Age of fixed gear riders

stickman
stickman Posts: 791
edited October 2012 in Road general
I was thinking about this today, in a town centre, the usual group of kids messing around on bmx bikes, except one of them, a young teenager, had a fixed gear!

(I mean a full sized bike, not a fixed bmx)
Bikes, saddles and stuff

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21720915@N03/
More stuff:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65587945@N00/

Gears - Obscuring the goodness of singlespeed

Comments

  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I expect they were wearing skinny jeans with their ar$e hanging out too?

    Riding fixed has been a hipster cool trend for a few years now..

    I was riding the Southdowns Way yesterday on my singlespeed CX bike and some bloke asked if I was riding a 'fixed' :? FWIW I was riding 36x20 and the thought of some of those downhills at 50kph on that gear makes me wince.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • I ride a Langster SS rather than fixed, only had it about a month and bought it as a commuter that I can put a child seat on.

    I'm 30 and I like my trousers to cover my pants, and my bum, though sometimes it peeps out cos I've got so much junk...
    2010 Allez Comp & 2011 Langster complete with child seat

    Sponsor me please http://www.justgiving.com/scotlandsbravesttot
  • mz__jo
    mz__jo Posts: 398
    allezoops wrote:
    I ride a Langster SS rather than fixed, only had it about a month and bought it as a commuter that I can put a child seat on.

    I'm 30 and I like my trousers to cover my pants, and my bum, though sometimes it peeps out cos I've got so much junk...

    Child seat on a pseudo-track frame - I don't know whose the braver one, you or your child!

    Nearly 40 years ago I did some sections of the Ridgeway on a road bike with a fixed wheel (and my brother was on a single-speed), in the happy days before the invention of the mountain bike and the development of schismatic cycling. It was a pain in the butt with the cranks hitting the ground in the ruts made by landrovers and tractors.
  • most children are born without fear genes. Fear genes only develop in later life
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • byke68
    byke68 Posts: 1,070
    I'm 40 something and got a single speed last year, wish I had brought one sooner. People ask why I ride s/s, I just reply that I couldn't afford gears! :lol:
    Cannondale Trail 6 - crap brakes!
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    Roads are too dangerous now for fixed I think. I rode fixed for a few months but now ride SS and love it, heard of a few bad offs on fixed after being nudges by vehicles etc. I also have half a chance of bunny hopping a kerb or getting out of trouble another way if shoved by a car / lorry, a very hard option with a cadence of 90 on a fixed once balance goes or an obstacle is in your exit path.
    Peter
  • courtz
    courtz Posts: 49
    I'm 21 and use one for uni, but occasionally flip the hub to ss when it gets too much!
  • indysmith
    indysmith Posts: 276
    I'm 22 and have been riding fixed for 5+ years now. It's practical for me. And cheap. I enjoy it and would recommend it to anybody over taking the bus.
  • I'm an old codger at 56 and still ride one. Bob Jackson Vigorelli - ride it mostly for commuting, running a 66" gear and it has mudguards fitted. Great bike - cheap to run, simple to maintain and certainly gives you a great work out.

    Pete.
  • 25 and commute on a fixed (Langster Steel, got rid of the track drops though). Do the odd 20-30mile training ride too.

    Normally ride a road bike though.
  • 57 yo born again cyclist, used to ride fixed all through the winter back in the 60s & 70s much prefer it for winter training in the evenings. Currently on a Langster but with "proper" handlebars running 72 fixed. Contrary to the comment above I think it is actually safer than freewheel as much easier to moderate your speed without needing the brakes
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    48 and riding fixed/ss last three winters using a 72inch gear and loving it.
  • shedhead
    shedhead Posts: 367
    I'm 43 & have been riding fixed for about 10 yrs now. Commute 4 days a week , 30 miles a day all year round regardless of weather & i love it. Running 81" (or 46/15 if you prefer) on a Pompino.
    'Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts'.
  • S2Trash
    S2Trash Posts: 12
    Have the option the flip the back wheel round to ride fixed on one of my bikes, just not tride it yet (old twat 47)
  • merlinghnd
    merlinghnd Posts: 106
    I am 48 and been on a SS for 4 years now and own a Boardman SC and a Charge Plug, both great bikes.

    Tried commuting ( 10 miles each way) fixed on the Boardman, bit too exciting in traffic and pot holes I found!!

    Total convert, especially in the winter although I have a "spike bike" which is a mountain bike with Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres and a Focus Cayo for sunny and dry days when I want a change.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    38 - been riding fixed for about 14 months - love it.

    I'd ridden fixed on the track a few times and enjoyed it - but not on the road - it's brilliant. I find it makes me a much more observant rider in traffic - always have to look ahead that little bit further/better.

    This year, I intend to do some of my longer rides on fixed (start by finding a nice flat 200km!) as I do really enjoy it.
  • pete.whelan
    pete.whelan Posts: 788
    Dunwich Dynamo is a reasonably flat 200km
    Recipe: shave legs sparingly, rub in embrocation and drizzle with freshly squeezed baby oil.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Monty Dog wrote:
    I expect they were wearing skinny jeans with their ar$e hanging out too?

    :lol::lol::lol:
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Dunwich Dynamo is a reasonably flat 200km

    Definitely an option I am considering this year - I considered it fixed last year, but didn't want to risk knackered knees in the run-up to PBP and I wanted to ride there and back to get the miles in.

    This year - maybe - certainly a good route for a first fixed 200 I agree.
  • EssieP
    EssieP Posts: 25
    I'm 47 & bought a Kona Paddy Wagon just over a year ago. When asked why, I struggle to put it into words. It's actually very difficult to explain, but I really like it. A lot.
    I don't use it for commuting, I have a custom built road/audax bike for that, so most of my rides on the fixed are long-ish, 40+ miles.

    In case anyone's interested, I use 42x16, but change that to 42x17 for winter rides.
    :wink:
  • raymondo60
    raymondo60 Posts: 735
    Really enjoy my Trek District SS with the Belt Drive. For commuting (14mls each way) Single Speed is great; it reduces 'decisions' while dealing with traffic (and the last few days of dodging queues outside petrol stations has been well mad!) and it makes riding so much simpler and focused. If its 'trendy' then I'm oblivious to that; what it is is pure fun.
    Raymondo

    "Let's just all be really careful out there folks!"
  • derall
    derall Posts: 2,836
    Another oldie here, just turned 50 and been riding fixed for about three - four years; middle of the Chilterns here so thankfully devoid of Hipster Fixies. Bought it as something simple to have around, antidote to the constant maintenance the SMGT needs. Now spend most of my time on the fixie, and the bent only gets a very occasional outing...
  • gmb
    gmb Posts: 456
    I'm 38 - I bought my fixed Pompino before Christmas and after an initial period of being absolutely terrified of it (using clipless pedals) I now love it and commute on it almost daily.

    I thought a couple of times of converting to SS but I'm going to stick with it for now...
    Trying Is The First Step Towards Failure

    De Rosa Milanino :-
    http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab78 ... -00148.jpg
  • I'm 21 and commute on a ss I built from an old Dawes 501 frame (it's in the commuting bike pics bit somewhere)

    I'm using 70inch ratio.....would like a lower one for my trip to cornwall in a while, but too much faff, so lots of walking up hills on the way!

    Fixed? never tried one. Will do when another shorty has one I can try
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,817
    Resurrecting slightly aged thread ...
    Raymondo60 : can I ask how you're getting on with (assuming you're still using this) the Trek District ?
    I've just received a ncie new belt drive District as warranty replacement for my original District 2 which developed a crack in the frame. I've spent a couple of evenings swapping bits over so it has drop bars as the shopping bike-stylee just wasn't for me and my 18 mile commute.
    I've spent a good while looking around at peoples opinions of these and see mixed feelings :
    Clean, silent
    Can appear to jump teeth due possibly to frame flex, sensitive to alignment and tension, unable to easily alter gear ratio.

    I've only ridden mine up and down the street so far - 1st commute tomorrow - but with strong pressure on the pedals I can detect a mild 'rub' somewhere, not sure if it's belt /chainguard (gonna have to repaint that in black I think)
    I'm slightly wary of this transmission as probably many are - chains - we all know and are aware of the issues re muck, maintenance, replacement etc, belts - sort of last forever but if they DO break then you're doomed !

    I even bidded on a rear 20T sprocket on Ebay yesterday as 55/22 is might be a little lower than the old 44x17 I ran which was ok if slightly on the low side of ideal but didn't win it then realised to fit it I'd have to source the cog tool and deal with re-tensioning the belt so I reckon I'll do a ride or 2 as is and then decide if it's for me.
  • Cam chain > cam belt.

    Same goes for bikes.