I just bought my first fixie and am waiting for it to arrive. In the mean time, I was wondering if some of the more experienced fixed riders could tell me about their first time on a fixie and what I should expect. I've never rode one except for taking a Pista on a few laps around a parking lot.

thanks a lot

I just bought my first fixie and am waiting for it to arrive. In the mean time, I was wondering if some of the more experienced fixed riders could tell me about their first time on a fixie and what I should expect. I've never rode one except for taking a Pista on a few laps around a parking lot.

thanks a lot

I guarantee you'll try to coast a couple of times, then discover you can't do that as you get catapulted up and forward by your stiffened rear leg (at the time). If there are hills, you'll be doing a lot of standing on the climbs and spinning fast on the descents (use a brake to slow yourself, if necessary). Don't kill your knees trying to do drag race starts from stop signs. Most of the time, though, you forget you're on a different kind of bike. Going along at 20 mph, it's really no different than a multi-speed bike.

Make sure you take a tool to remove the axle nuts if you get a flat.

Make sure you take a tool to remove the axle nuts if you get a flat.

What's the smallest, usable tool? I carry a SMALL saddle bag so not too much space...

I just bought my first fixie and am waiting for it to arrive. In the mean time, I was wondering if some of the more experienced fixed riders could tell me about their first time on a fixie and what I should expect. I've never rode one except for taking a Pista on a few laps around a parking lot.

thanks a lot

My first time on a fixie was about 3 months ago after I had converted my Miele from a SS to a fixie. Haven't been on my SS mtb since!

Like Doug said, you're going to forget you can't coast. Don't worry, your bike will remind you! :) You should expect to think why you didn't go fixed a long time ago. You should expect your other bikes to gather dust as you contiuously grab the fixie for all you rides. You should expect to start thinking of other fixed bikes that you'd like to buy. You should expect others to look at you with confused faces. But most important of all the things you should expect, expect to have a ton of fun! Corny I know but true! Enjoy!

What's the smallest, usable tool? I carry a SMALL saddle bag so not too much space...



I bought a Park double open-ended cone wrench, with one end 15mm size. I cut off and smoothed the other end, then wrapped that end in cloth tape (optional). Works every time, but very light and small. I carry only a small bag, too, and this works perfectly.

http://www.parktool.com/tools/DCW_4.shtml

It feels so good in your hand, you'll wish for flats or chain slack just so you can use it. It also has a bottle opener. I think it's called the Jethro Tool (sp?)

- Chris

What's the smallest, usable tool? I carry a SMALL saddle bag so not too much space...

Fixing: what Progre-ss said......

Tools: I've been carrying a tiny little knuckle-buster (adjustable wrench) on to use on my ancient re-dished 27" wheels. It sucks, so I'll get a Jethro Tool when I get my new wheels in a couple of days.

I saw a very cool tool on the Fixed Gear Gallery that bolts into the waterbottle mount on the downtube, but my current frame has no braze-ons anywhere, so I guess I'll have to wait on that......

Cheers,

made this one by welding two tools and a bottle opener together as I needed a 6mm allen for the rear hub and a 15mm wrench for the front hub on my bike...was inspired by the Surly multi-tool


What's the smallest, usable tool? I carry a SMALL saddle bag so not too much space...

I bought a Park double open-ended cone wrench, with one end 15mm size. I cut off and smoothed the other end, then wrapped that end in cloth tape (optional). Works every time, but very light and small. I carry only a small bag, too, and this works perfectly.

http://www.parktool.com/tools/DCW_4.shtml

The cone wrench is a bit thin, so it can dig into the nut- but it is light and small. I would still recommend a proper wrench or socket for home use.

Back to the original post: I'm relatively new to riding fixed- the first time out I thought I was nuts... like "what am I doing?" because starting and stopping is a bit different- you can't coast to clip in or out, and it is a bit unnerving the first time you experience the pedals moving on their own. But it takes very little time before you won't even think about it. I'm at the point where I'm completely addicted and commuting 40 miles round trip to work...

Expect to start questioning other aspects of cycling... I rediscovered steel, for example. Rivendell and Sheldon Brown started making sense (which was an unnerving realization). Other road bikers will think you are a freak, but you'll also notice how many others ride fixed. I've been trying to convince a few friends to build up a fixed project, but they just look at me like they don't even know me anymore. Finally, my wife is very confused- I've gone from having to have all sorts of very expensive gear-lust parts on my road bike to riding a dirt-cheap assembly of old components on a spray painted frame. I don't mind riding in the rain anymore.

Fixing: what Progre-ss said......

Tools: I've been carrying a tiny little knuckle-buster (adjustable wrench) on to use on my ancient re-dished 27" wheels. It sucks, so I'll get a Jethro Tool when I get my new wheels in a couple of days.

I saw a very cool tool on the Fixed Gear Gallery that bolts into the waterbottle mount on the downtube, but my current frame has no braze-ons anywhere, so I guess I'll have to wait on that......

Cheers,

Here it is:

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2004/c/olsson.htm

Does the job well, although you'll need a good amount of force to get to the proper torque.

I built up a ss/fixed (Surly flip flop hub) back in January, but only recently started riding on the fixed side. I don't know why I waited so long. I'm riding the fixed exclusively now.

Learning to clip into moving pedals took a few rides, but now is no big deal. Cornering I've clipped the inside pedal a few times, but not hard enough to crash.

The only problem I continue have though is forgetting to move the pedals to a good start position when I am forced to stop at a red light. (I can't track stand and don't plan to learn.) The light turns green and I realize the foot that is clipped in is still at the very bottom of the pedal stroke, then I have to hurriedly lift the bike and move the pedal for leverage.

I know the fixed nut axle is preferred, but I'm using a QR skewer and have had absolutely no problems. Sheldon Brown thinks it is perfectly fine, you just have to tighten the QR well more than most people are accustomed to on geared bikes. However, I'm riding an '80's road frame with the old style Campy forward facing horizontal dropouts, not the rear facing track style dropouts. I don't know how much of a difference this might make.

Any way, I'm having a blast, and there is no better way to maximize the training benefit if you only have an hour or so to ride than to jump on the fixie. Enjoy!

You are now free to ride enjoy it.

The afliction of gears still plagues my soul some times so I built a beautifull Waterford Geared bike. However my fixed gear bikes are my favorites. I am going to build a matching Waterford fixed gear in the near future.The stages of my enlightnment where as follows.

#1. SS mountain bike
#2. Fixed Gear road bike
#3. Fixed Gear road bike brakeless
#4. Fixed Gear MTB.

Somewhere in there I bought a Waterford, converted a perfectly good Gunnar Cross bike to Single Speed, and now work on building Fixed gear and Single Speed components. I spread the love of one gear every chance I get.

You will forget and try and coast. I will never forget when it happened, you will forget you can coast if you ride your geared bike again. You will feel the need to out climb geared riders on hills, and most importantly you will love your road riding even more.

The only problem I continue have though is forgetting to move the pedals to a good start position when I am forced to stop at a red light. (I can't track stand and don't plan to learn.) The light turns green and I realize the foot that is clipped in is still at the very bottom of the pedal stroke, then I have to hurriedly lift the bike and move the pedal for leverage.


That's one of my favorite things about riding fixed is getting the jump on cars at the lights so I can assert my lane position early...

I didn't really "practice" per se, I was already in the habit of attempting to track-stand most lights and stop signs on my geared bikes (with limited success), so it came pretty naturally when I switched over to fixed. I'll betcha 10 or 15 minutes a day for a couple weeks in a parking lot (maybe with platforms if you're not sure of being able to clip out in time to catch yourself) and you'd have it down.

I think a track-stand is something probably just about anybody can learn. I'm not sure about wheelies though.. I'm convinced there's a "wheelie gene" and I lack that gene. Still can't manage to pull off a balance wheelie on my MTB for much more than 20 feet at best, no matter how much I try and practice And don't even get me started on my pathetic attempts to manual. :.

-Trevor