Does it take more effort to ride a fixie?

OS 65

Hi There
I've been riding a fixed wheel bike for the last 3 months and I've been wondering if a rider
on a fixed wheel bike needs to ride as far as a rider on a geared bike to get the same kind of work out?

For instance. Could A fixie rider go out for 2 hours and get the same workout and benefits as a rider on a geared bike riding for 3 hours?

OS 65

graeme_s-2

I don't know about any exact ratio (and it would depend on the route), but I think broadly speaking you get a better workout for the same route on a fixed gear than you would on a geared bike.

Gav2000

I have been riding a fixed geared bike recently and have done a few trial circuits on geared and fixed bikes to compare. According to my HRM a circuit that burns about 800 calories on a geared bike burns almost 1,000 on a fixed bike, thats about 25% more on a fixed bike. This is a rolling countryside circuit which I ride in my normal fashion on the geared bike (i.e. freewheeling and getting my breath back as required). I also end up with a higher average heart rate on fixed as there is no chance of the same rest.

This isn't very scientific but it's a guide I guess. I'm using a fixed bike as much as I can during the winter as my rides are generally shorter so I'm trying to maximise the workout.

Gavin.

OS 65

Thanks for the responses, very interesting

I too have been riding a fixed to try and compensate for my lack time to train. I've been hoping that my short (2.5 hours) but more intense fixed riding would mean that come the racing season I might be able to get away with not having done steady 4 our rides...

I was thinking of trying the fixed out on a chain gang but I'm a bit wary about not ever getting a rest when I move off the front.

OS 65

Gav2000

OS 65 wrote:

I was thinking of trying the fixed out on a chain gang but I'm a bit wary about not ever getting a rest when I move off the front.

OS 65

I couldn't ride my fixed with others who were on geared bikes, I would be slow down hills as my legs span like mad and would have to lead out up hills as I tried to maintain momentum. I find fixed riding requires a pretty settled average speed up hills, down hills and on the flat, certainly far less varied than speeds on a geared bike.

Gav.

OS 65

I've been going out with a group who are on geared bikes and I tend to go faster (without trying to) on any type of hill from a slight incline upwards. The flat roads are fine, I feel comfortable up to about 23mph, 25 is a bit tough and anything more turns into an all out sprint for me. Down hills are horrible in a group, my maximum speed is 31mph for very short periods... but I justify it by thinking I'm not getting any rest!

OS 65

bahzob

I have just started riding a fixed as part of winter training. I use a power meter on my other bikes so have been doing some tests on my fixed bike using a HAC4 (which estimates power). Goal is to get some power estimates of my fixed rides to put in my training log.

Its early days but so far have found that riding a fixed takes about 10-20% more effort than the same ride on a "normal" bike. Main reason is that portions of a ride on a normal bike take no effort (when coasting or going downhill). You dont get these on a fixed, spinning at 120rpm on a descent is quite a workout....

cervelorider

I disagree with the train of thought here, and the specific area is that of going downhill after a climb.
IME, I dont coast or free-wheel at all, and although my power output decreases by 10-20% on steeper downhill sections, I gear-up so I can ride at a comfortable cadence to hold something close to my desired power output.
A fixed wheel may allow you to keep pedaling at a high cadence when riding downhill, but with a considerable loss in power output.
I also find that my output is higher when climbing in easier gears at a higher cadence, than grinding away at low cadence, which is often the case with climbing in a fixed gear, where the power output can be lower.
The bottom line is that gears give you the ability to sustain a more constant effort over hilly terrain.

I dont want to turn this into a power meter thread, but one thing it has taught me about is the amount of wasted time in a ride/session through free-wheeling. I would add that my 'opinion' here is based on a training session, as opposed to a social ride.

gkerr4

Hmm - interesting point.

My 2p - if i am only going to get out for a short blast - and lets face it, in this weather you have t take the little rides when you can, but if it just going to be a 40 - 60 minute ride, would much rather take the fixed gear. it just seems so much more intense. there is no easy option when faced with a slope - it's just out of the saddle and 'go!'

I am loving the fixed gear at the moment - it;s awesome fun and take a real turn of speed about town.

scapaslow

I asked a similar question about fixed benefits on the training form a while back. Sorry but i don't know how to put a link in.

Alex Simmons (RST) replied "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."

Personally, i ride fixed through the winter and enjoy it and feel as though i am putting in more effort for a known route than on my geared bike.

OS 65

I don't use a pulse meter or power meter but the effects I was feeling from my fixed riding got me thinking about how beneficial it was compared to a geared bike.

The first 3 to 4 times I went out on my fixed (about 70" gear) following a 26 mile route I suffered from stiff legs the following days, something which rarely happens when riding a geared bike unless I ride longer distances like 60-70 miles.

I am under the assumption (maybe wrongly) that a fixed forces you to at times spin and then push a big gear (outside normal comfort zones) so combining two types of training easily into one session without having to force myself which I find harder (mentally) on a geared bike.



I've also noticed that my leg muscles appear to be getting bigger and I can accelerate away more quickly in the same gear since riding the fixed

I feel like I'm exerting myself more on gradual down hill slopes by spinning rather than slipping into a bigger gear, it seem much harder for me to raise my breathing when I push a bigger gear. I also feel like I can really hoof it on up hills and get into a good rhythm.

I can see that from what a couple of people are saying that a geared bike would still give the same work out as a fixed if the rider focused on the training. But is it the case that because the fixed forces you to ride in a way that you wouldn't normally it takes you out of your comfort zone more efficiently and therefor increases your fitness more effectively?

OS65

gkerr4

OS 65 wrote:

I can see that from what a couple of people are saying that a geared bike would still give the same work out as a fixed if the rider focused on the training. But is it the case that because the fixed forces you to ride in a way that you wouldn't normally it takes you out of your comfort zone more efficiently and therefor increases your fitness more effectively?

OS65

I think this is exactly the case .

I also agree that within the first few weeks of riding the fixed a lot, I felt there was an improvement in leg muscle size and my ability to get started at a fast pace on the fixed bike itself. also the hills that were a struggle to start with are no longer - now I would have made that improvement on the geared bike too, but I feel it has been quicker coming on the fixed.

I am going to slightly raise the gearing on the fixed in the new year to see if I can push this benefit again.

geoff_ss

I haven't ridden fixed for some years but I commuted 26 miles/day on a 63" fixed in winter for several years. I live in a fairly hilly area (Derbyshire) and at the top of a hill. I was surprised how I managed the climb home on a much higher gear than when I rode gears. I developed a descending technique which 'disconnected' my legs and allowed them to spin with relaxed muscles so I suppose it was almost free wheeling.

There are 3 gears when using fixed. Sitting, standing and walking I managed to avoid the lowest most of the time. But then I was always a commuter/tourist rather than a racer. Even though I rode the odd 25 or evening 10 I never took it seriously - too painful.

Geoff