gearing

[Chris N]

And for a small portion of the ride you have something to focus your anger on.

 

[bludger]

To ride in a way which accommodates the bike just makes you it's bitch, why not attack hills in the same manner but on a geared bike keeping a high cadence?

Because humans are terrible at forcing themselves to do that kind of thing. Grinding to a halt and having to walk is a huge incentive not to.

QFT!

[Ivan]

To quote myself from https://www.apidura.com/journal/cycling-at-its-most-basic-the-appeal-of-fixed-and-single-speed-riding/

"I get a bit bored at times on a bike, mindlessly tapping out the miles and found climbing on fixed an incredibly engaging activity – I see it like rock climbing, where you have to assess every climb and pick a strategy which you then continually reassess – do I power up there, can I tack and if so watch/listen for traffic constantly, or do I just give up and walk"

Back to gearing, I rode TCRno7 on a combination of 66" and 77" fixed and flipped to the 71" freewheel five times, hating it every time - I would rather go back to gears than ride SS again. I generally pass people on climbs and don't get overtaken that much on the descents, it's really on the long, flatter sections where you lose time, especially without aerobars.

[Mr Larrington]

A recumbent fixed?  Now that's a challenge!

I'm sure it's been done.  I think Aurélien Bonneteau used fixed when he set the recumbent hour record on the Bordeaux velodrome, and I've a memory of some loon in USAnia turning a BikeE into a fixer using a phantom chainring to keep everything in the right place.

[Ian H]

There's an awful lot of bollocks talked about fixed-wheel riding.  In this it is much the same as all areas of cycling.

I've always stuck with traditional, lowish gearing, 67" or 63" (more the latter as I get older).  Certainly I could get up just about anything on 67" in my younger days.  I can still comfortably hold evens on the flat with either gear.

It's always a pleasure to climb on to the fixed after riding gears for a while.  Conversely, it's always a pleasure to ride gears after a period on fixed. 

[drossall]

I once nearly hit a parked car because of my fixed wheel. I wasn't riding it at the time, and that was the problem. Out of habit, I tried to use the pedals to slow the bike down.

[Doo]

Very much liked folks comments and musings etc.
Today, I clicked the order button and have ordered my first ever fixie (previously rode SS or geared machines).
 

[drossall]

Tell us how you get on

[Doo]

Would love to report how I'm getting on, only, my bike hasn't arrived yet as it's still being built...

[guidon]

How about letting the cat out of the bag and letting us know what you clicked for....?

[Doo]

^
Ah, of course.. I've ordered a Dolan FXE. 48 x 18. Ahh, can't wait!

[rob]

^
Ah, of course.. I've ordered a Dolan FXE. 48 x 18. Ahh, can't wait!

I've got 2 of those.   

[Deano]

Zigzag

I did my SR last season on fixed. Middle of a fixed RRtY before the suspension of audaxing. I ride at a reasonable pace. Did a 200k in 6hrs 47mins early in the year, that’s with 2,700m climbing. I can spin at 180rpm when needed, 160 is what I do every ride. I understand if riding fixed isn’t your thing but it’s ignorant saying you can ride with geared riders (I do), ride fast (I can) or that I’m somehow I liability.

At the moment I’m riding 650b*50mm with 48/18 that puts me at 72”.

Cracking bike, DaT, what are the brakes? I'd love to fit drop-bar hydros to my Surly 1x1.

[Doo]

Hey, my bike came - it's lovely.
Took my debut ride, only 5k, my first ever ride on a fixed!
I have a brown stripe in my pants! The bike controlled me - I couldn't stop or slow down well and couldn't stand on the pedals. Arghh!
I will persist and hope the fear leaves me soon.
Arghh!

[JonB]

Good stuff, the fear will leave soon. For me, it went after a couple of rides. I'd get the occasional 'reminder' that I couldn't freewheel and this gradually diminished over a few weeks. You'll know you're there, when you get on a geared / freewheel bike and there's an odd almost dead like sensation at the top of the pedal stroke  Keep at it 

[Greenbank]

...You'll know you're there, when you get on a geared / freewheel bike and there's an odd almost dead like sensation at the top of the pedal stroke  ...

And you'll know when your pedal stroke has been improved by riding fixed when you get on a geared / freewheel bike and there doesn't feel like a dead spot at the top of the pedal stroke.

[dat]

Zigzag

I did my SR last season on fixed. Middle of a fixed RRtY before the suspension of audaxing. I ride at a reasonable pace. Did a 200k in 6hrs 47mins early in the year, that’s with 2,700m climbing. I can spin at 180rpm when needed, 160 is what I do every ride. I understand if riding fixed isn’t your thing but it’s ignorant saying you can ride with geared riders (I do), ride fast (I can) or that I’m somehow I liability.

At the moment I’m riding 650b*50mm with 48/18 that puts me at 72”.

Cracking bike, DaT, what are the brakes? I'd love to fit drop-bar hydros to my Surly 1x1.

Thanks, there r785 Di2 brakes. You can get a pair for around £120 from CRC.

[Chris N]

Cracking bike, DaT, what are the brakes? I'd love to fit drop-bar hydros to my Surly 1x1.

Thanks, there r785 Di2 brakes. You can get a pair for around £120 from CRC.

TRP Hylex are another option for drop bar hydraulic brakes.

[Doo]

Hey Folks,

Am 3 days into cycling fixed. If you're interested in my experience, please read this: https://challengemenace.blogspot.com/2020/05/fixed-new-experience.html

Cheers,

Doo 

[tatanab]

From the blog "not sure about how to stop with skill".  That's what the brakes are for.  The skill comes with stopping with your feet in the correct position to move off again, but that is just anticipation/experience.

I had no problems, probably because I first rode fixed at the age of 17 (50 years ago)  and had the benefit of watching more experienced club mates.  Plus of course, as a teenager you "just do it".  This is somewhere I think the internet does not help - too many tales of "I tried to stop pedalling and it spat me off" and other horror stories that probably did not happen.

[bludger]

Great blog Doo hope it grows on you! Give it two weeks and you'll be flying.

[fuaran]

Cracking bike, DaT, what are the brakes? I'd love to fit drop-bar hydros to my Surly 1x1.

Thanks, there r785 Di2 brakes. You can get a pair for around £120 from CRC.

What sort of levers are you using?
Its annoying to have floppy STI levers when riding fixed. And probably more expensive and complicated than simple brake levers.

[Doo]

^Thanks tatanab (I certainly did read a whole bunch of horror stories) and cheers bludger - I hope you're right!

 

[rogerzilla]

Cracking bike, DaT, what are the brakes? I'd love to fit drop-bar hydros to my Surly 1x1.

Thanks, there r785 Di2 brakes. You can get a pair for around £120 from CRC.

What sort of levers are you using?
Its annoying to have floppy STI levers when riding fixed. And probably more expensive and complicated than simple brake levers.

Imagine butchering a left DI2 lever    I wouldn't be able to resist.

[zigzag]

Imagine butchering a left DI2 lever    I wouldn't be able to resist.

it wouldn't look good though as the buttons complete the shape of the lever; without the them (or at least the dimpled one) it would appear to have a chunk missing.

eta: a better hack would be to set them up as a light/high beam control and for gps page scrolling.