Fixed/Single Speed Commuting

spasypaddy

the route has some hills in it, i have a hill profile somewhere...
this is the stats:
Elevation Gain/Loss: 596 m / 585 m

5 days, 12 miles each way
Is GI gearing? 46/18 (possibly 48/18)

Ive done the route in 39minutes on my geared bike but it normally takes between 42 and 47 on the SS. Ive only been riding it for a few weeks, and SS for 2 weeks or so.

I do normally do some form of exercise sunday, either riding sunday morning or playing football sunday evening.

itboffin

I think your ready to go really, just lay off the weekend rides for a short while and measure your efforts on the single speed for a couple of weeks, do that all winter and you'll be flying come summer (if we ever have one again).

I've started a new single speed route today 14miles of total fun at the moment its taking 49mins (1st time) my goal is <40 mins before the end of the year.

Completely unrelated but I passed a roadie coming the other way today 'him on the downhill' and he completely blanked me not even a nod, that's never happened to me whilst riding a road bike (SS) I was so pissed off I almost turned around and added his pathetic little mop of hair to my collection, Ignorant toss bag, perhaps he was too ashamed to acknowledge a single speed passing him travelling up hill @ +20MPH

That is not the country way.... beware whoever you are should we cross paths again you will be in need this link LOSERS CLICK HERE

Phew sorry I might need to cross post that in 'rants' & 'SCR"

Fixedweasel

Probably take a couple of weeks, when I have a couple of weeks off, it takes me about a week to get back to some level of ‘comfort’.

I ride 48x16 in ‘rolling country side’ five days a week, 190 miles, so ………HTFU...

itboffin

Fixedweasel wrote:

Probably take a couple of weeks, when I have a couple of weeks off, it takes me about a week to get back to some level of ‘comfort’.

I ride 48x16 in ‘rolling country side’ five days a week, 190 miles, so ………HTFU...

That's pretty hard core.

Chapeau!

Where in Hampshire?

Fixedweasel

Perhaps verging on the dumb rather than 'hard core', like to keep things simple hence the fixed.

Live near Alton, close to the Hampshire / Surrey border.

itboffin

Fixedweasel wrote:

Perhaps verging on the dumb rather than 'hard core', like to keep things simple hence the fixed.

Live near Alton, close to the Hampshire / Surrey border.

so how do you keep the cadence under control on the down hills, feathering the brakes or spinning like a loon?

Fixedweasel

In days done by when I had the ‘fear’ I use to feather the front brake but now I just spin, spin, spin ……….. It’s the only way !

TRADESIZE

some of my my mates over on the aircooled vw forum that i go on are into all this fixed single speed malarky, thought the following link suited this thread:

53 pages of fixed/single speed bycycle porn:

http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=500538

itboffin

I have a question for you fellow single speeders, clearly no one in there right mind would use a quick release axle on a fixed/single rear wheel, so what happens when you get a rear puncture???? do you carry around a hefty socket tool???

As you might have guessed I had a rear puncture today and had not factored in how to undo the axle nuts which i'd previously tightened very securely indeed, no point in carrying the repair kit and pump then. :oops:

Greg T

itboffin wrote:

I have a question for you fellow single speeders, clearly no one in there right mind would use a quick release axle on a fixed/single rear wheel, so what happens when you get a rear puncture???? do you carry around a hefty socket tool???

Yes.

I carry a 15mm spanner to get my track nuts off...

Get your track nuts off baby, get your nuts off, get them off off off.

el_presidente

itboffin wrote:

I have a question for you fellow single speeders, clearly no one in there right mind would use a quick release axle on a fixed/single rear wheel, so what happens when you get a rear puncture???? do you carry around a hefty socket tool???

As you might have guessed I had a rear puncture today and had not factored in how to undo the axle nuts which i'd previously tightened very securely indeed, no point in carrying the repair kit and pump then. :oops:

Yes I cycle everywhere with a big spanner

spacey99

Mostly get a cab. However should one not be to hand....

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/surly/surly.htm

lost_in_thought

Take a 15mm spanner, cut it in half, and take the closed 'ring' end with you.

Also, get some chain tugs and stop being such a man about tightening things.

itboffin

The whole point of the single speed was simple riding, now it seems I need to carry a MASSIVE tool kit on every ride, pah!

On the plus side having a flat this afternoon wasn't too bad I just whipped the wheels off stuck the bike in the boot of the car (meeting the wife) and enjoying a leisurely pub lunch.

lost_in_thought

itboffin wrote:

The whole point of the single speed was simple riding, now it seems I need to carry a MASSIVE tool kit on every ride, pah!

On the plus side having a flat this afternoon wasn't too bad I just whipped the wheels off stuck the bike in the boot of the car (meeting the wife) and enjoying a leisurely pub lunch.

With my newer car, I can fit my bike and my brother's in without having to dismantle either at all. And his is a MTB...

I love my Saab. Except when it breaks, then I still love it, but a tiny bit less.

Apollo748

itboffin wrote:

The whole point of the single speed was simple riding, now it seems I need to carry a MASSIVE tool kit on every ride, pah!

You could hide spanners in bushes on your route to work.

ansbaradigeidfran

I once found a crowbar on top of a 7ft wall in Bangor...

Apollo748

itboffin wrote:

Phew this thread has died a death, surely this time of year being winter and all this place should be buzzing with news and noob questions.

Hi all I made a fixed bike!

Well nearly, hopefully it should be finished by end of next week, nearly there though. I can't wait!

itboffin

Whilst going through some of the bike porn images on the link TRADESIZE posted I came across this one, Jash cover your eyes :shock:

Jen J

itboffin wrote:

Whilst going through some of the bike porn images on the link TRADESIZE posted I came across this one, Jash cover your eyes :shock:

:shock: :shock: :shock:

ansbaradigeidfran

There are better ways to make a folding bike, I'm sure...

lost_in_thought

ansbaradigeidfran wrote:

There are better ways to make a folding bike, I'm sure...

jonginge

Reminded me of this from the Tour de France:
http://www.fandome.com/video/102672/200 ... -13-Crash/

spasypaddy

you dont need massive tools, i have a tool that has pretty much every spanner i'll ever need on it and its about 2 inches big and solid metal.

wgwarburton

itboffin:

You can use quick-release hubs on fixies, apparantly. Sheldon Brown (RIP) discusses it on his website.

I use nuts, though, and carry a 15mm ring spanner with the other end reshaped to form a tyre lever (like LiT's half-spanner, only more so :-) ). Q/R on the front.
I think of it as a fixie multitool- lighter and simpler than a geared multitool, but providing all that you really need.. :-)

Cheers,
W.

don_don

ansbaradigeidfran wrote:

There are better ways to make a folding bike, I'm sure...

A couple of S&S couplings and some Araldite and it'll be fine :shock:

Jen J

Wow. First commute using the fixed wheel and I absolutely love it

Quite an uneventful (mile long :oops: ) ride, but enough to know I'm going to really enjoy the feeling of riding fixed.

The main issues are that I have discovered I have a habit of standing up to 'readjust' my seat, and I stop pedalling while I do so. I'm sure that habit will quickly be dropped. The other problem is pedal position when stopping.

I've found that I always release and ground the left foot, but to do so I stop with the right pedal at the bottom. As I always push off with the right this means rolling forwards or backwards to be able to get going again.

Also in order not to lose my balance when rolling to a halt, I release my left foot before stopping, which seems to result in hopping on my left foot while my right foot is carried backwards on the pedal.

I'm sure these will improve with practice though.

Best thing about fixed so far, for me, is being able to control the speed with the pedals - I hardly used the brakes at all (bear in mind my mile long journey involves lots of lights so I never get a chance to build up any real speed).

lost_in_thought

Good!

I knew you'd love it...

The feet thing will work itself out - you'll also find yourself working out pretty quickly how far one pedal revolution takes you. I also find I stop a bit further back from lights to keep my feet in the right place.

Or you could do what I've seen people (without panniers) do - push forward on the hoods to lift the rear wheel off the ground and spin your cranks to the right place with the clipped in foot.

Enjoy!

don_don

Nice one Jen

Or you could do what I've seen people (without panniers) do - push forward on the hoods to lift the rear wheel off the ground and spin your cranks to the right place with the clipped in foot.

That's just what I was about to say, but I also concur with LiT; you'll learn pretty quickly to stop with your right pedal just in the right place to push off again. Enjoy!

vorsprung

My commuter bike is a single speed.

I made the single speed one day in Cornwall when the derrailuer exploded. Got me to Penzance so I thought "this works for me"

I am not going to try fixed because

1) I have all the parts for single speed in the junk in the garage
2) I hear stories about horrible injuries on fixies ( face plants, broken sit bones etc ) that it seems could have been avoided on a post 1880 bicycle
3) Alledged advantage #1 of fixies is that it is "simple". So is single speed but you don't have to remember to pedal all the time
4) Fixies are achingly hip. According to people that aren't. I can't be doing that
5) There is a big hill between me and work. The 3 mile downhill is quite relaxing