definitely if it was a blue fuji.

    i got them nailed now, but it is a really poserish thing to do.

    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv
  • Graham O
    Graham O Posts: 150
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
    Sure, it takes a little practice to ride at the speed you would normally do on a geared bike

    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    The biggest surprise I had when I made my fixed bike, was that despite living in a hilly part of the country, my journey times are generally faster than on a geared bike. Okay one or two climbs are really tough and braking on the downhills is just stupid, but I climb much faster and easier.
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    no choice. much quicker up highgate hill.

    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv
  • peejay i dont think i saw you mate,this guys bike was jet black no decals and he had long hair.
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    oh sigh.

    i nearly fell off for the first time trackstanding today, overcooked the angle and nearly broke my leg trying to force the bike forwards and out.

    winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
    summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv