Fixed riding - crashing through potholes?

homercles

There are a few "First time riding fixed" type threads on here but none seem to have an answer to the question that I knew would plague me the moment I finally took the plunge, which happened this week. I'm really enjoying riding it and haven't had too many :shock: problems with forgetting to pedal, stopping, starting, etc.

However, what I did find a problem on my way home last night was what to do when the road surface deteriorates into a pothole, rut strewn hell (those of you in London using Townmead Rd, SW6, will know what I mean) and you can't avoid them by means of changing line.

When on a freewheel, you can just bunny hop or stop pedalling and unweight the bike, but this isn't so easy (possible?!) on a fixed. And of course, you can't always take evasive action when the traffic is all around you. Sheldon Brown makes reference to 'posting' in this article (under 'Fixed For Feel' section) but I can't find an explanation of what this is or how to do it.

Can anyone help?

And does anyone have any other hints and tips for dealing with unseen potholes etc? (Not just look ahead - I do look ahead, but as mentioned, you can't always be as evasive as you'd like)

mgcycleguy

i tend to stand up, but move my weight forward keeping my knees a bit bent even at the bottom of the pedal stroke and keep my arms a bit bent as well...

simonahfrost

I find that in the heat of the moment, if not enough time to 'neutralise' the weight balance by standing up, I'll automatically slide forward onto the 'rivet' which seems to unweight my seat and gives some room for bike movement without transfer to me *rse.

Same for speeding up down hill, if I slip forward on the saddle and go onto my toes so to speak, seems to avoid the failed syncopation between body and seat that we all know and hate!!

Tom753

It's just the same as a freewheel bike, you unweight the bike as you go over the hole, if it's a slight bump you can let the the tyre absorb the shock. Or you can pull up at the bars and then lift up the back wheel.

The only difference is of course you just keep pedalling.

majormantra

If you don't have time to go around then I find unweighting works fine. I would love to be able to bunnyhop my fixed properly though. Lifting the front wheel is generally quite easy but hopping the back wheel seems to be beyond me.

Matthew

fossyant

Bunny hopping fixed is near on impossible. Just ge off the saddle if hitting some bad ones. I've got some tough handbuilts on my fixed - that helps...

bigflangesmallsprocket

same here. Backside of the bike, relax arms and legs..imagine them as springs, ride nice and easy.

System_1

I've kind of learned to ride 'through' potholes on the fixed. It's difficult to explain but it's a different technique than on a geared bike where you just unweight the bike and ride over them. If you push the front into the hole and pull up on the other side it helps, kind of like viewing them as a little valley rather than a hole. Obviously it depends on how big they are/whether they have sharp edges to them etc.

Like I said, difficult to explain. :oops:

nielsamd

Technique or not, I've recently opted for a softer-saddle-with-cutout for my fixed. Makes the occasional bash `that bit' more bearable.