Riding fixed: what am I missing?

itsbruce

lost_in_thought wrote:

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.

Ah, but for some people it wouldn't be true, for reasons I've just edited into my earlier post before I saw your reply.

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

Yes, but I'm happy for other people to be the ones who can't adapt to fixies

TommyEss

itsbruce wrote:

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.

This is why I'd strongly STRONGLY urge using clipless pedals whilst riding fixed - we had a guy come out of his pedal on the track on Monday, and it was only by shear luck he didn't take down a large swathe of the field.

snailracer

itsbruce wrote:

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.

For me, the overriding factor is that a geared bike is almost always going faster, and that does require planning further ahead.

roger_merriman

supersonic wrote:

Its a hell of a lot harder offroad.

I think a fixed CX might be fun, but for myself can't see the attraction for a MTB, at least for my type of MTBing any how.

itsbruce

snailracer wrote:

For me, the overriding factor is that a geared bike is almost always going faster, and that does require planning further ahead.

Hmmm. I'm generally faster on my geared bike than my fixie, but not so much the horizon is approaching at a more alarming pace. But I'm still taking scalps on the fixie

I find I'm faster going up hills on the fixie, which may be because I can forget about gears and just apply the precise effort required at each moment. Or it may say more about the significantly different characteristics of my two bikes.

jonny_trousers

Alright, alright so I felt it!

I decided to ride my commute fixed again yesterday, mainly because there has been a lot of noise coming from down below recently (not the curried beans' fault this time) and I wondered if my freewheel was shagged. In the process I discovered a few things:

1. I still don't enjoy going down hill fast when riding fixed, particularly when clattering over speed bumps

2. I miss having the ability to subtly adjust my crank position when coming up to a junction and needing to clip out.

3. I feel like a knob when I get caught out and have my crank in the wrong place just as the lights turn green and I then have to shuffle the bike forwards like a three-year-old on a scooter.

4. I loved that hard to explain feeling of having a really direct drive. I am sure my acceleration was far better to when riding SS and if it wasn't for the fact that my freewheel and my fixed cog both have exactly the same number of teeth, I would be sure that my cruising speed was considerably higher.

5. I enjoyed the fact that I had an extra dimension where slowing my pace was concerned without particularly braking with my legs.

6. I beat my PB. I was in the mood to push myself hard anyway, but it really felt as though the bike was much nippier.

Hmm. There might be something in this riding fixed malarkey. As of next Wednesday I move into my new house and my commute will no longer have any major declines to enjoy and so fixed may just be the way forwards (and backwards if I get really good).

wgwarburton

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Alright, alright so I felt it!

I decided to ride my commute fixed again yesterday, mainly because there has been a lot of noise coming from down below recently (not the curried beans' fault this time) and I wondered if my freewheel was shagged. In the process I discovered a few things:

1. I still don't enjoy going down hill fast when riding fixed, particularly when clattering over speed bumps

Stop thinking about it... relax, let go and be smoooooth...

2. I miss having the ability to subtly adjust my crank position when coming up to a junction and needing to clip out.

There are workarounds. Easiest thing to do is to lift the back wheel with the foot that's still clipped in (probably need to hold the front down) and spin it to where you want it.

3. I feel like a knob when I get caught out and ...then have to shuffle the bike forwards like a three-year-old on a scooter.

See #2. Also trackstand and/or stop short of the white line. It's not actually necessary to line up the front wheel as if it were a start-line(!).

4. I loved that hard to explain feeling of having a really direct drive. ...
5. I enjoyed the fact that I had an extra dimension [ of speed control ]
6. I beat my PB.

Hmm. There might be something in this riding fixed malarkey. ...

:-)

Cheers,
W.

SimonAH

I finally got the back wheel built up fixed on my bike on Saturday last week.

First ride on Saturday it took me about 300 yards to get my left foot in the cage :oops:

Did a lot of riding on Saturday until I figured I'd got the hang of it.

Sunday went to hop a curve and everything went upside down fast. :shock: I now have hands that look like they belong on a Glasgow bar brawler, a matching scrape down my cheekbone, roadrash on my hip, shoulder and left kneecap, smashed my Oakleys and trashed my brake lever on the right and shredded my grip on the left. Oh yes, and two cracked ribs. By FAR the worst 'off' I've ever had.

My guess is that my uneducated feet decided to have a bit of a freewheel at the critical moment.

Got back on it and rode home once I got my breath back and patched myself up a bit.

I do have an alternative bike but no way am I giving in so all this week I've been commuting on the fixie and putting in some leisure miles too. I absolutely love it (but my SCR scores are a bit down due to the ribs

It is an insanely dangerous way to ride, but bloody hell it's fun!

Not going back to freewheel for the forseeable.

_Brun_

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

3. I feel like a knob when I get caught out and have my crank in the wrong place just as the lights turn green and I then have to shuffle the bike forwards like a three-year-old on a scooter.

Hold front brake, use leg to simultaneously lift rear wheel and spin crank round.

rjsterry

This is basically the same trick as I use if I arrive at the lights in too high a gear and need to shift down before I set off. Brake on + push forward to lift back, pedal with still clipped in foot.

wgwarburton

SimonAH wrote:

...Saturday...I finally got ...fixed ...I figured I'd got the hang of it.

Sunday .... By FAR the worst 'off' I've ever had.

My guess is that my uneducated feet decided to have a bit of a freewheel at the critical moment.

oops.. Unlucky! I had a couple of freewheel moments early on but nothing that unseated me... Sounds like you won't do it again in a hurry, though!!

.... I absolutely love it ...
It is an insanely dangerous way to ride, but bloody hell it's fun! ....

It's not dangerous to ride fixed, only to learn to ride fixed...

Once you've got it you won't forget--- it's like learning to ride a bike...

Cheers,
W.

jonny_trousers

_Brun_ wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

3. I feel like a knob when I get caught out and have my crank in the wrong place just as the lights turn green and I then have to shuffle the bike forwards like a three-year-old on a scooter.

Hold front brake, use leg to simultaneously lift rear wheel and spin crank round.

Yeah, cheers guys. I was doing a bit of that, but my technique is lacking. I'll get there with practice.

Oddjob62

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

3. I feel like a knob when I get caught out and have my crank in the wrong place just as the lights turn green and I then have to shuffle the bike forwards like a three-year-old on a scooter.

that's why the rest of us hit the front brake, lift the back wheel a few mm and adjust

EKE_38BPM

OddJob, do you have any advice for the brown bib-shorts moments you can get when spinning out going down hill after a ride in RP and a drink in The Roebuck?

Oddjob62

EKE_38BPM wrote:

OddJob, do you have any advice for the brown bib-shorts moments you can get when spinning out going down hill after a ride in RP and a drink in The Roebuck?

Yup... hang on and pray. Worked for me that day

rml380z

EKE_38BPM wrote:

OddJob, do you have any advice for the brown bib-shorts moments you can get when spinning out going down hill after a ride in RP and a drink in The Roebuck?

This ;-)

Clever Pun

EKE_38BPM wrote:

OddJob, do you have any advice for the brown bib-shorts moments you can get when spinning out going down hill after a ride in RP and a drink in The Roebuck?

feather the brakes if you're going to fast or being a girl

andy83

in reply to the OP

this http://mashsf.com/videos.php

andyrr

Quick Q on here - wonder if a commute of 17 miles each way with a fair few hills, total ascent 1 way is 1200 feet, descends 600, is going to be too much on a fixed ? 1 or 2 sharpish ones of a couple hundred metres, others are longer draggy sections. Till now it's been geared all the way but a new winter steed beckons and I like the idea of less bits to wear out and clean when it's grotty.

SimonAH

andyrr wrote:

Quick Q on here - wonder if a commute of 17 miles each way with a fair few hills, total ascent 1 way is 1200 feet, descends 600, is going to be too much on a fixed ? 1 or 2 sharpish ones of a couple hundred metres, others are longer draggy sections. Till now it's been geared all the way but a new winter steed beckons and I like the idea of less bits to wear out and clean when it's grotty.

I've only been at this fixed malarkey for a couple of months fixed, but I think you may struggle with this if speed is your issue because of the gearing - As your route is pretty hilly you're going to have a hard choice between getting up the hills and getting down them at any speed.

Just had a thought though - flip flop hub and freewheel option on the downhill leg?

Do-able I reckon, but if I were in your boots I think I'd go SS rather than fixed.

jonny_trousers

As this thread has resurfaced I thought I would add a quick update.

I've been riding fixed for a couple of months now and although I am completely comfortable with it, I am still wondering if I am denying myself a really useful tool in being able to freewheel. I think I may have to go back and try riding single speed again for a while. I'll report back.

andyrr

andyrr wrote:

Quick Q on here - wonder if a commute of 17 miles each way with a fair few hills, total ascent 1 way is 1200 feet, descends 600, is going to be too much on a fixed ? 1 or 2 sharpish ones of a couple hundred metres, others are longer draggy sections. Till now it's been geared all the way but a new winter steed beckons and I like the idea of less bits to wear out and clean when it's grotty.

Anyone else here with a hilly commute like wot I do that might say yay go for it or nay don't be daft in the middle of winter with a headwind all the way you'll want to push your bike home ?!

Edit to add some addiitonal info :
reasons for possible purchase :
1 : New bike : old winter commuter was getting pretty worn out (Dawes Giro) and then I screwed up the bottom bracket threads installign a new BB. Maybe self screwing BB (or whatever it's called) could be installed but the rest of the bits are quite worn anyway.
2 : Current commuter is a Spec Allez with Crud guards in place. I don't feel that this will last more than this winter, I can't fit full guards to this and 25mm tyres are a squeeze with the guards on. Plan might be to use this as a less manky weather commuter. For me full guards (certainly over the Crud MKI's) give that bit more protection for all the bearings etc and to feet also which can get a lot of spray.
3 : The Paddy comes with 28mm tyres and I've noticed a slight decrease in the harshness of the road surface through going 23 - 25mms so another step-up would hopefully improve things a bit more plus might mean that things like the wheel and headset bearings are less stressed.

I'm stingy when it comes to spending money on normal bike-related stuff espec for the ride to/from work steed but I normally ride 2 - 3 times/week and like to do so if the weather is good that day or not so a sturdy (but not slow) commuter is important to me and constant fettling of manky/seized/worn components when I come home at night in Winter is not my idea of fun - will a fixed/SS help here or am I kidding myself that I can cope with the gradients on such a machine.

Alphabet

andyrr wrote:

Anyone else here with a hilly commute like wot I do that might say yay go for it or nay don't be daft in the middle of winter with a headwind all the way you'll want to push your bike home ?!

Only have one (big) hill on my commute, Always found it a bit of a killer on the way home geared and my speed tended to fall sub 10mph. I went to SS first and noticed a massive improvement after a couple of days. when i could happily do the hill without getting out of my seat, i went to fixed. absolutely fine, although pedaling the downhill afterwards makes me feel a little short-changed as i don't get to recover.

this is the first time I've read through this entire thread and whoever said they'd swapped out their clips for some flatties - STOP THAT NONSENSE. YOU WILL DIE IN AN EMBARASSING WAY.

jonny_trousers

Haven't gone back to a freewheel yet and doubt I will. After a very dull week without riding I hopped on my bike yesterday and it just felt so right that it was set up as a fixie. Mind you, I just saw the new Genesis Day One Alfine in Evans and it looks the dog's proverbials. Thank God I don't have a spare grand to play with.