What is all the fuss about?
woodford2barbican
Posts: 1,505
I have just been out for a 20 mile ride on my langster with the flip flop hub flipped to be 48/17 fixed.
After all the fuss people have made about riding fixed it was a total anticlimax. There is no difference to riding single speed freewheel in terms of feel & feedback.
To me the significant differences are all negatives. To a degree it seems that the use of a fixed wheel reduces the utility & flexibility of the cycle.
There are manoeuvres which are possible with a freewheel which are quite simply not available with a fixed wheel.
This is a hard one to explain, but essentially I wanted to scoot across one lane of traffic, with a freewheel this is simple, push & glide then dismount on the pavement. With the fixed it became an altogether more complicated exercise.
I have always wondered why you see so many more people pushing fixed wheel bikes, is it because they are less manoeuvrable?
The ride also confirmed my feeling that a freewheel is a safety device when riding in traffic.
It is easier to coast and observe with a freewheel, it is easier to stand up and do a meerkat style look around, and also to pop your head over cars so oncoming drivers can see you.
I think It is easier and safer to stop quickly riding freewheel. Maybe that is something which comes with practice, but there is no reason to me to put the practice in, as the rest of the experience was so underwhelming.
As for the theory that you work more on a fixed, perhaps you do because you never stop pedalling, but I was no more tired after 20 miles fixed than I would be 20 miles free. The fixed gear is also 1 tooth smaller than my free cog.
The only bit which I enjoyed differently to when on freewheel was cycling downhill, standing up so as to go as slowly as possible - a strange feeling but not enough on its own to make me convert for good as I enjoy cycling fast downhill more that I enjoy doing so slowly!
All in all, the flip flop was a flop and I don't think I will be trying it again.
Has anyone else tried fixed and been as disappointed as me?
After all the fuss people have made about riding fixed it was a total anticlimax. There is no difference to riding single speed freewheel in terms of feel & feedback.
To me the significant differences are all negatives. To a degree it seems that the use of a fixed wheel reduces the utility & flexibility of the cycle.
There are manoeuvres which are possible with a freewheel which are quite simply not available with a fixed wheel.
This is a hard one to explain, but essentially I wanted to scoot across one lane of traffic, with a freewheel this is simple, push & glide then dismount on the pavement. With the fixed it became an altogether more complicated exercise.
I have always wondered why you see so many more people pushing fixed wheel bikes, is it because they are less manoeuvrable?
The ride also confirmed my feeling that a freewheel is a safety device when riding in traffic.
It is easier to coast and observe with a freewheel, it is easier to stand up and do a meerkat style look around, and also to pop your head over cars so oncoming drivers can see you.
I think It is easier and safer to stop quickly riding freewheel. Maybe that is something which comes with practice, but there is no reason to me to put the practice in, as the rest of the experience was so underwhelming.
As for the theory that you work more on a fixed, perhaps you do because you never stop pedalling, but I was no more tired after 20 miles fixed than I would be 20 miles free. The fixed gear is also 1 tooth smaller than my free cog.
The only bit which I enjoyed differently to when on freewheel was cycling downhill, standing up so as to go as slowly as possible - a strange feeling but not enough on its own to make me convert for good as I enjoy cycling fast downhill more that I enjoy doing so slowly!
All in all, the flip flop was a flop and I don't think I will be trying it again.
Has anyone else tried fixed and been as disappointed as me?
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I cannot therefore offer any fixed wheel experience as you request in your post but I am not at all surprised by your findings. I will not therefore be trying the fixed experience any time soon and will simply concentrate on getting fitter and faster using my geared road bikes.
Not the response you were after I am sure, however I thought I let you know that others think that your findings are not unusual.
[2] Trek 5200 old style carbon
[3] Frankensteins hybrid FCN 8
My personal experience of riding fixed has been very positive, and I genuinely enjoy the feeling of doing so.
Maybe it's partly because you had read so many postive reviews, that you felt disappointed, perhaps you had too high expectations?
I bought my Bowery before I found this site, and didn't know much about bikes at all, so I had no idea what to expect when I felt experienced enough to try fixed. For me what's so great about it is just a feeling that I lack the eloquence to post.
But just as some people prefer MTBing to road biking, or track to cross, some will prefer freewheel to fixed and vice versa.
Winter Hack: Triandrun Vento 3
Madone
It's all about me...
'07 Tricross Sport with rack and guards
STUNNING custom 953 Bob Jackson *sigh*
My awareness is better, my pedalling technique is better, and I think ahead more. Of course, some of this may just have been gained from cycling experience anyway, but the imrpovements were more rapid after going fixed.
Winter Hack: Triandrun Vento 3
Madone
It's all about me...
Where are you, Jash? And G66?
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."
No it does not - singlespeed is the way forwards, just not fixed wheel for me.
Gears are for whimps. MTFU.
I have a renewed respect for people who ride fixed in London or any city, you need extra extra spidey sense in traffic.
Anyway if I lived somewhere flatter or had a shorter commute then I might ride fixed but for now it's gears in the summer and single in the winter. I'm hoping all my hard single speed work over the winter is going to pay out come summer.
@w2b nice round up of your experience.
PS. even though I'm not riding fixed I still have one in the garage, of course!
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
A SS is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Might as well buy a MTB. You just need to ask the SSers I hunted down during the last two weeks. They'll be the ones sitting in the corner of the dark room, double whiskey in hand, asking themselves where it's all gone wrong.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."
That will be me later tonight, whiskey & corner of dark room. But I will be thinking where did most of it go right ....... I don't have too much to complain about. :P
If I want to 'meerkat' to see the traffic/be seen, I do so... I don't need to have my feet stationary to stand up.
If I want to scoot, I do, I like the fixed gear for that as I can propel the bike with the still-clipped-in foot while I'm scooting.
Also, I think if anything that low speed manoeuverability is better on a fixed - more control over speed.
I don't really see why you think it's safer to stop quickly on a freewheel either.
I do also disagree with the person above who mentioned having part of your brain focussed on constantly pedalling. It's second nature to me, to the extent that when I get on my crappy roadie I forget that I don't need to keep pedalling. It's automatic now, and has been since about 3 weeks after I started riding fixed last year.
However I do completely agree about going downhill - less fun on a fixed.
Furthermore, pushing a fixed is a pain. The pedals bite you if you don't pay attention.
Other than that I like it! I don't know exactly what it is, it's a feeling of being more connected to your bike. It sounds stupid. I don't know.
Oh and CJ, shut it!
:P
Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
sounds as tasty as an chocolate egg or santa?
MTFU? Ahem.
Geared bikes have three functions.
1 providing 53x16 as an everyday gear.
2 providing a gear higher than that for going faster and special occasions.
3 providing a gear lower than that for hills over 5% and half a mile.
Bike 1
Bike 2-A
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
You're either a Masher, or you spend most of your time riding at 26mph? :?
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Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
In fairness, he does (the latter). You also need to bear in mind that this is on the commute in London, so it's flatter for us (with the exception of Richmond Park) and Col du Putney Bridge, which is a cliff face by our standards.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."
'07 Tricross Sport with rack and guards
STUNNING custom 953 Bob Jackson *sigh*
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
Reliability my censored . If commuting around a city is causeing shifting problems with a half decent shimano rear mech, it's defective or badly installed.
Perhaps it just that Shimano is censored ?
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It's not reliability that's a positive factor but low maintenance.
I have to agree with the OP though, I ride SS and don't want to learn to ride fixed in rush hour traffic, I pedal constantly just like LiTs but freewheel when descending and when traffic does something unexpected in front of me, this I do instinctively and on a fixed I'd find myself about a foot in the air at this point (I've tried it, it's not fun).
For me SS has all the benefits of Fixed (like Jen I've noticed similar improvements) without the downsides.
Horses for courses indeed
"Thanks...
...I can taste blood"
You dont need a reason, its not up to anyone but the rider.
Some riders like it. Fair enough.
It seems to be more about the riding experience than any particular positives or negatives ie. along the lines of why drive a manual gearbox when you can get an automatic gearbox in the car. This is not a argument for or against fixed, just a comparison, in the sense that some people like the feel of riding fixed, others enjoy riding several gears (me included).
4am? It's 8pm here
Back is holding up quite well to skiing. It's a bit stiff in the morning, and there's very little shock absorbancy in the lower discs, which is, um, interesting. Despite having promised the physio and the wife I'd take it easy and avoid bumps, I was ripping down some bumps fields yesterday. Well, you have to, don't you?
Worst moment so far was hitting a compression on an easy run. The light was flat as and I didn't see it until way too late. I was bent at the waist - so not good - and had a stab of white hot pain dead centre of the lumbar. Lots of immediate extension stretches, hot tub and ice packs later and I may just have dodged a majorly big bullet.
Think I'll pay attention today :oops:
Bike 1
Bike 2-A
> No one has yet to come up with a reason for riding fixed wheel....... Wink
Why would you? The arguments are well-rehearsed for and against. Bikes have clearly evolved over the years (some might say too far) and yet a fixed gear still retains an appeal for some.
You should try it sometime, and now you have. If it doesn't appeal, then that's fine.
I disagree with some of your conclusions, but then presumably you'd disagree with some of mine... Life would be pretty dull if we all wanted the same things.
Cheers,
W.
Good point - I drive an automatic and would never buy any diffferent, although I occasionally drive and enjoy driving a manual.
Now that IS a good point! I drive manual cars pretty much exclusively, have an automatic in Australia, and it's always the last one I take out, I'll take the hyundai [email protected] with the cracked dashboard before it! I don't like the auto. No no no. I find it boring for one, and I also feel that I am less in control of the car. Note 'feel'.
I wonder if there is any correlation between riding a fixed and preferring manual cars? Not that all manual car drivers prefer a FG, that would be silly even for me, but do all/most FG riders prefer a manual car?
Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
From time to time, I do miss a manual - mainly when driving quickly on an empty bendy road where I would change down early and use engine braking into the bend. So I push the gear lever over and use it in semi-auto (clutchless manual) mode and do just that.
Once you've had a car with this kind of box, you just don't want to go back...
J