Fixie riders.... why?

mac_man

Had a go for a laff on a fixie on Sunday. Only for a v short distance. Possibly the most unpleasant biking experience ever. No brakes and the sheer effect of having to pedal EVERYWHERE drove me nuts.

Fixie riders are bona fide nutters... they must be.

nicklouse

Mmmm nutter.

getonyourbike

it doesn't make sense on a mtb at all as you have to stand up for some obstacles and imagine jumping on a Fixie. You couldn't enjoy the downhills either as you'd still be pedaling. It's the madness of singlespeed on another level.

mac_man

TBH... it wasn't an MTB, just a regular fixie. Even so.... why? Seriousy why would anyone want ride a fixie.

Singlespeed I can understand. But not this... it's just perverse.

Pirahna

I've used one for years.

I used to race track, they're quite handy for that.

Had a spell as a courier in the late 80's/early 90's, quite handy for that. There was only 2 of riding fixed in London at that time, probably the biggest trend I've helped to start.

Current ride is a Langster. It gets a 20 mile spin round the lanes where I live most evenings, a better workout than taking a geared bike out.

I ride with both brakes, it helps to stop. A front brake only is fine but why anybody would use no brakes is beyond me. One of the big benefits for me, apart from the harder workout, is it can get covered in winter crap, mud and whatever else lurks on the road, and it keeps going. No gears to service is a nice advantage sometimes.

mac_man

Yeah no brakes... you had to stop this thing by trying to slow your pedalling down.... LOL imagine trying to do that on a hill

the_prophet

Pirahna wrote:

Had a spell as a courier in the late 80's/early 90's, quite handy for that. There was only 2 of riding fixed in London at that time, probably the biggest trend I've helped to start.

I lol'd..... im sorry if this is true.

owenlars

mac man wrote:

Yeah no brakes... you had to stop this thing by trying to slow your pedalling down.... LOL imagine trying to do that on a hill

Funnily enough it becomes almost second nature after a bit. The advantage is that your brake blocks last a lot longer

bike-a-swan

getonyourbike wrote:

it doesn't make sense on a mtb at all as you have to stand up for some obstacles and imagine jumping on a Fixie.

Go look up Chris Akrigg..

Deputy Dawg

I learnt to ride on a fixie with now brakes & solid tyres when I was a kid. For me at the time the best bit was being able to cycle backwards

getonyourbike

bike-a-swan wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

it doesn't make sense on a mtb at all as you have to stand up for some obstacles and imagine jumping on a Fixie.

Go look up Chris Akrigg..

fair enough, but how many people have that skill level? He's a 6 times trials champion.

milfredo

I tried one a couple of months back & it was plain scary stuff! It was made worse by the bike being far too large for me and it was a 1920's track bike with dropped bars and no breaks. I found the hardest thing turning in a small circle and having to peddle or going down a hill and trying not to take your feet off the peddles which would have been suicide!

Strangely it did make me want one...

fossyant

mac man wrote:

TBH... it wasn't an MTB, just a regular fixie. Even so.... why? Seriousy why would anyone want ride a fixie.

Singlespeed I can understand. But not this... it's just perverse.

Makes massive sense for commuting. I've got a fixed road bike for the day to day grind and it's blooming good training. Single speed on the road is pointless as you lose all the climbing advantage that a fixed has. IMHO SS or fixed off road is nuts !

MrChuck

bike-a-swan wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

it doesn't make sense on a mtb at all as you have to stand up for some obstacles and imagine jumping on a Fixie.

Go look up Chris Akrigg..

Sure, but I don't think he'd have much fun trying to do a loop of Penmachno fixed. And I don't think the Mongoose he used for the Megavalanche was fixed.

That't not to knock what he's doing, but it ain't MTBing as most MTBers know it.

MrChuck

fossyant wrote:

mac man wrote:

TBH... it wasn't an MTB, just a regular fixie. Even so.... why? Seriousy why would anyone want ride a fixie.

Singlespeed I can understand. But not this... it's just perverse.

Makes massive sense for commuting. I've got a fixed road bike for the day to day grind and it's blooming good training. Single speed on the road is pointless as you lose all the climbing advantage that a fixed has. IMHO SS or fixed off road is nuts !

What's the climbing advantage of fixed over SS? Genuine question!

getonyourbike

MrChuck wrote:

fossyant wrote:

mac man wrote:

TBH... it wasn't an MTB, just a regular fixie. Even so.... why? Seriousy why would anyone want ride a fixie.

Singlespeed I can understand. But not this... it's just perverse.

Makes massive sense for commuting. I've got a fixed road bike for the day to day grind and it's blooming good training. Single speed on the road is pointless as you lose all the climbing advantage that a fixed has. IMHO SS or fixed off road is nuts !

What's the climbing advantage of fixed over SS? Genuine question!

i was thinking that too

Pirahna

MrChuck wrote:

What's the climbing advantage of fixed over SS? Genuine question!

Depends on the hill and the gear you're riding, get the gearing right and you don't slow down. If the hill kicks up a bit then it can be a bit of a struggle, but I wouldn't use a fixed in very a hilly area. I've not measured my speeds on geared versus fixed but I reckon I'd take a hill a few mph quicker on the fixed, going down the other side the geared bike would win easily.

getonyourbike

Pirahna wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

What's the climbing advantage of fixed over SS? Genuine question!

Depends on the hill and the gear you're riding, get the gearing right and you don't slow down. If the hill kicks up a bit then it can be a bit of a struggle, but I wouldn't use a fixed in very a hilly area. I've not measured my speeds on geared versus fixed but I reckon I'd take a hill a few mph quicker on the fixed, going down the other side the geared bike would win easily.

we're talking about fixed gear and single speed which both only have one gear. Though with fixed gear you don't even have a freewheel. I think you're a little confused :?

RevellRider

According to a mate (who rides fixed through the winter) and is very fit and very strong, it's down to the wheel holding momentum. With a freewheel/freehub when you back off on a hill, the wheel isn't trying to push the cranks around.

MrChuck

Pirahna wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

What's the climbing advantage of fixed over SS? Genuine question!

Depends on the hill and the gear you're riding, get the gearing right and you don't slow down. If the hill kicks up a bit then it can be a bit of a struggle, but I wouldn't use a fixed in very a hilly area. I've not measured my speeds on geared versus fixed but I reckon I'd take a hill a few mph quicker on the fixed, going down the other side the geared bike would win easily.

But if you have a geared bike you could say the same couldn't you- get the gear right and you don't slow down?

I do have a SS by the way, but I'm not sure I'd claim it's better for hills than my geared bike!

Anonymous

There is no , there's just the reason to shoot them in the face.

spongtastic

the_prophet wrote:

Pirahna wrote:

Had a spell as a courier in the late 80's/early 90's, quite handy for that. There was only 2 of riding fixed in London at that time, probably the biggest trend I've helped to start.

I lol'd..... im sorry if this is true.

So who were all the fixie riding couriers that used to come in and out of my Dad's office in the late 70's and early 80's?

tarquin_foxglove

spongtastic wrote:

the_prophet wrote:

Pirahna wrote:

Had a spell as a courier in the late 80's/early 90's, quite handy for that. There was only 2 of riding fixed in London at that time, probably the biggest trend I've helped to start.

I lol'd..... im sorry if this is true.

So who were all the fixie riding couriers that used to come in and out of my Dad's office in the late 70's and early 80's?

time-travellers... from the future.

getonyourbike

Piranha- I think you're getting comfused, we're not comparing the climbing ability of a geard bike and a fixie, but a fixie and a SS, after this comment:
'Single speed on the road is pointless as you lose all the climbing advantage that a fixed has.'

NatoED

Many road hill climbers use fixies as the wheel helps you to turn over the cranks , keeping your momentum as you climb . the wheel when it's fixed acts like a flywheel storing energy as you spin them up .

getonyourbike

NatoED wrote:

Many road hill climbers use fixies as the wheel helps you to turn over the cranks , keeping your momentum as you climb . the wheel when it's fixed acts like a flywheel storing energy as you spin them up .

that makes sense, I think I understand now

the_prophet

spongtastic wrote:

the_prophet wrote:

Pirahna wrote:

Had a spell as a courier in the late 80's/early 90's, quite handy for that. There was only 2 of riding fixed in London at that time, probably the biggest trend I've helped to start.

I lol'd..... im sorry if this is true.

So who were all the fixie riding couriers that used to come in and out of my Dad's office in the late 70's and early 80's?

you seem to have misread what made me laugh, I know and fully appreciate there were couriers on fixed gear bikes in the 70/80's, I don't doubt that. Just that sentance made me laugh, and it did cross my mind whether we do infact have one of the very first fixed gear riders and trend starters, from london, posting on our forum. Thats almost celebrity status surely?

Babber Goo

and it's almost certainly absolute tosh