naive question
DCowling
Posts: 769
This will probably make a lot of you groan in disgust
but what is the advantages of a fixie as a commuter, are they better for round urban / city areas or is it just because there is less to go wrong during the commute to work.
Sorry to ask what may be seen as the obvious but to be honest I have not seen one on the roads
but what is the advantages of a fixie as a commuter, are they better for round urban / city areas or is it just because there is less to go wrong during the commute to work.
Sorry to ask what may be seen as the obvious but to be honest I have not seen one on the roads
0
Comments
-
Hi,
Simplicity and more fun.
Cheers,
W.0 -
you get on and go, theres nothing to rattle, clank or mis-shift0
-
You don't need to clean the running gear anywhere near as often.
You can learn to track stand it more easily than a freewheel - this is a) cool b) handy as you don't need to unclip c) coolFixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
Good for fitness<a>road</a>0
-
And Trackstanding is CoolFixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
fixed riders are more attractive to the opposite sex
(or indeed the same sex if they are that way inclined)<a>road</a>0 -
el_presidente wrote:fixed riders are more attractive to the opposite sex
(or indeed the same sex if they are that way inclined)
That's because they can trackstand - which is cool AND now proven to be SEXY.
Cool and Sexy
yeahFixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
On the other hand I love being able to drop down a couple of gears and accelerate round people/out of situations or accelerate away from lights etc. You can't do that on a fixie.Do not write below this line. Office use only.0
-
Greg T wrote:el_presidente wrote:fixed riders are more attractive to the opposite sex
(or indeed the same sex if they are that way inclined)
That's because they can trackstand - which is cool AND now proven to be SEXY.
Cool and Sexy
yeah
hell yeah. PROVEN.<a>road</a>0 -
Simple, and some people find them more fun to ride. Some people don't. Some people like a freewheel, some people really like gears.0
-
-
el_presidente wrote:Greg T wrote:el_presidente wrote:fixed riders are more attractive to the opposite sex
(or indeed the same sex if they are that way inclined)
That's because they can trackstand - which is cool AND now proven to be SEXY.
Cool and Sexy
yeah
hell yeah. PROVEN.
then if I want to be cool AND sexy I need to accomplish the track stand to a profesional level, in full view of the opposite sex0 -
DCowling wrote:el_presidente wrote:Greg T wrote:el_presidente wrote:fixed riders are more attractive to the opposite sex
(or indeed the same sex if they are that way inclined)
That's because they can trackstand - which is cool AND now proven to be SEXY.
Cool and Sexy
yeah
hell yeah. PROVEN.
then if I want to be cool AND sexy I need to accomplish the track stand to a profesional level, in full view of the opposite sex
one-handed and/or seated should do the trick<a>road</a>0 -
-
On a fixie you just stand up, and unload your massive quad power in a text book sprinting display that would leave Chris Hoy wondering which way you went.Headhuunter wrote:On the other hand I love being able to drop down a couple of gears and accelerate round people/out of situations or accelerate away from lights etc. You can't do that on a fixie.
At least that's the way I do it...
0 -
Graeme_S wrote:
On a fixie you just stand up, and unload your massive quad power in a text book sprinting display that would leave Chris Hoy wondering which way you went.Headhuunter wrote:On the other hand I love being able to drop down a couple of gears and accelerate round people/out of situations or accelerate away from lights etc. You can't do that on a fixie.
At least that's the way I do it...
Yeah but in the real world there's nothing like climbing hard through the gears and being at 20mph in a few strokes
Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
Headhuunter wrote:Yeah but in the real world there's nothing like climbing hard through the gears and being at 20mph in a few strokes
Apart from trackstanding.
Speed for Show, Trackstanding for Pros.
Impressing men with big legs is all very well.....
One day I may actually ride fixed to work rather than spend an hour Trackstanding at "high foot traffic" lights. I'm in no hurry though.Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
SS are for those who find gears too complicated.
They also nurse semi's when attempting to stay clipped in at a standstill; while in fact they inevitably gently tip over and end up in a heap in the road.
They can often be seen looking for their kneecaps just after junctions or halfway up a gentle inclines. Alternately they can be witnessed generating tornadic winds with their legs while attempting to exceed 10mph on the flat.
On rare occasions you can witness the startling sight of a SS Fixie rider attempting to stop by using pedals as brakes. Apparently the personal best was a flight time of 10.57 seconds with an initial distance of 203m before he landed sans bike with an audible whump.Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Headhuunter wrote:Graeme_S wrote:
On a fixie you just stand up, and unload your massive quad power in a text book sprinting display that would leave Chris Hoy wondering which way you went.Headhuunter wrote:On the other hand I love being able to drop down a couple of gears and accelerate round people/out of situations or accelerate away from lights etc. You can't do that on a fixie.
At least that's the way I do it...
Yeah but in the real world there's nothing like climbing hard through the gears and being at 20mph in a few strokes
And nothing like out accelerating the LA fan boy on the old Disco Trek as he fumbles to clip in his tarty vernice Sidis at the lights as you spring out of your cool and sexy trackstand and leave him in your dust.
Back on track...
A fixie for commuting is simpler, you can ride much more intuitively with the flow of traffic - when you see the cars start to slow down, you instinctively slow down your pedalling, et voila - you've matched them and not had to apply the brakes.
Then when you're going really slowly, crawling along with no way to pass etc, that'll be a lot easier on fixed too.
And trackstanding is PROVEN to be COOL and SEXY.
Do it!Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...0 -
Kieran_Burns wrote:SS are for those who find gears too complicated.
They also nurse semi's when attempting to stay clipped in at a standstill; while in fact they inevitably gently tip over and end up in a heap in the road.
They can often be seen looking for their kneecaps just after junctions or halfway up a gentle inclines. Alternately they can be witnessed generating tornadic winds with their legs while attempting to exceed 10mph on the flat.
On rare occasions you can witness the startling sight of a SS Fixie rider attempting to stop by using pedals as brakes. Apparently the personal best was a flight time of 10.57 seconds with an initial distance of 203m before he landed sans bike with an audible whump.
I take it then whilst fixies are very good for show boating in the city they would not be much good to us rural riders then0 -
Do you have a hill in rural Warwickshireshireshire?Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Kieran_Burns wrote:Do you have a hill in rural Warwickshireshireshire?
define ' hill'
got enough bumps for a novice to want a selection of gears, would not want to do them in one gear, probably not as steep as those in the leicesteshire dales though0 -
0
-
I agree that trackstanding is both cool and sexy.....there can be no argument there...it just is....
I would also agree that it is arguably easier to trackstand using a fixie....
but there is nothing more cool, sexy, sexy and cool than trackstanding in a way that is less easy....
this is why trackstanding on the back wheel only is cooler....
and trackstanding with a freewheel is cooler too.
On another note...do many fixies have brakes at all? surely that would reduce the cool by a factor of ((sexy - 3)^cool) and thats not cool or sexy. Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
DCowling wrote:I take it then whilst fixies are very good for show boating in the city they would not be much good to us rural riders then
Fixed gear is to be avoided if you live in an area with significant hills unless you pick a gearing that will have you doing 200rpm at the pedals to get any real speed on the flat. If things are relatively flat then it can work even in more rural areas. From what I can remember of Warwickshire from when I was a kid there are probably enough significant hills to make riding fixed on some routes a very hard experience.
Mike0 -
DCowling wrote:I take it then whilst fixies are very good for show boating in the city they would not be much good to us rural riders then
I ride fixed in rural Scotland. We have hills here, though not mountains where I ride.
It works fine- the variety is good for you. I've done a 60 mile day trip on Perthshire back roads with no real problems, except for the different approach to hills from my friends riding broken bikes. They slow down suddenly when they hit a slope, whereas on a fixed you tend to power on up...
Cheers,
W.0 -
So since I can trackstand my free wheel bike ( 8) ) is there anything to be gained from riding fixed??
ps is that cooler/sexier than trackstnding a fixed?0 -
robz400 wrote:So since I can trackstand my free wheel bike ( 8) ) is there anything to be gained from riding fixed??
No
Only small beer like maint, less cleaning, robust running gear, apparent pedalling technique, (I've found my climbing has got better as I've just manned up when it gets harder)..
However if you can track stand already - I'd be pushed...ps is that cooler/sexier than trackstnding a fixed?
Trackstanding freewheel competently on the flat is harder than fixed - so yes - it is sexier - unfortunatley the number of people who can recognise the cool/sex delta is very small - they are mostly other trackstanding men. So whilst the overall cool/sex rating is higher the 80/20 rule kicks in hard. Trackstanding at all gets you 80% of the benefit. The additional 20% gained by freewheel/single handed/sat down etc etc will only really be appreciated by people like you....
I'm currently dabbling in the 20% category by learning to trackstand with my non chocolate foot forward. Now this is proper fetish territory as the only person who knows I am breaking new sex/cool ground is me... You can draw your own conclusions from that.cee wrote:On another note...do many fixies have brakes at all? surely that would reduce the cool by a factor of ((sexy - 3)^cool) and thats not cool or sexy.
Most fixed have breaks, at least one and I'd suggest mostly two (as God intended)
Truly brakeless fixed are very rare - there's a reason for this....
Hmmmmmmm - I'm having an idea......
Cool / Sex Chain Number.........
There will be a natural order and host of modifiers governing your cool / sex rating....
I think we need to consider the food chain of cool / sex....
This is going to get nasty.... Roadies/Fixed and Hy-Curious prepare to fight your corners...Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
It's a shame there's so little of Greg to go around - we're all soo hot for him and his non-chocolate foot right now... :oops:Cannondale Synapse 105, Giant Defy 3, Giant Omnium, Giant Trance X2, EMC R1.0, Ridgeback Platinum, On One Il Pompino...0
-
TommyEss wrote:It's a shame there's so little of Greg to go around - we're all soo hot for him and his non-chocolate foot right now... :oops:
You see.
Cool / Sex Rating
Trackstanding
Non Chocolate Foot Forward
= hot as the surface of sun in August eating peri peri Chicken.Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0
