My son went fixed.... Jury is still out...
debeli
Posts: 583
I went for a training ride with my third child (boy, 14) last night. Nothing spectacular, but he asked if he could use my fixie.
He's about an inch shorter than me, so hardly any change was needed to the saddle. He went round the block a couple of times to get used to the feeling, I gave him some tips about what happens if you stop pedalling at speed... and off we went. We only did about ten miles, none of it very hilly - normal rolling hills of the Marches.
It's on 50/20 gearing at the moment and he descended at 25-ish mph, which seems OK for a first-ever ride on such a thing. He was quite astounded at how different it was from having a freewheel and gears.
Not a convert, I think, but he says he'd like to have more goes during the year. My two elder kids both think fixed-gear is a sort of pretentious form of elitist masochism, so I see Junior's ride as a possible breakthrough.
Sorry for the dull post... I was just so pleased he gave it a shot.
And didn't hate it.
He's about an inch shorter than me, so hardly any change was needed to the saddle. He went round the block a couple of times to get used to the feeling, I gave him some tips about what happens if you stop pedalling at speed... and off we went. We only did about ten miles, none of it very hilly - normal rolling hills of the Marches.
It's on 50/20 gearing at the moment and he descended at 25-ish mph, which seems OK for a first-ever ride on such a thing. He was quite astounded at how different it was from having a freewheel and gears.
Not a convert, I think, but he says he'd like to have more goes during the year. My two elder kids both think fixed-gear is a sort of pretentious form of elitist masochism, so I see Junior's ride as a possible breakthrough.
Sorry for the dull post... I was just so pleased he gave it a shot.
And didn't hate it.
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Good for you (and your boy). Just built up a 17" Rockhopper for my eldest (was originally my frame but he's as tall as me now) and I don't think he's even looked at it yet. Bought my younger daughter a mint Trek KDR road bike last year, got a few rides in but she wasn't really loving it, so that's now gone the way of eBay.....you can take a horse to water....Titus Silk Road Ti rigid 29er - Scott Solace 10 disc - Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 disc - Scott CR1 SL - Pinnacle Arkose X 650b - Pinnacle Arkose singlespeed - Specialized Singlecross...& an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 string...0
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Took a good few weeks to appreciate fixed, looking back it saved my love of cycling.
Give it time... or tell him its super trendy in laaaandan town..0 -
Luv2ride wrote:Good for you (and your boy). Just built up a 17" Rockhopper for my eldest (was originally my frame but he's as tall as me now) and I don't think he's even looked at it yet. Bought my younger daughter a mint Trek KDR road bike last year, got a few rides in but she wasn't really loving it, so that's now gone the way of eBay.....you can take a horse to water....
Yes indeed, you can't make them drink. I've been very very lucky with cycling and all three have taken to it. In other things (gardening, cooking, bike maintenance, housework) the take-up has been less enthusiastic. In some cases, completely absent.
It is a matter of luck and opoortunity as much as anything. It was normal for my kids (when tiny) to drive to a relative's house with their mother and pass me on the way as I cycled. I used to get a wave and a shout of encouragement, often with much of torso hanging out of the window. Now they're 20, 18 and 14 and all are fairly keen cyclists. They often join me on 50-70-mile rides, although never yet more than one at a time. All could now comfortably beat me or at least stay with me, which was not the case when they were ten or eleven.
But only Junior seems open to fixed-gear. I'm not going to push it... He is aware that there is a 'saddo-trendy' thing about fixed-gear among the urban elite, but he finds it all a bit odd. I'll tell him he can ride it when he wants and see what happens.
There's a gorgeous off-the-shelf Fuji fixed at his Rowing Club and he has no idea who owns it, but I think it somehow made him think that 'proper athletes' can ride fixed. It is clearly the property of a very serious and discerning rider and it may have tweaked his curiosity.
Nonetheless, whatever the attraction ends up being caused by we have to keep taking those horses to the water. Our porch is full of little-used hockey sticks and tennis bats from earlier failed attempts. I got lucky with the cycling. Less so with other things.0 -
My son (15) loves riding his bikes. He's got a nice old lugged steel framed road bike built up with whatever parts we had to hand and also an old Kinesis MTB frame we did the same with. He particularly likes the fact that we put his bikes together and he helped. Also they look ratty but ride really well, his friends hate that he can beat them on bikes they assume are rubbish. He's kind of gone fixed now. He learnt to ride a unicycle last year so I bought him a bigger wheeled one recently. He absolutely loves it. I think it's good to learn something completely ridiculous like that when you're young.
My daughter hasn't really got into cycling, but I live in hope. I asked her if she wanted to learn to ride the small unicycle and for some reason she looked at me as if I was insane.0 -
While on the topic of family members you never thought would cycle starting cycling, my wife has now started cycling a bit with me. In total 20km over 2 days, i'm happy with the progress!
It's a great feeling getting out with the family.0 -
Very much so. My wife was making noises about doing a bit more so if we all go out as a family it may encourage my daughter as well. Problem is avoiding the split between the girls and the boys and finding routes they are happy to ride on.0
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MountainMonster wrote:Routes are the hardest part, my wife wants no hills at all.
... or railway bridges...left the forum March 20230 -
Luckily not too many of those around here. The not 100% smooth roads we have in our area are bad enough for her.
She's on the bike. I'm happy even with the complaining!
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Like a lot of you, I'm proud to be having my son venture out with me - I bought my first road bike in 31 years in March 2013, specifically to train-for, and then participate in a London to Paris cycle, raising money for charity. I loved the training and the event, and it seems have inspired my son who ask me if I'd do it again so, I'm doing London to Paris again this year, with him this time.
Like most youngsters of a certain age, has only ever know MTB's with fancy front shocks and hydraulic disc brakes. Indeed, once he passed his test at 17 four years ago and bought a car - "bike?" What on earth for!!
So, armed with him armed with a lovely Boardman Carbon Pro (I know, what a first bike!), we ventured out last weekend and I have to say, his first time on a road bike, first time with clip less pedals/shoes, first time using anything other that "rapid-fire" gear shifters, he took to it naturally and has a smooth style. Not even the usual first sideways slow-motion fall having forgotten clipped to the pedals!, although I'm sure that's still to come!
Looking forward to the many miles training and no few Sportives, before London to Paris in sept '14.
Anyone interested can take a look at the blog on my website - davidbf1.com
Best wishes to all who are enjoying that experience of their older kids wanting to get involved.0
