I'm looking ahead to post season for a possible bike build or buy...one that I have long thought about and have almost done. A fixxie...or to be more precise a fixxie/free bike with a flip flop hub. Bianchi makes the San Jose which looks like a killer turn key bike, but I can also get a nice deal on a Surley CC frame to build up too.....
So....do you cx'er that train on a fixxie feel it helps when cx season rolls around?
Do you do specific fixxie work outs or do you just ride?
Thoughts on my choices?

I do sometimes. Haven't been on mine in a long time, however. I think I'll get on it about 1x week w/in the next week or two. Makes me FEEL stronger if it doesn't actually do that.....mine is an old Gitane frame.

I'm looking ahead to post season for a possible bike build or buy...one that I have long thought about and have almost done. A fixxie...or to be more precise a fixxie/free bike with a flip flop hub. Bianchi makes the San Jose which looks like a killer turn key bike, but I can also get a nice deal on a Surley CC frame to build up too.....


or you could build a rear wheel around the White Industries ENO hub (http://www.whiteind.com/ENO-hub-specs.html) and turn your cross bike into a fixie commuter/winter trainer after cross season ends.

i use one. as for training, i do it in the spring quite a bit. but once the year get's on, i ride it mostly for commuting and shorter rides.

i'll do long rides on it, as it forces you to keep pedaling. it get's to me a bit after 4 hours or so, but i've done back to back 100 milers, etc. just great training, helps build power and spin.

Commuting to school on mine really helped me last year. Mine isn't 'cross ready (I really wish it was), but the power I gained in my legs from riding it (w/ heavy books) up all the hills around here helped a ton. It also improved my endurance, as I couldn't rest on the downhills and always had to stand up and sprint for the uphills. Go for it! Getting another bike is always fun.:thumbsup:

supposedly san joses are now flip flop

Yup the San Jose comes with a flip flop rear. Parts spec is decent, if a little low end-ish, but the price is nice and it's a great riding bike.

Hmmm now there are three ideas, thanks to DYG2001. I like the idea but I think I'd rather have a dedicated fixxie. The reason I like the Surly idea is that I can get the frame and spec it out like I want and have the capability for up to 44 wide tires. Can anyone think of why I'd want to choose the Bianchi over the Surly?

Can anyone think of why I'd want to choose the Bianchi over the Surly?


cuz you're a Euro-snob that doesn't know any better...

I have both. IMO, the Surly is more versatile (der hanger, rack & fender mounts, vs. rack OR fenders for the Bianchi)... and fits and rides better (although the Bianchi is mostly stock and the CC has higher end components). the San Jose is not a high end bike, and is prob a notch or several below the CC frame

Take a look at the surly long haul trucker also, that might make a nice bike for fixed gear use, I ride one geared for a winter bike and reall enjoy the fit and the ease of mounting fenders, plus you can use either type of brake

Take a look at the surly long haul trucker also, that might make a nice bike for fixed gear use, I ride one geared for a winter bike and reall enjoy the fit and the ease of mounting fenders, plus you can use either type of brake

I like the Long Haul Trucker and would think about getting one for a different purpose, but in my size frame it is made for 26" mtb wheels. That's not idea for what I have in mind here.

Thanks for the opinion between the frames FatTire.

.... the San Jose is not a high end bike, and is prob a notch or several below the CC frame

How would you compare the San Jose with the Van Dessel Country Road Bob? I am on the fence between these two. http://www.bikemania.biz/Van_Dessel_Country_Road_Bob_Single_Speed_p/vandessel_countrybob.htm

Thanks.

I ride a fixed gear much of the time. It really helps build power and legspeed. I use a 39x16 combination and I can ride long distances and hills. I set my bike up to be similar to my road bike and I use a front brake, I have campy brake-only levers.

Be sure to set your fixie up with 2 brake hoods or climbing out of the saddle will be impossible. That should go without saying, but people often set up fixed gears with odd brake setups which aren't useful for training.

I commute one a single speed. Any type of riding will help

Be sure to set your fixie up with 2 brake hoods or climbing out of the saddle will be impossible

I must be Mr. Impossible as two of my four fixed gear bikes only run one brake / hood and I don't have any issue with out of the saddle climbs when I ride them.

I must be Mr. Impossible as two of my four fixed gear bikes only run one brake / hood and I don't have any issue with out of the saddle climbs when I ride them.

Well, let me suggest a dummy hood for the other side. It will really improve the way your bikes work in the hills. Function over fashion, I say.

The thread that rises from the dead.
Just wanted to update I just put a Bianchi San Jose on lay-a-way..It was a killer closeout on an 07, couldn't pass it up. I can't wait to put in some miles.

I just built up a sweet old Bianchi lugged steel frame into a SS/fixie. Anthony (Giovanni) picked up the frame for me at the Seattle bike swap for $75, frame/fork/HS/BB & seat post. I have it decked out with all old Dura Ace; brake levers, brakes, seat post & cranks. Scored a pair of decent flip flop wheels off ebay & its rolling for under $200 total. Right now I have it set up SS with a 46/16 & its a blast to ride. I used to put a lot of miles on an old fixie I had years ago but after riding this SS I may just keep it that way.

I ride fixed gear some of the time. A single gear make you milk the maximum (whether you're going up or down) out of the gear. The B-S of "it forces you to keep pedaling" is...........BS. If I had a single freewheel I would pedal as much as possible. I mean, we're out training and we're gonna freewheel? Gimmy a break. Fixed or free; I pedal. The lack of, or presence of, pawls means nothing.

I ride fixed gear some of the time. A single gear make you milk the maximum (whether you're going up or down) out of the gear. The B-S of "it forces you to keep pedaling" is...........BS. If I had a single freewheel I would pedal as much as possible. I mean, we're out training and we're gonna freewheel? Gimmy a break. Fixed or free; I pedal. The lack of, or presence of, pawls means nothing.It may not work for everyone (what does?) but I think there is something to training your mind to always pedal. Maybe you never get tired or discouraged in a race, but there are times when I am powerfully tempted to cheat myself by coasting that little bit longer.

Plus, but pedaling a freewheel down a hill is not the same as pedaling fixed at all. The closest you could come is to apply the brakes while you are pedaling at your max sustainable RPM, and even then you are not using the same muscles.

There is a lot of fixie mumbo-jumbo that I don't buy into, but being forced to pedal all the time is a real benefit, at least for me.

I ride fixed gear some of the time. A single gear make you milk the maximum (whether you're going up or down) out of the gear. The B-S of "it forces you to keep pedaling" is...........BS. If I had a single freewheel I would pedal as much as possible. I mean, we're out training and we're gonna freewheel? Gimmy a break. Fixed or free; I pedal. The lack of, or presence of, pawls means nothing.Wrong.

Wrong.
For me, right. For you, that's your business.

cuz you're a Euro-snob that doesn't know any better...

...the San Jose is not a high end bike, and is prob a notch or several below the CC frame...

The Bianchi is made of higher grade steel for starters. I bet frame and fork alone it's a pound and a half - or two - lighter than the Surly. The welds are definitely cleaner. And the stock components are comparable to Surly's. Some are better. They are both decent bikes.

I just can't figure out the Surly circle jerk. The price is good, I guess.

I bet frame and fork alone it's a pound and a half - or two - lighter than the Surly. The welds are definitely cleaner. And the stock components are comparable to Surly's. Some are better.I have a hard time believing that the Bianchi frameset is 1.5-2 lbs lighter than the Surly frameset. I have had a cross-check down to bare steel, and the welds are on par with any factory Tig welds I have seen at that price range.

Surly does not offer a stock singlespeed CC, so I am not sure how one could compare the stock components. I am not at all impressed by the SJ's stock components anyway.

i raced single speed on my san jose this last season and my coach has me riding it fixed for 3 hours once a week during the off season. Ive never road fixed before but I can feel definitely improvements in my pedal stroke and power. I ride a 39x16 and not being able to coast is huge! Especially on rolling terrain where I most definitely would be coasting from time to time.

One thing I have noticed recently on the road bike is that I subconcscously coast a lot less. In fact, I have moments where I almost panic because I am about to coast and think I am going to get bucked off.

I wont know how much its going to help until I start racing next season but I will probably do one raced fixed as a result of this.

I just built up a sweet old Bianchi lugged steel frame into a SS/fixie. Anthony (Giovanni) picked up the frame for me at the Seattle bike swap for $75, frame/fork/HS/BB & seat post. I have it decked out with all old Dura Ace; brake levers, brakes, seat post & cranks. Scored a pair of decent flip flop wheels off ebay & its rolling for under $200 total. Right now I have it set up SS with a 46/16 & its a blast to ride. I used to put a lot of miles on an old fixie I had years ago but after riding this SS I may just keep it that way.

Sweet Bike DP!!!!
I can't wait to pick mine up. On my long ride today it was all I could think about. :D

I ride and commute on my fixie all through the spring. Took my SS mtb and put a track cog on it and good to go. I have done 3 hr fixie rides on it but most of the time it is a 2 hr ride 3-4 days a week. Hopefully it pays off during mtb season. Cross season is so far off that it wont make a difference.

Best part of riding the fixie, it keeps the HR down for most of the rides.

I ride fixed gear some of the time. A single gear make you milk the maximum (whether you're going up or down) out of the gear. The B-S of "it forces you to keep pedaling" is...........BS. If I had a single freewheel I would pedal as much as possible. I mean, we're out training and we're gonna freewheel? Gimmy a break. Fixed or free; I pedal. The lack of, or presence of, pawls means nothing.
I thought that I pedalled all the time . . . until I rode a fixie.

I ride a fixed-gear on tubulars without brakes. It's like a guilty pleasure.

I thought that I pedalled all the time . . . until I rode a fixie.Exactly.

And even if you were dogmatic enough never to coast on a singlespeed bike, it would not give your legs the overspeed training on descents that a fixed does.

also check out IRO or Masi

I've gotten so I came bunny hop up curbs on my fixie. The trick is to coordinate the pedal for when you have to bunny hop so it's not down, or smacks the curb. I wanted to try to buny hop barriers, but I found that my coordination/timing was thrown off from switching to a lower gear.