Riding fixed: what am I missing?

jonginge

Pork Sword wrote:

I've been riding single speed over the last 12 months and love it... only one gear, less maintenance etc etc. However, I've also got a fixed cog on my flip flop rear hub so decided to give the whole fixed thing a go... IMO it's a load of b***ox for anyone to suggest that riding fixed is in any way enjoyable. I find the single speed freewheel option far more enjoyable, safer and easier. Riding a fixed is like riding an out of control bucking broncho. The words: bloody lethal spring to mind. But, hey ho, if alll those saddos out there who swear by riding fixed insist on deluding themselves that riding fixed is being 'at one' with the bike then let them!

It's true. Many people are deluded.

desweller

Pork Sword wrote:

I've been riding single speed over the last 12 months and love it... only one gear, less maintenance etc etc. However, I've also got a fixed cog on my flip flop rear hub so decided to give the whole fixed thing a go... IMO it's a load of b***ox for anyone to suggest that riding fixed is in any way enjoyable. I find the single speed freewheel option far more enjoyable, safer and easier. Riding a fixed is like riding an out of control bucking broncho. The words: bloody lethal spring to mind. But, hey ho, if alll those saddos out there who swear by riding fixed insist on deluding themselves that riding fixed is being 'at one' with the bike then let them!

So...did you like it or didn't you?

Pork Sword

DesWeller wrote:

Pork Sword wrote:

I've been riding single speed over the last 12 months and love it... only one gear, less maintenance etc etc. However, I've also got a fixed cog on my flip flop rear hub so decided to give the whole fixed thing a go... IMO it's a load of b***ox for anyone to suggest that riding fixed is in any way enjoyable. I find the single speed freewheel option far more enjoyable, safer and easier. Riding a fixed is like riding an out of control bucking broncho. The words: bloody lethal spring to mind. But, hey ho, if alll those saddos out there who swear by riding fixed insist on deluding themselves that riding fixed is being 'at one' with the bike then let them!

So...did you like it or didn't you?

Can't say I did to be honest. Sure, you can get used to anything (just ask David Beckham!), but living in hilly South Devon I can honestly say, hand on heart, that it's not for me... perhaps I'd need to live somewhere a bit flatter to see the point. I just think that singlespeeds give you 90% of the so-called benefits of fixed without the obvious downsides.

biondino

stickman wrote:

There does seem to be a hard core of totally brakeless riders though, maybe more in America? They must have a different philosophy of the 'at one with the bike' thing.

They have a philosophy of "I'm an ABSOLUTE TOOL".

BR 1979 wrote:

biondino wrote:

...what really made me appreciate it was LiT taking me for a couple of laps of Richmond Park - safe but challenging riding with advice whenever I needed it.

Was she also a little stern and admonishing, but not in an altogether bad way, when you got it wrong?

Sorry, you're misreading me. "Took me for a couple of laps of Richmond Park" is a euphemism. No cycling involved.

stickman

biondino wrote:

stickman wrote:

There does seem to be a hard core of totally brakeless riders though, maybe more in America? They must have a different philosophy of the 'at one with the bike' thing.

They have a philosophy of "I'm an ABSOLUTE TOOL".

BR 1979 wrote:

I read about one who's chain broke on the big hilly streets of San Francisco!

Oddjob62

Pork Sword wrote:

it's a load of b***ox for anyone to suggest that riding fixed is in any way enjoyable. I find the single speed freewheel option far more enjoyable, safer and easier. Riding a fixed is like riding an out of control bucking broncho. The words: bloody lethal spring to mind. But, hey ho, if alll those saddos out there who swear by riding fixed insist on deluding themselves that riding fixed is being 'at one' with the bike then let them!

Cheers. Guess it's not at all possible for me to like something that you don't.

"Deluded Saddo"

jonny_trousers

biondino wrote:

The original poster's expectation that, on his first ride, his fixie would feel completely instinctive AND give him all these semi-muthical advantages is strange - surely he's read enough to know you can't just get on a fixed-wheel bike and expect it to feel the same. I HATED my first (10-mile, rush-hour) ride on my fixie - it took two or three short, safe rides around my neighbourhood to gain any kind of confidence and then what really made me appreciate it was LiT taking me for a couple of laps of Richmond Park - safe but challenging riding with advice whenever I needed it.

Nah, I was just offering my first impressions, but admittedly in a way designed to stir things up. I'll definitely give riding fixed a longer go, but I'm not sure it will be for me.

andy83

I am someone who has recently gone to a fixed and I love it. Its so much fun, fitness wise its brilliant as you cant stop pedalling

I have found it has improved my riding on my road bike no end, my cadence is better, i feel i have better control over the bike. I live in birmingham and most of my riding includes lots of hills and i like the challenge

it makes you more aware of the traffic etc as you have to look further ahead.

I tried leg breaking and skids the other day in the park for a bit of fun, i cant do it but boo hoo i love riding fixed

I gather its not for everyone but I do around 250 - 300 miles per week and having the choice to do 50 - 100 fixed mixes up my training and gives variety

I think people who say its rubbish just cant hack having to pedal all the time on the bike

stickman

Been riding my fixed for 2 days now, felt slightly unusual for the first few minutes, by the second day it just felt completely normal, one thing though, I didn't like the toestrap pedals, on day 2 I changed to studded flats, now it's massively, massively, massively better. Not good is having to slow down to go down hill.
Overall - great!

pst88

why do people say riding fixed makes you need to plan further ahead? I find the opposite to be true. When riding my geared road bike I have to plan more ahead because when I come to a stop/slow down I have to change gears, faff around with trying to clip back in etc. With my fixed gear bike it's pure simplicity, just ride, no additional thought required. Maybe it's because I'm "at one" with the bike and just haven't realised it.

itsbruce

pst88 wrote:

why do people say riding fixed makes you need to plan further ahead? I find the opposite to be true. When riding my geared road bike I have to plan more ahead because when I come to a stop/slow down I have to change gears, faff around with trying to clip back in.

That doesn't actually require planning ahead, though, on a freewheel; you don't have to do a thing about it until after you've stopped, if you don't want to, so there's no pressure. If you suddenly have to stop or slow, you can forget the changing down[0] and live with mashing when you start. Clipping back in is only going to be a problem when you start again, which presumably happens in less pressured circumstances, and the worst is that it slows you down (for me, it's just automatic and doesn't).

In contrast, while fixies require fewer things of you, they do require that you do them in the right sequence/combination each time. You have fewer options for dealing with the unexpected and you are much more likely to go over your handlebars if you get it wrong. The simple act of slowing down quickly requires more attention than on a freewheel; it's a patting-head-while-rubbing-stomach thing that some people never master. Even restarting can be more hassle on a fixie; getting the pedals into a good position for kicking off again is more involved. All of this makes it a good idea to put more thought into what's ahead so that you are less likely to have to improvise in a hurry.

You may well have perfected the skills of riding fixed gear and so require less forward planning and road awareness than others, but I'd bet that in getting to that level the anticipation and awareness has become second nature, so that you're not so conscious of it.



[0]Although I have a hub gear, I usually do change down to a low gear when approaching a stop, but I've noticed that a very large number of London commuters on derailleurs don't bother and mash away from each set of lights as if they were cycling through knee-high mud. Wider education on the effective use of gears would seem to be needed.

bmca2010

Into day 3 of commuting fixed and it hasn’t been too bad. The hardest part so far has been getting the cranks in the right position at traffic lights to make the getaway quick, being able to track stand is of course the obvious solution, but my attempts so far aint been very ecstatically pleasing

itsbruce

Tip from Sheldon's page on fixies: "The trick is to straddle the bike, put one foot on a pedal, lock up the front brake and press forward on the handlebars. The forward force on the bars will lift the rear wheel enough to let you revolve the pedal to where you want it."

pst88

I think just stopping when your foot is at the right point of the pedal stroke is much easier than trackstanding!

stickman

I'd say to people change to DMR type pedals, you may love how easy it is not clipping in or getting into straps - if not just change back.

mcj78

Don't get the whole thing about trackstanding on a fixie - I can trackstand perfectly fine on a geared roadie with eggbeaters - is it easier on a fixie then as you can push backwards and forwards to balance yourself?

I tried a fixie round the block at lbs & could not get the hang of it at all - my admittedly agricultural knees would pack in long before I "got it" I think, still they do look pretty cool.

itsbruce

mcj78 wrote:

Don't get the whole thing about trackstanding on a fixie - I can trackstand perfectly fine on a geared roadie with eggbeaters - is it easier on a fixie then as you can push backwards and forwards to balance yourself?

It's easier on a fixie; you can use the legs to push in both directions.

DevUK

Anyone had the weird experience going fixed back to freewheel? When I first switched to fixed I rode for several months before going back to my hybrid geared bike for a few days. The first time I rode the hybrid was a bizarre experience! My legs had forgotten how to "stop" pedalling. It felt truly strange, like there was some sort of resistance. Muscle memory I guess.

Not so bad these days, but after converting a mate over to fixed recently he had exactly the same experience when going back to his road bike.

I commute 10 partially hilly miles each way on my fixed at the moment

itsbruce

DevUK wrote:

My legs had forgotten how to "stop" pedalling. It felt truly strange, like there was some sort of resistance. Muscle memory I guess.

I'm just happy that I've never yet tried to freewheel on a fixie. I occasionally think about it, e.g. when I'm approaching a speed bump, but so far have always remembered that I can't do that any more.

Harveytile

Anyone had the weird experience going fixed back to freewheel? When I first switched to fixed I rode for several months before going back to my hybrid geared bike for a few days. The first time I rode the hybrid was a bizarre experience! My legs had forgotten how to "stop" pedalling. It felt truly strange,

I ride fully geared MTB at the weekend and always feel wierd for the first few miles. I totally forget I can freewheel and turn the cranks backwards to avoid trail debris. This has resulted in a few amusing incidents for my riding buddies as I swerve to avoid a stump or rock when a simple back turn of a crank would have been enough :oops: .

FG just works for me. If it doesn't work for you, get yourself a beer and cry into that. :roll:

biondino

bmca2010 wrote:

Into day 3 of commuting fixed and it hasn’t been too bad. The hardest part so far has been getting the cranks in the right position at traffic lights to make the getaway quick, being able to track stand is of course the obvious solution, but my attempts so far aint been very ecstatically pleasing

I love trackstanding as much as the next man, but I'm not sure I'd say it's ever made me ecstatic!

itsbruce's post above is a very good breakdown of the negatives involved - they're all real and genuine, but personally the positives plus the intangible FUN factor outweigh them. I also have come to love toeclips, which I thought would never happen!

lost_in_thought

itsbruce wrote:

That doesn't actually require planning ahead, though, on a freewheel; you don't have to do a thing about it until after you've stopped, if you don't want to, so there's no pressure. If you suddenly have to stop or slow, you can forget the changing down[0] and live with mashing when you start. Clipping back in is only going to be a problem when you start again, which presumably happens in less pressured circumstances, and the worst is that it slows you down (for me, it's just automatic and doesn't).

In contrast, while fixies require fewer things of you, they do require that you do them in the right sequence/combination each time. You have fewer options for dealing with the unexpected and you are much more likely to go over your handlebars if you get it wrong. The simple act of slowing down quickly requires more attention than on a freewheel; it's a patting-head-while-rubbing-stomach thing that some people never master. Even restarting can be more hassle on a fixie; getting the pedals into a good position for kicking off again is more involved. All of this makes it a good idea to put more thought into what's ahead so that you are less likely to have to improvise in a hurry.

You may well have perfected the skills of riding fixed gear and so require less forward planning and road awareness than others, but I'd bet that in getting to that level the anticipation and awareness has become second nature, so that you're not so conscious of it.

I really don't understand what you mean about riding a fixie being any more difficult. The only thing you have to remember to do is either a) spin the pedals to the right place when you stop by lifting the back wheel or b) (which I do) stop with them in the right place.

Oh and keep pedalling, obv :P

Slowing down a fixie, well, you just pull the brakes. Rather the same as any other bike.

It was a lot more exciting the first few weeks when I was riding brakeless on a 95" gear, I won't do that again in a hurry, but since getting brakes it's been plain sailing.

I don't understand what the problems are. :?

owenlars

lost_in_thought wrote:

I don't understand what the problems are. :?

+1

rml380z

DevUK wrote:

Anyone had the weird experience going fixed back to freewheel? When I first switched to fixed I rode for several months before going back to my hybrid geared bike for a few days. The first time I rode the hybrid was a bizarre experience! My legs had forgotten how to "stop" pedalling. It felt truly strange, like there was some sort of resistance. Muscle memory I guess.

+1

Six months riding nothing but fixed, and then I took the MTB out; it felt like I was riding a sofa. Very strange indeed.

wgwarburton

owenlars wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I don't understand what the problems are. :?

+1

+ 1 more from me, too.

Other fixie stuff- with a little practice you can unweight & lock up the back wheel as you come to a stop, so the cranks are positioned for an easy start. Transitioning directly to a trackstand takes a bit more work...
Rear-dismounts are a little bit cool, too.

I tend to think ahead a bit to judge how to tackle hills- if I have enough energy I can just blast up them, otherwise it's better to take it a bit more steadily so I don't run out of puff halfway up. I think the need-to-plan-ahead-on-fixed stuff is from riding brakeless- you have to be more aware of vehicles, lights etc. if you can't stop properly and be constantly looking for ways to ride round a hazard instead of stopping for it. This makes for a smoother, more fluid riding style, I guess. Not my cup of tea, though.

Cheers,
W.

asprilla

It's not that riding fixed is harder; it's just that it's more of a faff to stop and slowing down has a bigger cost in effort so I tend to think ahead more in order to avoid it.

pst88

DevUK wrote:

Anyone had the weird experience going fixed back to freewheel?

I've recently started riding a geared bike again after riding fixed only for about 2 years. There are certain things you get used to and miss when switching back to a freewheel equipped bike. For example on a fixed wheel bike because the pedals always move when the back wheel is moving I'd got the habit of moving the bike forward to position the pedals where I want. On the freewheel bike obviously this doesn't happen and I forgot you can just pull the pedal up to where you want it to be. Just takes a while to figure out what's going on when you're so used to one thing happening and then it's different on a different bike.

itsbruce

lost_in_thought wrote:

itsbruce wrote:

I don't understand what the problems are. :?

It may sound as if I'm making a big thing out of it, because I'm trying to illustrate that there is a difference. For me, it's not problems, just difference. This is not true for everybody. Some people have real problems making the switch, because of learned habits from riding a freewheel. They often find it even harder to switch back and forth.

The only thing you have to remember to do is either a) spin the pedals to the right place when you stop by lifting the back wheel or b) (which I do) stop with them in the right place.

You may think that's the only thing you have to remember, but you probably had better habits as a freewheeling rider than others. I bet you long ago (or right from the start) got into the habit of noticing things like speed bumps and holding yourself appropriately; don't do that, just plough on with no adjustment of speed or posture,
and you risk your feet flying off the pedals. But with a freewheel, that's much less of a big deal and easier to recover from.

I like to think I've always had good road awareness and so these things are no big deal for me either, but I see plenty on the road who don't ride that well. Freewheeling lets them get away with it, although it does make them more inefficient and dangerous. Fixed gear riding would punish them for that sloppiness, until they unlearn bad habits.

lost_in_thought

itsbruce wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I don't understand what the problems are. :?

It may sound as if I'm making a big thing out of it, because I'm trying to illustrate that there is a difference. For me, it's not problems, just difference. This is not true for everybody. Some people have real problems making the switch, because of learned habits from riding a freewheel. They often find it even harder to switch back and forth.

No, not at all, I was just trying to say that I really had no problems whatsoever with fixed, and would tell anyone that it's no harder than riding a bike with a freewheel.

But wouldn't life be dull if we were all the same.

supersonic

Its a hell of a lot harder offroad.