Riding fixed - any benefits?

scapaslow

Does incorporating some weekly fixed rides into your routine bring any benefits or disadvantages?
I was climbing a hill yesterday that normally i'd be in the small ring spinning up whilst in the saddle. On the fixed, i need to get out of the saddle more often in short bursts to keep the momentum going and at the steepest sections have to stay out of the saddle for long periods just to get to the top. My perceived effort is a lot higher on the fixed on such a climb. Also, on the flat and downhill my cadence is higher than it would be on my geared bike.
Is it doing me any good?
I think riding fixed must be developing different muscles but not sure if there are any real benefits.

Matchstick Man

I'd say that at this time of year (off season) riding fixed a couple of times a week, or commuting on it a few days a week will be of benefit to you as it's specific cycling but subtly different.
The same goes for riding a MTB or riding cyclo-cross or riding an indoor track league.
It's as much the mental break as anything else.
getting muddy on the MTB for a couple of hours on a Sunday is a great alternative to plodding round the same old cafes with the club.
Just forget the HRM, computer,etc and just get out and enjoy the riding.

John Stevenson

It can't hurt to be able to pedal smoothly at a wider range than usual.

But the classic claimed fitness benefit of riding fixed for winter was that you'd be doing less riding and a fixie forces you to pedal *all the time*, so you're not 'wasting' any time frivolously freewheeling away.

Alex_Simmons/RST

I doubt there are measureable improvements to cardiovascular or metabolic fitness to be gained in riding a fixie over gears/freewheel. There are none to be lost either, provided that you can sustain the power output required to a obtain the desired physiological adaptation.

Typically the only time people coast on a freewheel, like going downhill, stopping for lights etc, they are just turning their legs over on a fixie simply because they have to and are not generating much power (indeed they may be generating negative torque). Plenty of stories of riders going 175+rpm downhill in a small gear fixie and wondering if they'll survive!

But it makes a great change up and is good for specificity if fixed gear riding is part of your targets/goals (like track racing) where effectiveness over a wide range of cadences is required.

tramotane

it is very pleasurable when you prove to riders on gears that they can go no faster than you can on one 8) .

I personally feel that fixed can give you a flywheel effect when it comes to riding rolling hills, also the acceleration providing you are not maxed out rpm wise is fantastic.

also make sure your gear is suitable for the terrain- 63 inc at 212prm is about 40mph and scary/exciting. I also found that a big chain ring and a sprocket combination works well.

best of all enjoy it!

scapaslow

Thanks for the replies. Nice to know i'm doing no harm and will continue to enjoy riding fixed as well as geared.
I live in a hilly locale and use 48 by 20 gearing which i think is 63inches. This enables me to get up most of the hills but does create havoc with the legs coming down the steep ones!

There's a lot on this forum regarding power meters which is very interesting. Are they suitable for riders with different goals to racers? I mean more general goals of increasing endurance/getting a little faster - say wanting to try a sportive but without wanting to be a TdF winner?

Any good starting places for finding out more?

Alex_Simmons/RST

scapaslow wrote:

There's a lot on this forum regarding power meters which is very interesting. Are they suitable for riders with different goals to racers? I mean more general goals of increasing endurance/getting a little faster - say wanting to try a sportive but without wanting to be a TdF winner?

Any good starting places for finding out more?

Power meters are absolutely perfect for helping riders optimise their training loads, whatever their goal.

Here is an example - an item about a friend I coach (she is a writer for this site BTW) who was making a recovery from cancer to ride an Audax event:
Part 1
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... mance.html

Part 2
http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com/2007/02/ ... -back.html

As for more information on training with power, then you might read the items listed on this site:
http://www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com/power411/

Another great reference point listing all sorts of power training link is here:
http://www.trainwithpower.net/

And of course the book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter, by Allen & Coggan, is excellent, aimed at all levels, from those thinking about it right through to those with highly technical and esoteric interests in how power meters can aid performance improvement. It is shown on the cycling peaks site above.

andrewgturnbull

HI there.

Getting back on topic... riding fixed has the enormous advantage of dropping the rider straight into the way-too-cool-for-school faux-messenger subculture that is the fixed community. Before you know it you'll be trackstanding, skip-stopping and reading Travis High Culley novels.

Oh yeah, and it's a great excuse for riding slowly!
;;-)

Cheers, Andy